Internet Safety For Kids - Google+ The New Formula?

Google has released a new social media application platform -- Google+. Should we, as parents, be concerned for the safety of your kid on the Internet? A new formula may have emerged: Google PLUS your kid PLUS the Internet PLUS busy parents EQUALS the safety of your kids on the Internet reduced once again.

Google+ is the latest social media platform, launched by the Internet search giant Google. Google+ was launched recently and is already making its mark on the Internet. Looking from a perspective of your kids safety on the Internet, Google has only made the platform available to those who are 18 years old and older. As the popularity and number of users for Google+ grows, there is an incredible amount of attention given to the safety of your kids on the Internet.

Although Google+ is available only to adults, there is always the possibility of younger kids and teens being drawn to the massive appeal of the platform. We should know that not all children are bound by these age limitations and regulations. Sometimes, curiosity and temptation to hop in the bandwagon gets the better of the kid. While most of us grew up during the development of computers and Internet, our kids have grown up surrounded by computers, the Internet and especially social networking applications. Waiting until 18 to check out the latest social network platform is not really an option for most of them, and regardless of age limitations it is always possible for even a 10 year old to create an email address and register on Google+, posing as an 18 year old. This fact alone should be compelling enough for you to take the opportunity to discuss safety for kids on the Internet with your kid, with a strong focus on the many dangers of careless social networking.

The Google+ platform comes with sufficient social networking features. If you are used to other social networking applications such as Facebook, MySpace or Skype then you will be familiar with the Google+ features. The Google+ features deliver functionality via various categories, such as: Circles, Sparks and Hangouts. Circles is just another way to connect with your circle of friends. Hangouts is another way to share information with the right people. Sparks is another way to share videos and articles with your circle of friends. You can filter and categorize online friends and deliver video and article content delivery to your trusted friends and family. Other features allow you to automatically upload pictures and an easy way to keep in touch with your friends through texting services. Once again, the possibility for these features to be misused by under-aged kids is always present.

The main threat to kids who use social networking platforms, such as Google+, is the ability for too much or the wrong information to leak onto the Internet. To keep this information leakage in check you should be explain to your kid that they should not to talk to strangers, they should not accept non trusted people into their circle of friends, and they should not hangout with people that they do not know. If you think about this, this advice is not that much different from the advice given to you by your parents. I am sure at some point your parents have told you (as a kid) that you should not talk to strangers, and you should not hang out with people you do not know. The big difference, however, is that the platform now is different from when we were kids. Kids today interact with each other through a virtual, online world, instead of the offline, non virtual world. This is why online safety for kids is exceptionally important and should be discussed with patience.

Let your children know that while social networking is not 100% inappropriate (Facebook's age limit is above 13 and the majority of its 750 million strong user base are teenagers), it is necessary to keep certain information confidential. One of the most basic Internet safety guidelines for kids is to control the amount of information released on to the Internet via kid's social networking profile; the Google+ profile. Since it is virtually impossible to keep your kid out of Google+ without breaking their heart, you too can join Google+ and make friends with your kid online. This way, you get to see the online activities of your kid, identify any potential danger that your kid may get themselves into, and become knowledgeable about the Google+ application platform.

Becoming aware of the Google+ platform is probably your greatest asset. By understanding how Google+ works (and it is not that difficult) you will be able to guide your children safely through the social networking maze of Google+.

In my opinion, you don't have to be a mathematical genius to understand the Internet safety formula or kids. It takes just common sense. To an extent you have the ability to change the formula, which will have the net effect of keeping your kid safe on the Internet.

Sleep Tight Little Angels, the Bed Bugs Won't Bite With These Kids Beddings

Camping out with the kids while out on an ATV riding trip can be fun during the holidays. However, when it comes down to camping and staying overnight outdoors in some strange and foreign land, mosquitoes and comfort is an issue. This is where ATV kids bedding will come in handy. Under no circumstance should your kids be left to sleep in extremely uncomfortable kids bedding because if their sleep quality is bad, the ride home is going to be worse! So, here are some tips and advice on how to help your kids achieve quality sleep with top quality kids' beddings when out on an ATV riding trip.

