Watch your children for signs of fear and anxiety they may not be able to put into words. Have your children become extra clingy, needing more hugs and kisses than usual? Have your children started wetting the bed or sucking their thumb after you thought they had outgrown that behavior? They may be feeling the pressure of what is going on in the world around them. Use play to help your children express their fears and encourage them to use art or pretend games to express what they may not be able to put into words.

Use your family like a security blanket for your children: wrap them up in family closeness and make sure your children have lots of family time. During times of stress and change, spend more time with your children playing games, reading to them, or just holding them close.

Young children especially crave routine and rituals. If bedtime is the time you read stories to your children, make sure you keep that time for stories. Your child may be less able to handle change when he or she is going through a particularly rough time.

[via APA]

The latest research shows mixed results. According to an ongoing study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Md., which has tracked more than 1,300 children in 10 cities since 1991, preschoolers who attend day care for a year or more have an increased chance of discipline problems through the sixth grade, regardless of sex, family income or the quality of the day care center. On average, the more time that a child spends in day care (especially as an infant or toddler), the more problems arise.

But the study, published in the March-April issue of Child Development, also found that high-quality day care attendance is linked to children’s higher vocabulary scores through elementary school.

The takeaway message is that both the quantity and quality of child care do matter,” says Sharon Ramey, director of the Georgetown University Center on Health and Education in Washington, D.C. As a result, Ramey recommends that working parents should try to arrange their schedules creatively so that a child doesn’t have to be in nonparental care for excessively long periods of time — say, more than 30 to 40 hours a week.

In addition, Ramey says that research is just starting to show that not only is it important to find high-quality child care, but it’s also important to find the type of care that works best for your son or daughter and that takes his or her personality and individual needs into account.

In other words, a place that works for one youngster may or may not be the right place for another youngster. Thus, working parents need to be on the lookout for any signs of stress or distress in a child who attends day care — such as unusual crying or hitting incidents — and deal with them proactively.

Still, despite the somewhat troubling research findings regarding day care and discipline problems, Ramey notes that this new study “also affirms, again, that home environment has the largest and most lasting effect on a child.” This includes the overall quality of parenting — which is a stronger and much more significant predictor of developmental outcomes than any early child care experience.  

[via Revolution Health Group]

The makers of Thomas and Friends wooden railway toys is recalling about one and a-half million of them.

RC2 Corporation, which imports and distributes the toy, issued the recall because paint on the toys contains lead and could be toxic if ingested by young children. There have been no injuries reported.

The recall covers wooden vehicles, buildings and other parts sole from January 2005 through this month.

Details: by phone at 866-725-4407;

Details: by Web at http://recalls.rc2.com and http://www.cpsc.gov.

[via KTLA]

So, who’s right? Go with the kids: They’re the ones with the TVs in their bedrooms. And, as in most things, possession is nine-tenths of the law … of the household.

The latest survey from the Menlo Park-based foundation shows that parents remain worried about the violence and sex that pervade the media. Two-thirds of those responding say they want Congress to pass regulations limiting sex and violence on prime-time TV.

But contrary to what they claim, most parents have long ago given up trying to monitor what their kids watch. They threw in the towel when they bought kids their own sets and let them watch PG-13 videos at age 5.

In the Kaiser survey of 1,008 parents of children from 2 to 17, 52 percent said there is a TV in a child’s bedroom. A Nickelodeon survey put the figure at 69 percent for children 6 to 14. And, to our astonishment, another survey this year found that nearly one-fifth of American newborns to 2-year-olds have television in their rooms – even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that these children not watch any TV at all.

It’s not as if parents are relying on technologies to patrol the airwaves for them. Most parents have never heard of the V-chip, a technology that has been in new TVs since 2000 that enables parents to block shows they consider inappropriate. Only one out of six parents have ever used it. And though most parents are aware of the TV program ratings system, few know what the various initials, such as FV (fantasy violence), stand for.

Aside from the issue of what kids watch, there’s a consensus among physicians and educators that children who watch more than an hour or two of TV per day – or spend too much time with their Gameboy or video games – run a higher risk of obesity, and they do more poorly in school. And now that it’s summer, it’s time that they could be building a playhouse, learning how to cook or riding a bicycle in the neighborhood. Now, there’s a novel idea!

Parents know they should limit what kids see and how much they watch. The first step – admittedly, a hard one – is to pull the cord in their child’s bedroom.

[via Mercury News]

Math at the elementary level revolves around learning conceptual frameworks and understanding patterns, in addition to the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Younger students begin to understand basic amounts–whole, half, and quarter–as they start to see math expand its significance beyond the classroom. Lessons that focus on estimation, inequalities and averages help your child begin to implement these lessons in the grocery store, on the baseball field and even at the dinner table.

