HOME

BOOKMARK

NEWSLETTER

Join our newsletter to receive news of offers and discounts

Search

AS FEATURED IN...


Lucy Siegle On Eithical Living: Sunday March 5, 2006 The Observer

Weight Watchers®.co.uk. Now with an online plan.

Navigation


Parening Books

Search Now:
Amazon Logo


War Declared On Instant Messenger: How to Stop Your Child from Wasting Their Life Away Online


Hey Parents! I hate to tell you, but there is no such thing as "useful instant messaging". Your crafty child might try to take advantage of your lack of "Techie" know how when they say in that whiney voice... "But Mom?I'm IMing my friends about homework." Don't buy it! They are simply playing up the school is important bit so they can get you off their back.

To be fair, yes kids might spend a couple minutes discussing their school assignments. But for every 30 seconds of actual work, another 30 minutes are lost in useless chatter with the hundred or so "friends" on their buddy list! And if your child consistently pulls the "I didn't know the assignment" excuse, then bigger school problems than instant messaging are on the horizon.

You can easily stop the hours upon hours of instant messaging with one simple gesture? PULL THE PLUG! Now, I don't really mean to literally pull the plug out of the computer on your child. The last thing we want to do is get into a power struggle with your child, or break your $1500 computer.

No, what I mean is simply lay down the law. Allocate a specific period of instant messaging time per day. One hour of IMing is not going to kill anyone or their social life. And in that one hour time slot they will have plenty of time to discuss homework, their teacher, the new kid in class, or whatever.

Right now you might be saying, "That sounds great Chris, but what happens when my kid refuses to adhere to the allotted time?" When your child disregards your house rules it simply means they have too much free time on their hands. We all know that idleness is the devil's playground. It might be time to up their chore responsibilities. Or sign them up for an after school art class or even a sport or karate. Sometimes the best answer is to simply spend some quality time with them. Set up a time each day to play scrabble, take a walk or cook something together. It really doesn't matter what it is, just play to your kids interests and keep them busy.

The internet is a great tool, especially when it comes to education and homework. In the future we can expect to see an even greater merger of it with our every day lives. However, right now it's the great stealer of time. Getting sidetracked is very easy, (as some of you might know) and with the media induced, shortened attention spans of our children, whole young lives could waste away online. Teach your kids to use the Internet and Instant Messaging as intended. Sometimes we use it for work; sometimes we use it for play. Just be sure your kids know the difference between the two.

About The Author

Chris Pizzo is the President of Noble Learning Systems Inc. and the developer of the NEW "Amazing Homework Motivator" program.

Why are thousands of kids happily sitting down to do their homework each and every night?...Without a fight, an argument, or even a reminder? Click here now ==> http://www.HomeworkMotivator.com


MORE RESOURCES:

MiamiHerald.com

Breastfed babies may gain less weight
Fox News
Babies who are fed milk from their mothers' breasts gain less weight over their first year compared to babies fed milk—breast or formula—from a bottle, suggests a new study. The lead author said the difference may come down to how much of a role ...
Did Cave Babies Have Attachment Parents?MiamiHerald.com
Bottle-fed babies gain more weight in first year, study findsVancouver Sun

all 53 news articles »


Top Baby Names In Nevada
KLAS-TV
More>> LAS VEGAS -- Officials say Sophia and Anthony were the top baby name picks among Nevada parents in 2011. The Social Security Administration says the 221 babies named Sophia puts Nevada in line with their peers nationwide.

and more »


TIME

For the first time, minority babies are the majority in U.S.
Chicago Sun-Times
By Hope Yen May 18, 2012 1:40AM Stephanie Dowell/Post-Tribune A baby opens her eyes as she and fellow newborns have their picture taken in the nursery of the family birthing center at St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Dyer May 23, 2001.
White babies lose USmajorityThe Durango Herald
Minority babies outnumbered white newborns in 2011Washington Post
More minority babies than whites in US: Census BureauChicago Tribune
TIME
all 1,220 news articles »


LifeHealthPro

White babies are the new minority in America
Los Angeles Times
By David Horsey Pudgy, pink Gerber babies are no longer the typical child being born in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau, moms who are Latino, Asian, African American or mixed race are now giving birth to just over 50% of American ...
America's Non-White Majority Won't Remake the GOP Anytime SoonHuffington Post (blog)
More minority babies than whites in USAllentown Morning Call
The baby bombshellNew York Post (blog)
Arizona Daily Star -ABC NEWS 4 -BET
all 22 news articles »


The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Strollin' with your baby in Hoboken
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
By Kathleen O'Brien/The Star-Ledger Perhaps it was the pipe-cleaner bracelet that clinched a trophy in the Hoboken Baby Parade for this 2011 participant. Think of it as the Easter Parade for toddlers. Some parents dress their babies in the standard ...



NDTV

Two more babies die in Srinagar hospital; protesters block highway
NDTV
Srinagar: The horror of infant deaths continues in Srinagar with two more babies having lost their lives in the last 24 hours at the government-run GB Pant Hospital in the city. With this, the toll in the hospital has risen to 46 in less than three ...
Infant DeathsGreaterKashmir.com

all 115 news articles »


BBC News

Babies to 'teach' pupils empathy
BBC News
Babies are set to be brought into primary schools in Cardiff to help improve pupils' empathy levels and help reduce any bullying and aggression. The scheme, pioneered in Canada, encourages children to interact in a nurturing manner after observing a ...



Hundreds of thousands of baby red crabs invade Cayman Islands
Washington Post
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hundreds of thousands of red baby crabs are invading the Cayman Islands in a seasonal migration that residents say is unusually heavy this year. The crabs are blanketing roads, scurrying across yards and scratching their way up ...

and more »


Newborn babies being wrapped in towels because of hospital blanket shortage
Scottish Daily Record
NEWBORN babies are being wrapped in towels instead of blankets because of shortages at one of Scotland's biggest maternity hospitals. Last night, politicians united in anger over the scandal – just two months after Alex Salmond promised changes after a ...
Hospital short of blankets for babiesThe Scottish Sun

all 3 news articles »


PBS

Baby's Tumor Means Surgery Before Birth
PBS
"But we don't know why they occur in only some babies, or why some grow more than others," said Crombleholme, who is now surgeon-in-chief of the Colorado Institute for Maternal and Fetal Health. Once a fetus develops a tumor, it can grow very rapidly ...


Google News