How to Monitor Your Children’s Internet Use

Photo Credit: Stockvault.net 

John Robinson’s book titled Anyone You Want Me to Be tells the story of the first Internet serial killer. Anyone can pretend to be anything on the Internet and teens and younger children are particularly vulnerable especially if they send out personal information and photographs of themselves. As parents, it is our responsibility to know what our children are doing and with whom. It is important to talk to our children and without scaring them, we need to remind them of the potential outcomes of their actions on the Internet. Further, we need to be extra vigilant in order to protect our children from predators and even cyber bullies.

So, what can parents that they have not already done? It is simply not enough just to block websites or ban your children from certain activities on the internet. Remind yourself that no matter how responsible you think your child is, you still need to warn them about the dangers that lurk on the internet and you need to it often. Moreover, your child does not have to use the internet at home. They can use the internet at the local library, at school, or at a friend’s house. Therefore, monitoring your child’s internet usage at home is not enough, but teaching your child how to respond to certain situations can go further than you think.



Read More.

I am going to be doing a book review!

Unexpected Blessings is about Roxanne Black, who at age 15 was diagnosed with lupus - an inflammatory disease that attacks the vital organs of the body. As a teen, this was quite a scary and terrifying experience and Roxanne wanted very much to connect with others who understand what it was she was feeling. Roxanne formed a support group “Friends Health Connection,” a national organization that brings together people with similar conditions.



Unexpected Blessings is Roxanne’s way of helping others and here she brings to lit her own personal story and the stories of courageous others. Roxanne’s mission, each day for the last twenty years, is to make something positive out of her experience.



You can purchase Unexpected Blessings through Penguin Group (USA) for $15.00.



For more information on Roxanne Black and her book Unexpected Blessings, please her website.



When I asked to do this review, I was very touched as I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia so I can relate to Roxanne’s story. I will have this review up late next week.

"Roxanne Black used her own life challenges with illness as a motivating force to reach out and help others. She has touched thousands of lives and continues to serve as an inspiration to all who know her." - Deepak Chopra author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

How to keep your kids safe this Halloween

When you were child, the idea of dressing up, roaming the neighborhood, and begging for candy seemed too good to be true. As an adult, the thought of your children doing that is kind of scary. Halloween is supposed to be a time full of fun and laughter, but this is also a time where safety precautions must be followed to avoid tragedy.



The scariest thing about Halloween is not the candy, as many parents think, but the traffic. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 89 children killed as a result of Halloween traffic incidents between 1975 and 1996.



Read More at the Examiner Cleveland.





Photo Credit: Stockvault.net

How to spend quality time with your children when you work outside the home

Photo Credit. Stockvault.com





When you work outside the home, it can be quite difficult to find a balance between work and family. Quite often, your job will interfere with the quality time you should have with your family, your children in particular. For a working mother, obtaining a work-life balance can mean sacrificing your quality time with your children, but it does not have to be that way. Let's face it; you can never get that lost time back and your children will not be young forever. It is important to take the time to know your children because before long, they will be teenagers and as teenagers, they won’t want anything to do with you.



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When a working mother lives with an arthritis-related condition

More than 130 million Americans suffer from chronic pain conditions. Women are more likely to suffer from a chronic arthritis-related condition such as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia. Rheumatoid arthritis is 2 to 3 times more common in women than men, and usually strikes women between the ages of ages of 40 and 60, but can develop as early as their 20s and 30s. Fibromyalgia also affects women in the same age group and usually peaks around age 35, striking a huge group of working mothers with young children.



Arthritis-related conditions can affect individuals of all ages, but often they strike women who are in their 30s and 40s who have heavy work and home responsibilities, this according to Androniki Bili, MD, MPH, of Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa. "We are looking at women who have young children and who are bread winners or equal partners in bringing in income."



READ MORE.

Ah Shucks! I won an award!

Kelly over at A Day in the Crazy Life has given me an award! She must know how much I love awards. Well, I promised that I would display the award proudly and in order to do that, I must tell my readers ten things that they may not know about me, and I apologize, if at times, my life is sappy and sentimental. So, without further ado:



Ten Things You May Not Know About Me (Next time, don’t ask!)


1) I cry way too much! I cry when I watch commercials, the news, and even cartoons. Anything sweet, sad or emotional sends out the waterworks.
2) I love ribs (baby back beef ribs to be exact) – never mind I need to lose a few pounds and I should eat healthier. I love ribs and I eat them at least once a month.  I have even found some creative recipes so I don't get bored.

3) I hate when I watch my DVR’ed episode of Days of Our Lives and people try to talk to me. By this I mean – call me on the phone, come to visit and ring my doorbell, or even simply talk to me.