First of all, it's got to be a kids' bedding that is designed to fit a kid. it wouldn't be all that comfortable is the kids bedding was made for adults. If your kid is still under 12, there is a small risk of them being snuffled or getting buried too deep within the kids bedding. Therefore, if you don't already have proper kids bedding for this purpose, it's time to shop for one now...unless you like the idea of grouchy kids in the morning.

Although this is not the most important reason why you should invest in a kids bedding made exclusively for kids, you should try to get kids bedding with prints that appeals to kids. Something colorful and attractive, fun and exciting! Kids beddings with designs that make them want to cuddle up inside and stay there! It is common for kids to sleep in their own kids bedding at night and end up in one of their parent's sleeping bag the next morning...it can get pretty uncomfortable for both parent and child because a single sleeping bag is not made to accommodate more than 1 adult or two kids. To prevent that from happening, help them 'like' their own kids bedding - this way, they won't end up waking up in yours the next morning. In fact, get them to choose their own kids bedding for the trip, so that chances of them skipping over to yours in the middle of the night is minimized.

Kids beddings should always be comfortable and yet warm on the inside - this is important if you don't want them catching the sniffles in the morning. Cotton is always best when it comes to comfort but cotton kids bedding don't provide enough warmth for them to last the night especially during cold nights. So, what you can do is to top it up with kids blanket, stuff it into and under the covers of the kids bedding and give them a warm water bottle. This should do the trick.

Kids Safety On The Internet - The Technology Blame Game?

I cannot blame technology, the Internet included, for your kids safety (or unsafety) on the Internet. I have spent more than twenty-five years in the technical field, and it would be ironic and shameful if I was promoting something that was putting my kid in danger. However, something is to blame, and I tend to come back to the same question "Are your kids in more danger today compared to when you were their age?"

I truly believe they are in more danger now than when we were kids. Let's look at three different scenarios to give some context to my opinions: bullying, sexual predators, and violent content.

Stop The Cyber Bully?

Think about when you were roughly the same age as your child. What were you were doing in the school yard? If you were unlucky, then you as a kid may have been bullied by other kids at the school. Maybe you even witnessed a bullying incident. Bullying in your kid-days typically remained in the school yard. When it was time to go home, the mental effects of bullying possibly trailed home with you, and when you returned to school the next day, the bullying may have picked up from where it left off - verbal and possibly physical abuse. The key thing is that you did not drag the bullying home with you. It stayed at school. Today, a kid usually does not have the luxury of leaving the bullying on the school grounds. The bullying can follow them wherever they go, called cyber bullying.

Cyber bullying is Internet-based, and you did not have the Internet as a kid. The closest resemblance to something like the Internet was probably a telephone or a ham radio -- and I'm really stretching my imagination. If someone wanted to spread the bullying word about you, the best they could probably do is tell their school friends or maybe spread the bully word by telephone -- a very slow and laborious way of spreading the bully word.

Today, however, the bullying word spreads exceptionally fast, and its difficult to stop cyber bullying. I have witnessed live bullying episodes on the Internet, namely Twitter and Facebook. Not only does the bullying word spread fast, but those who instigate it can do so anonymously. During your kid-days bullying was usually face-to-face, so you knew exactly who was behind the events. Today the probability of the bully remaining anonymous is fairly high. They just hide behind fake profiles and userid's, then launch "operation clandestine bully spread".

Predators On The Internet?

Then there is the predator world. As a kid did you ever have a fear of being stalked by a predator? Did you ever think they (the stalker) was going to take you away and do mean? Did your parents think behind every dark corner lurked a predator? I know for a fact that I never feared such a thing, and neither did my parents. If my parents had concerns it definitely did not overwhelm or rule their lives. Once in awhile they may have reminded me "Not to talk with strangers". In fact, I felt extremely safe -- walked to school & my friends by myself and played outside after sunset. Even though there may have been real dangers I never felt threatened. I felt totally safe!

Today, as a parent I am extremely conscious of the Internet Predator. I have already educated my kid about chat rooms and how not to communicate with strangers. I'm definitely not an old-fashioned parent, but my instincts tell me to keep myself alert and watch for any tell-tale signs that my kid is in predator danger.

