Karen Alley, The Daily Post. As web editor, Karen blogs every day about news and events that are going on either in our area or on a national realm. Bringing together hot topics with local ties is what keeps her perspective on the news interesting.
Renee, Teen-dom Tales, provides a look into the life of a mom of a teen, a stage of life that brings with it a whole new realm of parenting challenges.
Stephanie, Mamma Said, writes witty and insightful posts chronicling the development of her two young boys, ages 5 and 3. As a Greensboro resident, they're out and about at locales around the Triad quite often, and she also brings in the working mom perspective at times, with her part time job.
Lisa, The Single Mom's Soliloquy, adds a different spin on parenting as she writes about the issues, challenges and joys of raising a teenage daughter as a single mom. Her look at life in the new world order of blended families and split families is refreshing and sometimes controversial.
Heather Maggs, of The Time Out Corner, presents a humorous blog on the roller coaster life of a stay-at-home mom of a toddler.
Myra Wright, familiar to you as our editor, also blogs inPiedmont Ponderings. It's a great outlet for her creative sense of humor, and she brings some great perspective to life in King as the mother of three kids.
Ever since Rosenfeld's book, The Overscheduled Child, came out in 2001, and probably before that, there's been debate in the parenting world about how much is too much. Are we running our kids ragged to piano lessons, soccer practice, gymnastics and church choir, leading to over-stressed kids that don't know how to play? Just this week researchers from the University of Maryland College Park released results from their studies that showed being involved in a lot of activities not only doesn't harm children, it is even beneficial. This will come as a relief to many of us parents who feel like all we do is shuttle kids around.
The study found that having a good balance is best, about 2 activities at a time, but even kids involved in more didn't show harm. And the benefits to participating in activities include positive outcomes in school and emotional behavior.
The downside to all this is that while being overscheduled might not be harming our kids, it still adds to our stress as a parent. And of course, we all know it's hard to be good parents when we're feeling stressed out. Check out this site for tips on time management skills to help lower your stress level.
It looks like we're in for the first cool, rainy day of fall. And what's better on a day like that than curling up with a good book? At least, that's what I did when I was a kid. But in today's world, TV, video games and computers seem to be usurping reading. Why don't you make a statement today, turn off the electronics and take some time out to read? While you're at it, you might pick up Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. If you didn't have to read it at some point in school, it's a great novel that censorship, literacy and the affects of technology. Sounds like it was written today rather than over 50 years ago, doesn't it?
Fahrenheit 451 is the chosen book for this year's Big Read, a community-wide initiative to get people reading and discussing books. The event is more than just discussing one book, it includes a Banned Books Movie Series, an essay contest and other resources, including book lists for kids of all ages.
We all know that encouraging kids to read brings great benefits, from increasing vocabulary and ability to concentrate to developing comprehenshion and critical thinking skills and more. And one of the best ways to get your kids to read is to read to them, read with them and read around them. Be a good reading role model . Let them see you read and discuss what you read with them. Click here for more on how to be a good reading role model.
If you've got kids old enough to read Fahrenheit 451, read it together as a family. If you've already been ready for The Big Read, there's a book discussion today at the Central Library at 12:30. But if you haven't started the book yet don't worry, there are plenty more discussions occurring, including one for teens next week. And for the younger crowd, the library is encouraing kids to read Chris Cruther's Athletic Shorts. Click here for a calendar with a full schedule of local events.
And whether you're interested in rediscovering Ray Bradbury or not, take a trip to the library and pick up a book. You'll be helping yourself and your kids!
Today marks the beginning of National Take a Child Outside Week, the second year of this great activity that was started right here in North Carolina and has already grown to include more than 250 organizations throughout the United States and Canada. Thanks to the vision of Liz Baird, director of school programs with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, a movement has started to encourage kids to put down those Gameboys and explore the outdoors.
Parents and educators are becoming increasingly aware of the need for our kids to get outside and reconnect with nature, thanks in part to author Richard Louv and his No Child Left Inside movement. As national parks across the country see a decline in attendance, the affects of a generation of humans losing their connection to the world around us is frightening and reaching into many aspects of life.
So make a pledge to take your kids outside this week, today's a great day to start with the beautiful fall weather we're experiencing. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Backyard Fun: ideas for getting active in your own backyard
There's been another shooting on a college campus, this time in Finland. The exact count of how many have died hasn't been tallied yet, but the fact is some kids are dead, and as parents, it's another wake up call that there are crazy people out there and we can send our kids to school or college in a bullet proof ball.
Even the local news can be worrisome. A student was tasered at East Forsyth and there's already been arrests made in a fight that happened at Smith High School.
Luckily we can fell pretty safe that local school officials are doing everything they can to keep our kids safe. And while crime was up a little in Guilford County last year, it was mostly minor offenses.
Help ease your mind and give your kids they tools they need to be safe at school with the resources and statistics from these sites:
The statistics are scary. A study found 72% of car seats are installed incorrectly, a percentage that should worry parents considering that an average of four deaths a day occur for kids under 14 in motor vehicle accidents. So what better time to go get your seat inspected than now, National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 21-27)? It's a great way to kick off a new season, as today also marks the first day of fall.
If you can't make it to a car seat safety check, make sure you're following the instructions and learn how to install your seat properly. Find out about those LATCH connections here, and read up on car seats and the latest ratings at ConsumerReports.org.