If you can solve the problems below, you might be able to keep up with your child–and be a real help with arithmetic homework.

Estimation is the act of finding an approximate answer, not an exact answer.
To round off decimals:
Find the place value you want (the “rounding digit”) and look at the digit just to the right of it.
If that digit is less than five, do not change the “rounding digit” but drop all digits to the right of it.
If that digit is greater than or equal to five, add one to the “rounding digit” and drop all digits to the right of it.

To round off whole numbers:
Find the place value you want (the “rounding digit”) and look to the digit just to the right of it.
If that digit is less than five, do not change the “rounding digit” but change all digits to the right of the “rounding digit” to zero.
If that digit is greater than or equal to five, add one to the “rounding digit” and change all digits to the right of the rounding digit to zero.

Inequalities are mathematical expressions that show two quantities are not equal. An inequality is used when the exact value of an expression is unknown. Instead of an equals sign, use one of these symbols:
> greater than
< less than
≤ less than or equal to
≥ greater than or equal to

Mean, Median, Mode, Range
Consider the set of numbers: 80, 90, 90, 100, 85, 90.
The mean is another term for the average, found by adding a set of numbers and dividing by the quantity of numbers there are in that set.
(80 + 90 + 90 + 100 + 85 + 90) / 6 = 89 1/6
The median is the number in the middle. To find the median, put the values in order from lowest to highest. Then find the number that is exactly in the middle.
80 85 90 90 90 100
If there is an even number of values, average the two values in the middle
90 + 90 / 2 = 90
Notice that there is exactly the same number of values above the median as below it.
The mode is the value that occurs most often.
90
The range is the difference between the lowest and highest values. The range shows how spread out the data are.
100 – 80 = 20

Shapes
Polygons are flat, closed figures with three or more sides. The most commonly recognized polygons are triangles, rectangles, and squares. Here are a few terms that may have escaped your memory.

A quadrilateral, such as a square or a rectangle, has four sides.
A pentagon has five sides.
A hexagon has six.
An octagon has eight.
The number of sides also determines how many angles a polygon has. A quadrilateral has four angles, a pentagon has five, etc.

Prime and Composite Numbers
A prime number is a counting number that only has two factors–itself and one.
A composite number has more than two factors, such as 6, whose factors are 1, 2, 3, and 6.
The number 1 has only one factor (itself) and is neither prime nor composite.

[via Sylvan Learning Center]

- You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child’s favorite toy and made him/her cry.

- You have time to shave only one leg at a time.

- You hide in the bathroom to be alone.

- Your child throws up and you catch it.

- Someone else’s kid throws up at a party and you keep eating.

- You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.

- You mastered the art of placing food on a plate without anything touching.

- Your child insists that you read “Once upon a Potty” out loud in the lobby of the doctor’s office and you do it.

- You hire a baby sitter because you haven’t been out with your husband in ages, then you spend half the night talking about and checking on the kids.

- You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it’s the only one your child eats.

- You find yourself cutting your husband’s sandwiches into unusual shapes.

- You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi’s mother.

- You obsess when your child clings to you upon parting during his first month at school, then you obsess when he skips in without looking back.

- You can’t bear to give away baby clothes–it’s so final.

- You hear your mother’s voice coming out of your mouth when you say, “Not in your good clothes.”

- You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.

- You read that the average-five-year old asks 437 questions a day and feel proud that your kid is “above average.”

Defense: What you’d better have around de yard if you’re going to let the children play outside.

Drooling: How teething babies wash their chins.

Dumbwaiter: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.

Family planning: The art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you on the edge of financial disaster

Feedback: The inevitable result when the baby doesn’t appreciate the strained carrots.

Full name: What you call your child when you’re mad at him.

Grandparents: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they’re sure you’re not raising them right.

Hearsay: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word.

Impregnable: A woman whose memory of labor is still vivid.

Independent: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say.

Look out: What it’s too late for your child to do by the time you scream it.

Prenatal: When your life was still somewhat your own.

Preprared childbirth: A contradiction in terms.

Puddle: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it.

Show off: A child who is more talented than yours.

Sterilize: What you do to your first baby’s pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby’s pacifier by blowing on it.

Storeroom: The distance required between the supermarket aisles so that children in shopping carts can’t quite reach anything.

Temper tantrums: What you should keep to a minimum so as to not upset the children.

Top bunk: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies.

Two-minute warning: When the baby’s face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises.