It's obvious that Predators on the Internet are a real concerns amongst many parents. I am constantly witnessing parents telling their kids not to friend anyone on Facebook that they do not know. The hip parents tell their kids "NOT TO LMIRL" to anyone that they have not previously met in real life (aka. Don't talk with strangers). In the Twitter world. many Twitter Teens already have a huge amount of followers, and would venture to guess that they do not even know who most of them are. I've seen kids with thousands of followers, and even if they had a fraction of the amount of followers that they have, there is no practical way that they know every one of them. So basically, if your kids are on Twitter they are probably talking to strangers - I'm sure many more strangers than you spoke to as a kid.

The Meaning Of Violence?

When you start comparing the violence that you as kid were exposed to compared to today's kids, there is a dramatic difference. When I was the same age as my son is now the extent of the violent content I was exposed to was negligible compared to that of today's kids.

I was born in South Africa, and as a form of entertainment, my parents rented 16mm reel-to-reel movies on the weekend. The 16mm reel-to-reel movies were South Africa's equivalent of North America's, once popular, Beta or VHS. The 1967 Bonnie & Clyde was the most violent movie that my parents ever rented, which we (the kids) were sent to our bedrooms to play while they (our parents) watched movie. Every once in awhile we used to sneak a peek and get our dose of blood & gore. Bonnie & Clyde, by the way, is rated R by the MPAA, and Age 14 by Common Sense Media.

Fast forward to 2011 -- I can list at least a dozen Internet or console based games that are extremely violent in nature, and know of kids that are under 10 years old who play these games. I won't go into details about the games, but they are rated "Not for Kids" and "5 circle violence" by Common Sense Media. Today's violent content does not fit into the Bonnie & Clyde genre - what was rated R in 1967 seems to be rated OK for today's teens. It is relative though, in 1967, as a kid, I was trying to watch content that was "not for kids" and in 2011 kids are still immersed in content that is "not for kids", albeit the content is more graphically violent -- eg. "Call of Duty".

About The Internet For Kids

So when you start comparing kids to now and when you where a kid, it should be clear that today's kids are more susceptible to dangers than yesterdays kids. Your initial inkling, after taking into account bullying, sexual predators, and violent content is to probably blame the Internet. Isn't the Internet the big difference between now and then? It may seem so, but I do not believe the Internet and technology is to blame.

The Internet is just an efficient mechanism to get messages, information, and content from one place to another, and has not changed the underlying cause or motivation of human behavior. There are many documented stories that show bullying, violence and other related incidences and are part of our history. Internet or no Internet there will still be bullying, sexual predators, and violent content. The Internet has just made access to content, messages and information much easier and more pervasive than it's ever been.

I believe that we can not totally eliminate bullying, the sexual predator, and violent content because in order to do so we will need to dig really deep and start altering almost everything about society -- not a realistic endeavor. We need to live with the consequences of our progression, and keep on managing and tame the elements that have put our kids in potential danger. Even though I do not blame technology and the Internet as the source of our kids safety (or unsafety), I fully recognize that the Internet has given bullying, predators, and violent content an easy, and inexpensive way to access and abuse the unassuming kid.

The bullying message can be carried more quickly, efficiently and anonymously than a face-to-face conversation; Predators can hide behind smoke screens and pretend to be younger than they say; Content, violent or tame, can be distributed through the Internet more easily than renting a game or a video. The Internet is not going away, and is evolving quickly.

We still need to do what we do best - that is guide our kids safely until they are able to take over that responsibility themselves. It is necessary and important that we continue learning how to tame the 'Internet beast'. We will get there, but for now our persistence to guide our kids safely through the Internet must prevail.

Raise a Smart Kid

Concisely, here is the most significant information in raising a smart kid:

Interrelate with your kid, participate with him (her), and make him feel treasured

Scientists experiential that babies who were not cuddled, played with and treasured have underdeveloped brain development. They also observed that offspring who were not held and did not receive consideration failed to develop, became unhappy, and in the end died. Alternatively, many studies have revealed that loving, hugging, interacting and playing with your kid has a physically powerful outcome on increasing his brainpower. The loving relationship created between you and your kid and your one-on-one communication with him offer the foundation for his elevated thinking skills.

Converse to your kid

This develops your child's physically powerful verbal communication skills. Also, give attention to your child when he's talking. This reinforces his endeavor to converse and develops his capability for verbal communication.