4) I hate doing dishes. That is why I own a dishwasher.

5) I am brutally honest.

6) I have not talked to my brother in over a year and I don't want to.

7) I am quite the romantic.

8) I hate dwelling on the past and I hate people who do (minus not talking to my brother).

9) The hardest thing for me being is working mom is how much I miss my children. Sometimes, I cry on the way to work because I miss them so much.

10) I have in the recent year learned that the value of money is overrated, and that there are things that are far more important than money. Many of us say that we feel that money isn’t important, but we don’t really mean it or understand that until we are tested.



I would like to pass on the award to:

RA Guy

Lana over at the Kids Did WHAT?

Overwhelmed Mom

Mallen over at Making Lemonade

Alica over at YaYa Stuff



Don’t forget to check out my latest Examiner Cleveland post about Working Moms Surviving the 9 to 5 routine.

Surviving the 9 to 5 as a working mom

Photo Credit: StockVault.net

More than 50% of mothers with small children work outside the home, and the main reason that these mothers work outside the home is financial need. For every mother, the decision to work is not an easy one nor is there a correct answer to whether a mother should or should not work outside the home. Every mother does what is best for her family, and deciding to work outside of the home brings with it issues of guilt, prioritization, and time management that can make the nine to five lifestyle difficult and stressful.

Working moms always feel like they are running two different races at the same time. When you are at work, you worry about the workload, meetings, and deadlines; when you are at home, you worry about balancing the family’s checkbook, tonight’s dinner, checking the children’s homework, and planning a weekend visit with your in-laws. While both worlds are not supposed to collide, they quite often do, and while you are at work, you will realize that you have missed the baby’s well-check appointment or while you are at home, you wonder how you will make the latest project deadline since you are unable to work any overtime this week.



From this working mother’s viewpoint, juggling and struggling involves both laughing and crying. Quite often, it can be exhausting, stressful and confusing. You will forget your mom’s birthday, or your child’s costume for the school play, or, that ever-important deadline at the office that ended up being handled at the very last minute. Moreover, you will eventually realize that supermom is myth and trying to make that myth reality will only further exhaust, stress and confuse you.



READ MORE...

Wal-Mart to offer some relief during the upcoming holiday shopping season

The current state of our economy has forced many to start our Christmas shopping early and it is estimated that 70% of consumers will start their holiday shopping before Halloween. It is always a good idea during stressful economic times to plan especially for the holidays - a time where you do not want to be strapped for money. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer is now giving consumers some relief by offering 100 toys for $10 a piece during the upcoming holiday shopping season.



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Lack of common sense or zero tolerance?

A first grader who brings a camping utensil to school to use at lunch gets suspended for 45 days due to his school’s zero tolerance policy. Zero tolerance policies are being utilized by school districts all over the country as a result of the violence that came of Columbine and Virginia Tech in recent years.



According to USA Today, the purpose of zero tolerance policies is to eradicate prejudice and discrimination on the part of school officials. There is a strong consensus of parents, educators, and even legislators who feel that zero tolerance policies only promote inequality and injustice leading to much criticism and debate. The decision and policy that led to the suspension of six year old Zachary Christie of Delaware required that school officials practice zero tolerance “regardless of intent” and “not take into consideration a child’s age,” this according to CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

 

Read more at the Examiner Cleveland.

Working Moms Can Stop Feeling Guilty

"It seems that no educated modern woman can have a baby without suffering agonies of self-doubt about the meaning of motherhood." Danielle Crittenden of the National Review discussing Susan Chira’s A Mother’s Place: Taking the Debate About Working Mothers Beyond Guilt and Blame.

Working mothers can completely relate to Ms. Crittenden’s assertion, and "suffering agonies of self-doubt about the meaning of motherhood" is most commonly associated with working mom guilt. Dropping off your child to daycare for eight plus hours a day can take a toll on any parent, but for working moms the feelings of guilt are much stronger as a result of the expectations of society and even the portrayals of working mothers in the media and the corporate world. In addition, working moms feel even guiltier when they arrive home to the second shift and become too busy to spend time with their children.  READ MORE.



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As many of you know, I am a Working Mom Examiner for the Examiner Cleveland edition.  As a working mom of many years, issues such as working mom guilt, work-life balance, and time management are all areas close to my heart. I appreciate your comments and your suggestions.  Be subscribe via email to receive updates.

More than half of working moms report that they sleep less six hours per night

A 2007 Sleep in America poll found that:



· Working moms sleep less than 6 hours per night on weeknights and are less likely to take naps during the day.



· More than half of working moms wake up feeling unrested.