Verbal: Able to whine in words

Whodunit: None of the kids that live in your house.

“How many times have I told you not to come into the house with muddy shoes? Look what you did to the carpet now, it’s all dirty! Why can’t you listen when I tell you something?”

Does this sound familiar? Maybe you have said similar things to your children in frustration. You are not alone. Most parents and caregivers, even though they love their children more than anything, will become frustrated at some point when children don’t do what they are asked to do, throw tantrums, whine, fight with siblings, or argue with parents about chores and bedtime.

Raising children is a complicated job, and there are often no clear-cut answers to the dilemmas parents face on a daily basis. I’d like to suggest that the most effective way of dealing with children’s difficult behavior is to make a plan in advance, before the misbehavior actually occurs, for how you would like to handle the situation. This helps you to stay in control of the situation and to react to your children in a predictable and calm manner rather than reacting in the heat of the moment, with anger, blaming, and yelling.

The suggestions below are ideas that have helped many families reduce their children’s difficult behavior and increase the amount of positive interactions between parents and children.

Spend positive time together—every day.

When children know they are loved and respected by the important adults in their lives, they will respond to those adults in a much more pleasant way. The best way to let your children know that you love and respect them is to spend positive time with them, even if it’s only 10-15 minutes each day (to a child, that’s a long time!). Don’t wait for large chunks of “quality time” to come along once a month. Instead, look for daily opportunities to join your child in their play for a few minutes, read a book together, or really listen to them. Praise and encourage your children daily, and give them positive feedback, even for small things. All of this builds a foundation of love, trust, and respect.

Any attention is better than no attention, as far as the child is concerned.

A parent’s attention is a powerful reward for any child, and they will do whatever it takes to get the parent to pay even more attention to them, even if the attention is negative (such as a parent’s nagging, yelling, and arguing with a child). Therefore, make sure you don’t pay more attention to your child’s misbehavior than his or her positive behavior. Instead, let your children know that you will pay lots of positive attention to good behavior when it occurs. Don’t wait for your child to do something extraordinary—pay attention to the small things they do right on a daily basis, such as getting dressed by themselves, taking their shoes off at the door, or playing quietly by themselves for a while. Praise the positive behavior in a specific way to let the child know what he or she did right, so they can repeat it. For example, say, “Good job of taking your shoes off at the door when you come in! That really helps keep the carpet clean! Thank you!” Remember that sincere praise for anything the child does right is the most powerful way changing children’s behavior, and is much more effective than nagging, yelling, or punishment for misbehavior.

Use rules and routines.

Having specific rules and routines for such daily activities as homework, family meals, bedtime, and chores helps things go more smoothly. Create a list of rules to let your children know exactly what you expect of them in different situations, and also what behaviors are not allowed. For example, a rule for mealtime may be, “Everyone stays in their seats until the entire meal is over” and “No complaining about food allowed—be polite if you don’t like something.” When your children know exactly what you expect of them, you will need to do much less nagging and complaining. A simple reminder of what the rule is (“Remember, we stay in our seats until the meal is over” can help kids cooperate better.

Make your requests brief and specific.

Parents sometimes become upset when their children don’t do what they are told. Many of us then have the tendency to engage in long run-on lecture, as a way of venting. In most families, this sounds something like “didn’t I tell you three times already… why can’t you ever listen… why do we have to go through this every single time… just once I want to see you do…” No wonder kids tune you out! Instead, try keeping your remarks short and to the point by trying one of three possibilities: Describe the behavior (e.g., “”You walked into the house with muddy shoes—take them off, please.”); State the rule (e.g., “We always take our shoes off at the door—now please”); Say it with one or two words (e.g., “Shoes off!”). Your kids are more likely to listen, and you are less exhausted using fewer words.

Point out a way to be helpful.

The most common remarks children hear from their parents include the words “No,” “Don’t,” and “Stop.” The problem with such remarks is that they only teach children what NOT to do, and don’t give them an idea of what behavior you expect from them instead. Children are often eager to help their parents but they need to be told exactly how to be helpful. For example, when you are preparing a meal your child comes in and put his or her toys on the kitchen floor to play (probably out of a desire to be close to you), instead of saying, “Don’t put your toys all over the floor, can’t you see I’m busy in here?” say, “Let’s put your toys on the table so I can watch you play while I cook.” A child who is pulling flowers can be taught how to pull weeds instead. A child who is scribbling on furniture or walls can be asked to draw a picture for someone on paper instead. Be creative—think of fun ways that your children can be helpful to you, then praise them for their appropriate behavior.

Don’t give in to whining and arguing.