Interpret books to your kid

Begin reading to him even if he does not comprehend the terminology. This gives him an advantage in increasing language skills. Kids who can read to when young are more probable to build up a lifetime interest in reading, excel in school, and be successful in adult life. Reading books is one of the mainly vital activities that make kids smart.

Allow your kid play

When your child plays, he/she is creating the groundwork for his intellectual, societal, physical and emotional skills. When he plays with new kids, he learns to merge thoughts, impersonation and feelings with other kids' experiences and opinions.

Support your kid to work out

Physical exercise does not only make your kid well-built, but it also makes your child smart! Physical work out increases the flow of blood to the brain and builds fresh brain cells. Physical work out is good for adults' mental sharpness, but it has a more lifelong result on your kid's still developing brain.

Craft music an ingredient of your kid's life

Studies have revealed that listening to song can improve memory, concentration, inspiration and learning. It could also lesser stress that is unhelpful to your kid's brain. Learning to play a musical instrument has an outcome on the brain's relative thoughts and spatial sequential way of thinking that place the foundation for conceptual math.

Allocate to your kid witness you doing smart things

Kids gain knowledge of by modeling adult's performance. If he sees you occupied in reading books, writing, making melody, or doing artistic things, he will imitate you, and in the development make himself smart.

Limitation on kid's TV viewing

Kid's before age two should not be watching TV. Allowing your kid look at too much on TV takes him away from doing activities that are more significant to his developing brain, like playing, socializing and reading books.

Provide your kid smart computer sports competition

The most excellent kid-friendly computer sports competition educate your kid about letters, math, music, phonics and many others. It also develops his hand-eye synchronization and prepares him for tomorrow's know-how. More significantly, he learns these at the same time as he plays. Learning and having fun at the same time is the most excellent way for your kid to learn.

Nourish your kid correctly

Giving the correct food to your kid is imperative to making him smart. Giving your baby the suitable nutrition should begin while you are pregnant. For an older kid, a protein-rich diet (egg, fish, meats) improves his concentration, attentiveness, and thinking. Carbohydrates provide his brain the energy that is used in thinking. The most excellent ones are those that come from whole grain and fruits. Processed carbohydrates and sugar have dreadful effects on attentiveness stage, a focus skill, and movement stage. Vitamins and minerals are also vital.

Why is My Child Stealing and What Can I Do? Advice For Parents on Kids, Stealing and Shoplifting

"My fourteen year old daughter was arrested for shoplifting make-up this week," said Marie, a working mother of two girls. "Is this just normal teen behavior, or is it something more serious? She's grounded for a month and I've taken away her iPod and computer privileges, but to tell the truth, I'm still in shock. I'm furious and I don't even know how to talk to her about what she did."

Many parents have asked me over the years, "Is shoplifting a candy bar or cosmetics or clothes the same as stealing?" The truth is, stealing is stealing. It's criminal, antisocial and worst of all, it corrodes a child's development, character and integrity through the use of justifications and excuses. However, shoplifting candy bars from a store and stealing with aggression are two very different acts.

Stealing is wrong, and the best way to understand it is to examine your child's thinking. Kids who steal often feel entitled to what they're stealing, even though they or their parents can't afford it. There is a fierce sense of competitiveness amongst teens and pre-teens these days regarding having the cool stuff, wearing the hip clothes, and sporting hot make-up or accessories. Many kids will resort to stealing as a response to this phenomenon. Sometimes kids even steal for the sense of excitement it gives them, or do it under peer pressure. A big part of the problem is that our society's message is completely absent of a strongly objective morality. In most movies and songs today, the bad guys do good things and the good guys do bad things, and everybody looks the same. So kids justify what they're doing. It's not surprising when kids develop these ambivalent feelings about integrity, character and the difference between right and wrong.

The "Five Finger Discount"-What's Behind a Child's Thinking When He Shoplifts?

A child's thinking behind this type of behavior is that "No one will get hurt and the store has a lot of money." They rationalize that they need to have this stuff in order to be accepted. They might say, "My parents won't allow me to buy clothing or makeup like this, so I have to steal it." But remember this: It's our job as parents, teachers and therapists to strongly defend the concept that stealing is wrong. Tell your children this: "Stealing is wrong for two reasons: It's illegal and puts you at risk of being arrested and prosecuted. It's also hurtful because when you take something that doesn't belong to you, somewhere, someone down the line is being hurt." Make it real to your child by explaining that if they shoplift cosmetics or video games, the company adjusts its price upwards to insulate itself, and all the rest of us pay a little more for it because of it.

