Puberty Can Be Emotionally Overwhelming to Adolescents

Parents may have forgotten what it was like to go through puberty. According to Psychology Today writer David Schwartz LMFT, puberty can be emotionally overwhelming to adolescents. Your tween or teen may be experiencing emotional difficulty as their body changes. According to David Schwarts LMFT, adolescents start to experience a whole new world of feelings when they reach puberty. They start to have emotions, recognizing their own sexuality and longing for closeness with others of their own age. This can create an overwhelming sense of change and uncertainty. Many adolescents aren’t sure what is happening to them. Parents can help … Continue reading

YouTube is Not for Kids Under 13

Parents need to be aware that YouTube is not intended for children who are under the age of 13. YouTube has been making efforts to protect minors and families, and recommends that kids who are 12 and under use YouTube Kids instead of the main YouTube. According to YouTube, it never was intended to be used by children who are under the age of 13. That is why they created YouTube Kids in 2015. It is a safe place for kids to be able to explore their interests and for parents to have more control over what their kids can watch. … Continue reading

YouTube Introduces YouTube Kids App Profiles

YouTube started rolling out Kid Profiles on November 2, 2017. The purpose is to have a kid-safe YouTube Kids account that your child can use to access kid-friendly content. It also means that parents won’t have to share their YouTube account with their children anymore. YouTube explains the decision to create Kid Profiles this way: “After talking to parents all over, we know that kids who love the YouTube Kids app are getting older and want a platform that’ll grow with them. Whether kids are watching Monster High, DC Kids, LEGO, learning their ABCs, or picking up the latest tricks … Continue reading

Social Media was Not Designed for Tweens

Your tween may be bothering you, night and day, begging to be allowed to have their own social media accounts. Parents need to realize that social media was not designed for tweens. Despite what your tween may tell you, it is unlikely that everyone at their school is on social media. Social Media is for Age 13 and Up Facebook requires everyone to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account. Twitter has advice for parents of teenagers who want to get their own Twitter account. That advice is not directed at tweens. Tumblr requires everyone … Continue reading

Teach Your Kids How to Spot Fake News

Parents should give their children the tools they need to safely navigate their way through the plethora of information that can be found online. Teach them how to spot fake news. Fake news is an article, website, or social media post that was created with intentionally false information. It is usually designed to evoke a strong emotional response – which urges people to share the fake news on social media. Example: Someone made a Twitter account that used what looked a lot like the icon for the BBC. The fake account used a photo of the Queen of England and … Continue reading

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Family

The start of a brand new year inspires many people to make some New Year’s resolutions. They make a promise to themselves to work on something specific that they believe will make them happier or healthier. This year, take the opportunity to make some New Year’s resolutions that focus on your family. You can make family New Year’s resolutions as part of your New Year’s Eve celebration. Sit down with your family and make some resolutions together. Decide on things that your family members want to work on as a team. The best part of family resolutions is that everyone … Continue reading

Amazon Go Might Change How You Grocery Shop

Everyone has to go grocery shopping sometime. Your family might go once a month and stock up on bulk items. Or, you could be among those who go grocery shopping once a week. Parents realize that grocery shopping can be difficult if you must wait in a long line with a toddler. Amazon Go might change how your family shops for groceries. Amazon Go describes itself as “the world’s most advanced shopping technology”. It promises there will be no lines to wait in and no checkout area to deal with. Shoppers simply grab the products they need – and go. … Continue reading

Changing Stations are Coming to Men’s Bathrooms

  At home, either parent can easily change their baby’s diaper. Outside of the home, moms will find a changing table in almost every bathroom. Men’s bathrooms, however, often lack changing tables. The BABIES Act will put changing tables into more men’s bathrooms across the country. There was a time when the social norm was moms changed diapers and dads did almost no childcare. Today, it is normal for both moms and dads to do hands on childcare with their babies. Years ago, I would see a mom out pushing a stroller or carrying her baby in a sling. Today, … Continue reading

Where to Find Summer Reading Programs

One of the things that kids like best about summer vacation is that they get a long break from school. It is important to keep your child’s reading skills sharp over the summer. A fun way to do that is to get your child involved in a summer reading program. There are several to choose from. Your local library The first place to seek out a summer reading program is your local library. Ask the librarian in the children’s section if they are doing this type of program. If so, he or she can help you get your child involved. … Continue reading

What Parents Can Learn from the Gorilla Incident

It happened at the Cincinnati Zoo. A 3-year-old boy somehow fell into the gorilla exhibit’s enclosure. A 17-year-old male gorilla, named Harambe, encountered the boy. Someone from the Zoo made the decision to shoot and kill the gorilla in order to save the preschooler. What can parents learn from the Gorilla Incident? Parent Shaming Doesn’t Fix Things It didn’t take long for parents around the world to take to social media to comment about the Gorilla Incident. While some expressed sympathy for the Zoo, the majority chose to attack the mother of the 3-year-old boy and question her parenting ability. … Continue reading