This sounds like common sense yet most parents have, at one time or another, done just that. Parents get tired of dealing with whining children, and sometimes giving in can be an easy way to create short-term peace. But it’s just that: short-term. Once your children learn that you can be manipulated by whining, they will try this strategy over and over, knowing that, at least every once in a while, they will be successful. To reduce whining and arguing, let your children know that you are perfectly willing to listen to them, but only when they start using a more pleasant tone of voice. Statements such as “I will listen to you when you talk in your big-kid voice” teach children that there are alternatives to whining that may be more successful. Of course, listening is not the same as giving in. But if you give in to a child who is asking you nicely, at least they learn to ask nicely again in the future!

Make sure you mean what you say.

Don’t say anything that you aren’t prepared to back up, if needed. Otherwise, they will learn to not take you seriously when you make requests. For example, if you call your children to dinner and they don’t respond immediately by coming to the table, be prepared to go to them, take them by the hand, and tell them that you expect them to come when you call them the first time. This prevents you from having to repeat your request over and over again, and children learn that they are supposed to respond to your first request, not the third, fifth, or tenth one.

Children learn best from consequences, not lectures.

Children are not little adults. Just because you tell them something once or twice doesn’t mean they’ll do it the next time. Don’t rely on words and reasoning to get your child to do what you want. Instead, let your children experience the natural consequences of their misbehavior. For example, if they are not getting ready on time for school or another activity that they have planned, then let them be late and suffer the consequences! Sometimes, learning the hard way is the best way to learn, so be happy when your children make mistakes; that’s how they learn best! Another example of a natural consequence is to put all the toys that didn’t get cleaned up into a box which goes onto the top shelf of the closet for a few days, without a lecture or long explanation of what you are doing. If children miss their toys, they will be more likely to remember to clean them up next time so they can keep playing with them. And remember to praise them when they do clean up.

Practice what you preach.

You know this one already but it’s worth repeating: Children learn best from our example, not from our lectures. If you treat other people with respect and courtesy, your children are much more likely to treat others that way, too, including you! If you complain about your work or chores a lot, guess what your children will do? Clearly, parents can’t always be perfect role models for their children, so what if you make a mistake and your child witnesses it? Consider turning your mistake into a learning opportunity. Your children will learn much more from seeing you admit your mistake, apologize for it, and then make an honest effort to do better next time, than they would if you were trying to cover up your mistake.

About the author:
Dr. Karin Suesser, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She provides therapy and assessment for children (ages 1-18) and their families, as well as for adults and couples. She specializes in helping individuals find effective solutions to emotional, behavioral, or life transition concerns. Her areas of expertise include anxiety issues, ADHD, aggressive and disruptive behaviors, depression, trauma and abuse issues, academic/career concerns, parenting issues, relationship and sexual issues. She also provides professional coaching to individuals to help them achieve their goals, enhance their performance, and live a more deeply meaningful life.

Deputies in Douglas County said the teenager’s father called them Sunday with the story.

The teen, 17, from Winchester Bay, first shut the younger boy in a utility box on the front of a trailer, but two companions of the teenager let him out.

Then, according to the sheriff’s office report, the 9-year-old yelled at the teenager — who then carried him to a nearby tree, wrapped several layers of tape around him, and took a cell-phone photograph.

The teen’s father arrived, and the teen took the tape off, the report said, but the father called officers with a report.

Via [Seattle Times]

Kids who sleep more weigh less
MSNBC – WASHINGTON – Children who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight than those who get more, according to a study published Wednesday that tracked more than 2,000 U.S. kids for five years. Researchers at Northwestern University in

Children who sleep more weigh less
eMaxHealth.com – Children who sleep more tend to weigh less than children who sleep less, and they are less likely than their counterparts to be overweight five years later. That’s one of the major findings of a new study published in the January/February 2007 issue

Report: More NJ Children Living in Poverty
1010Wins – NEWARK, N.J. — The number of young children living in poverty in New Jersey is continuing to rise, but the state is doing better at helping them — at least on some fronts — according to a report released Wednesday by the Association for Children

Tarrant’s wife granted “quickie” divorce
Reuters UK – Documents also revealed that Mrs Tarrant and her children had moved out of the family home and were now living in a 3.2 million pound, eight-bedroomed house set in more than four acres of land in Cobham, Surrey. Tarrant, presenter of the “Who Wants to

Child Porn Ring Uncovered in Austria
ABC News – 2007 (AP) Austrian authorities said Wednesday they have uncovered a major international child pornography ring involving more than 2,360 suspects from 77 countries, including hundreds in the United States, who paid to view videos of young children