If your child is caught stealing, in all cases, there needs to be meaningful consequences for the behavior.  To you as a parent, the most important aspect of your child's decision to steal is the way of thinking that preceded the stealing. She should pay whatever the consequences are for stealing, and also write an essay on how she justified it. Ask her, "What were you thinking before you stole this?" Remember this: It is in the examination of the justifications and excuses where the true learning will take place.

Certainly consequences like making her take the stolen item back to the store, apologizing and making financial amends are all very good parts of the equation. That kind of accountability can be very productive in deterring future stealing, if accompanied by an examination of the faulty thinking which drove them to do it. You also might give them the consequence of, "You can't go to the mall for two weeks. Two weeks of no stealing." If parents ask me, "How do I know?" I say "Don't worry about it. They need to get another chance. You're not there to be a cop." Always give them the chance to earn your trust back.

Stealing with Aggression: A Whole Different Mindset

"Aggression" means a "threat of harm or violence or the use of harm or violence." Some kids have gotten to a level of stealing where they are willing to physically assault someone else to take what they want. When dealing with stealing with aggression, the focus has to be on very strong consequences to deter future behavior, as well as a very focused examination of the thoughts, not the feelings, the thoughts which underlie this type of behavior. When people steal with aggression, they're clearly saying, "I want that bad enough that I'll hurt you if you don't give it to me," which is very different than a shoplifter who says, "This won't hurt the company, they have a lot of money." It's a very different mindset and has to be addressed with vigor.

Let me be clear: Stealing with aggression is hardcore antisocial behavior. When you deal with individuals who exhibit criminal behavior, you'll often find that one-on-one, they can be very charming, pleasant, and intelligent. Many criminals have advanced social manipulative skills. The difference between a criminal and a non-criminal is that the criminal is willing to use violence and aggression to get what he wants, while the non-criminal has very strong boundaries in those areas. So when children are willing to use violence and aggression to get their way, it can be a key indicator that they are quite far down the wrong path. Of course there are always isolated incidents where kids will threaten other kids to get their way. Adolescent bravado can sometimes lead to threats. The astute adult has to ferret out which is which. But make no mistake, if your child is using threats of violence and aggression to steal, he has to be dealt with very sternly. Again, it is very difficult to counteract the media forces in our society which constantly advocate aggression and violence as legitimate means to solve problems. Our media promotes the idea that if you want or need something bad enough and you have a good excuse-making system in place, you can justify anything. And you can use aggression and violence to achieve your end.

So here's the message kids are getting: "If you can justify it, then it's OK to do it." And we all know that kids can justify anything. So society has to react very strongly to aggression and threats involving stealing or anything else. I mean, look around you. Look at all the violence and aggression, senseless killing. Now think about this: in the minds of the kids who are committing that violence they believe it's the OK thing to do. If you look beneath the violence, to the thinking patterns, it's very scary. That's why you see situations like Columbine and Virginia Tech, where kids commit horrible violence on other kids and justify it because they perceive themselves as victims. Stealing is wrong and hurtful. But stealing with aggression and violence is much more problematic and needs to be dealt with aggressively.

If Your Child is Stealing within the Family, Everyone is Paying the Price

It's common to hear that kids steal from their family members. Younger kids after all don't have the level of moral development that leads to them understanding that this type of stealing is wrong and hurtful. This has to be taught with patience and firmness. Stealing within the family should have the same consequences as stealing from a store, whether it's from a sibling or a parent. Labeling, yelling and name-calling does not change the behavior. Discussions about the rights of others and respect for other's property, followed by a consequence the child must carry out, are the preferred ways of dealing with theft in the family.

For young children, a consequence might be that they go to their room with the door open for 15 minutes, at the end of which time you come in and talk with them about stealing. Focus on the child realizing he was wrong, instead of just saying he is sorry. As kids get older, other consequences come into play, like paying rent for the stolen property, paying back the stolen money, and loss of social privileges. Tell them you're taking away their privileges because you're not sure they can be trusted outside of the house. Don't forget that if someone is unsafe or untrustworthy in the house, there should be real concern about what kind of trouble they might get into outside of the house where there is even less structure.