· More than half say that they wake up during the night.




· 70% accept this and go about their day using caffeine as a means to keep themselves awake and alert.



Read More.

Taking time for yourself

According to Reuters Health, mothers of young children who feel they are not getting enough emotional support or help in caring for their children are at a three times higher risk of mental health issues compared to peers who feel they have enough support. In addition, 50% of mothers in the United States today work full-time and experience the stress of trying to do it all. This leads to feeling tired, overwhelmed, frustrated, and just feeling plain out-of-balance simply because mothers do not take time for themselves. Part of the problem is that many mothers simply do not want to ask for help.  READ MORE.

Connecting with local moms

Parenting is a tough job, and sometimes, keeping a work-life balance can be difficult. To connect with other parents dealing with the same issues or for agency help, information and support on being a working mom or other parent concerns, you can visit any of the following websites for more information.

The dinosaurs have invaded the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo!

That is the title for my latest Cleveland Examiner article.  Please be sure to check it out!



Photo: Edmontosaurus Baby (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo website.)

Examiner Cleveland - Working Mom Examiner First Post

I am now a Working Mom Examiner for the Examiner Cleveland.  Here is my latest post titled Finding Balance and Keeping it all Together.   I welcome your suggestions and comments.  Please subscribe to get email updates when a new post is added.

Follow Friday #5: Three Blogs I Always Make Time to Stalk

As many of you know, I am a mother, a grad student, a legal assistant, a blogger, and much, much more. I wear many hats, and I have a busy life. I am always running from one place to other and my days do not end until after my entire household has long gone to bed. One thing I manage to do, despite all this craziness, is stalk your blogs, and there are three blogs in particular I always make time to stalk.



We Are That Family. Kristen will be celebrating her second blogversary on October 22, 2009. Kristen’s family is like any other family in America; they laugh, they cry, and they deal with disasters. Here is Kristen in her own words:

Through the years, I’ve been in different conversations and either said or someone said to me, “You know THAT family?” They don’t even have to say a name usually. My mind automatically pulls up THAT family.



You know the ones.



The family that always has troubles. Something out of the ordinary is always happening and they are usually followed by disaster.

Through almost two years of blogging, Kristen has blogged about “being THAT family” (yes, you know the ones), about parenting, faith and inspiration, and just plain good stuff. Be sure to check out Kristen’s page, and become a stalker follower. Kristen always has giveaways, including this recent one where she has partnered up with Hallmark. She has posted two cards and asked her readers to leave a comment telling which card is the funniest, and they will be entered to win $60 worth of greeting cards.



Who Put Me in Charge of These People? Texan Mama is a full-time stay at home mother raising four children. She hasn’t quite figured out where she is a country gal or a city girl. She shares with us the craziness of her days, and despite it all, she manages to keep and have an amazing sense of humor (to our benefit, of course). Here is an excerpt from a post titled “How to Have a Relaxing Vacation.”

How to Have a Relaxing Vacation





1. Do NOT bring your children.



2. Enjoy the good libations.



3. Eat out - don't cook for yourself.



4. Leave all the bills at home or set-up auto pay or something brilliant like that.



5. Do not bring your computer with you.



6. Wear sunscreen.



7. Only pack shoes you've worn at least a few times before.



8. Stay somewhere that you aren't afraid to touch everything or leave something out of place.



9. Have some alternate activities planned besides "watch tv". Not that you have to do them, but at least you can have a back-up plan.



10. Don't watch any sexy movies unless you've brought your sexy mate along with you.

This post is a perfect example of why I make time to stalk Texan Mama’s blog.



Hope Floats. Melissa spends most of her days making her family happy. As she tells us, quite often she fails miserably. Despite dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis and other conditions that come along with RA, she manages to start her day with a smile, tenacity, and a great sense of humor. She asks her readers to join her with ups and downs and her journey into the world.



Melissa’s sense of humor and resilience is evident in her posts. Here is an excerpt from a recent post tiled “Learned a Valuable Lesson Today…” (This is sure to be a crowd pleaser.)

You know how I've always wondered what is the correct pair of underwear to wear to the doctor? Well, I got the answer today....it's any pair you don't mind your doctor seeing.



Which means my leopard print thong went over really well this morning. Especially when my 27 year old cutie doctor went to stick the pads to the electrical stimulation down my pants....(just typing that makes me shudder.) I'm sure he got quite the surprise when all he felt was cheek....

For more of Melissa’s stand-up comedy, go pay her a visit at Hope Floats.



Well folks, there are my three blogs I always make time to stalk. What are yours?



For more Follow Friday, posts click ---> HERE.