Volume and frequency of the stealing are also important to address. If a pre-adolescent or adolescent steals a large amount of money, which is measured compared to what the family has, the police should be called and you should be starting the legal process. This is designed to hold that child legally responsible, not only family-responsible. The assumption here is that you've tried all you can within the family and it's not working, and that now the police have to get involved. Stealing is a crime. These acts should be looked at as criminal acts more than as mental health problems. While mental health issues may be involved, adults who have mental health problems are punished for stealing just like adults without mental health problems. Prisons and correctional institutions are full of people with mental health problems who also stole. They're not in jail for mental health problems, they're in jail for stealing.

If there's a high frequency of theft, or stealing for no apparent reason or the hoarding of food, that can indicate deeper psychological forces at play. These kids need to be assessed to see if there's a therapeutic response to their behavior. But make no bones about it, they also need to be held accountable in the home as well as outside of the home for their antisocial behavior.

Although stealing may be a symptom of a larger problem, it is still stealing. The lesson about not stealing has to be reinforced and the child has to be held accountable. We can't make excuses about antisocial and harmful behavior even when it occurs in the home. Remember, you're trying to produce a person who can function safely and productively in adult society. Excusing stealing will not produce that person. Sometimes parents minimize this behavior and it comes back to hurt them later on.

When Your Trust is Betrayed: How to let Your Child Earn it Back

The sense of betrayal that parents feel after their child has stolen from them is very real and should be addressed openly. If it's a younger child, certainly the emotion should be screened out of it, and your child should be taught about trust. The way you'd explain trust to a younger child is by saying, "Stealing is hurtful and if somebody trusts you, it's important not to hurt them." Explain that trust is really a word we use for depending upon other people to do certain things or to not do certain things. The stronger that our belief is that they won't hurt us, the deeper the sense of violation is. As kids get older and become teens, I think that their loyalties and allegiances are torn between the values of their peer group and the values of their family. Very often there's a contradiction between the two. This contradiction needs to be tolerated by parents to a certain degree because the teenager's developmental role is to become an individual. And one of the ways that teens do that is by pushing their parents away and by rebelling against family norms and values. A certain amount of rebelliousness should be tolerated. Nonetheless, a teenager stealing from parents is not an act of rebelliousness. It's a violation of trust and it's the commission of a petty crime in an arena where the teen doesn't feel there will be severe consequences.

If there are several acts of stealing, they should be dealt with sternly in the family, using the behavioral concepts that I mentioned earlier. If there is major stealing of money and other valuables, the parents should consider involving the police and pressing charges. Although this seems harsh, the principles behind it are easy to understand. If a teen is stealing from you because he perceives you as being weak and if family consequences aren't helping with that, the family needs to seek outside help in order to strengthen itself. Secondly, and this is very important, if kids get away with stealing valuables from home, they're going to develop a value system which allows for stealing any time the person can justify it. When I have gone to youth detention centers to talk to the teens I was working with about the crimes that got them there, they invariably had a justification for it. That type of justification, or what we call an "alibi system," is developed and reinforced at home. In short, teens develop a way of thinking to justify their teenage behavior. They develop an alibi for everything. Once that alibi system becomes criminalized, you'll see an increase in the amount of antisocial behavior such as stealing, drug use, and sometimes aggression. Parents who insulate kids from the consequences of their behavior are only extending, supporting and reinforcing the bad judgments that lead to those behaviors.

The way trust is won back: for younger kids, they should be told what to do in order for the family to feel like they trust them again. "Don't take your brother's things so I can trust you to be upstairs alone. If you steal something from your older brother, you can't go upstairs unsupervised." Make the child uncomfortable. Consequences make them uncomfortable. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink-but you can make them thirsty. Consequences are designed to make the child thirsty.

In addition, positive statements about trust should be made frequently with younger kids. "When you handle it that way, I know I can trust you." Model the values you want your younger kids to have and identify them. Make statements like, "It's good when you tell me the truth. I know I can trust you downstairs with the TV. I know I can trust you to go into my bedroom." The more we say statements like that, that you see what your child is doing, or you hear what they're saying, the more real it makes them feel. With older kids who steal, it's important to say, "You've lost my trust, and therefore you can't go upstairs alone. I don't think I'm going to be able to trust you around money again. So I'm going to close my bedroom door and you can't go in anymore." There are parents who put locks on their doors, and I think kids should pay for those locks. But always give them a means to earn that trust back, either in that conversation or a subsequent one.

Is Your Child Stealing Chronically?

If a kid steals chronically, earning a parent's trust back is the least of his problems. Because he's already developing an alibi system that says it's OK to hurt the people you love. There are plenty of parents who don't trust their kids around their money and valuables. In today's society, parents are second class citizens and there's almost a societal expectation that their kids will abuse them and that they should take it, and that's just crazy. That expectation is expressed in justifications like, "All kids steal, all kids lie, kids sometimes lose their temper." But certainly all kids don't lie or steal to the same degree, nor do all kids verbally abuse their parents and break things in the home. And when they do, they need to be held strictly accountable.

Right and Wrong: There is a Difference

I truly empathize with what parents are up against these days. The concept of right and wrong has taken a real beating in our recent history. It's been replaced by the concepts of "consumerism" and "possessiveness." Therefore, when you tell kids it is wrong to steal, they have limited formal moral and ethical training to use as a reference point, and whatever moral and ethical training they have is easily drowned out by the media, which screams at them constantly. And there's too much excuse-making for kids' behavior. Adults say "It's only a stage he's going through." Or he has ADD. Or his father is an alcoholic. And they keep making those excuses until the kid is in serious trouble. Things like developmental stages or mental health diagnoses or family influences have to be dealt with as separate issues from the stealing or aggression. Do these issues need to be addressed? Of course they do. Are they significant? Absolutely. Should they be allowed to justify stealing or aggression? Never. No matter what parents you have, no matter what mental health diagnosis, no matter what stage you're in, it's wrong to steal because it hurts others.

That has to be black and white to everybody.

Kid Friendly Meals - What Every Mom Needs To Know

When it comes to feeding our kids, there is a lot of debate and stress regarding this topic from the time kids are young. New moms end up debating whether they should bottle feed or breast feed. As kids grow, you wonder if they are eating too much food or if they are eating enough. Sometimes it can become quite a chore to make sure kids are getting the right amount of nutrients, especially when you are dealing with kids that have a limited food repertoire. Kids are known for being very picky, but this does not mean that you need to start limiting the foods that they eat.

While it may seem easier to stick with packaged foods because media outlets advertise that kids love them, this is not the best option for your kids. Kid friendly meals do not have to be fish sticks or chicken nuggets. It is possible to make healthy meals that are still kid friendly as well. Do not allow the media to influence what your kids are eating - make sure you are making those choices yourself to ensure they have a healthy diet.

It is important to realize that kid friendly meals are all about what families prefer. You do not have to conform to what others say are kid friendly meals. Every family is a bit different and you will find that kids raised in families that have a wide range of foods available usually have a wide range of foods that they really enjoy. Simply offering various healthy foods on a regular basis is what gets kids eating foods on a regular basis, so realize that your family preference will end up influencing what kids end up eating.

When you are working to make kid friendly meals, always make it a goal to expand the palates of your children. Just because the media proclaims that chicken nuggets are the answer and that kids hate veggies, you do not have to allow this to define the eating habits of your children. On a regular basis, work to add in different foods for your kids to try. It is nice to try something new once a week. Even if kids say they do not like the food, keep trying. Kids often need to be exposed to foods a few times before they end up starting to like the food.

Watermelon Breakfast Salad Recipe

Getting plenty of fruits and veggies into your children is definitely important. Most kids enjoy fruit, so start making kid friendly meals that incorporate fruits into them. One idea for a great breakfast that is filled with healthy ingredients is a watermelon breakfast salad. It is easy to make and is sweet enough that kids are sure to enjoy it.

What You'll Need:

  • ½ watermelon, cut into squares
  • 1/3 cup of honey
  • 5 cups of granola
  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt, vanilla, or lemon
  • 2-3 kiwis, sliced
  • Red grapes, cut in half for a garnish

How to Make It:

Cut watermelon into bite sizes squares and split among four bowls. In a bowl, combine together honey and granola. Top watermelon with granola and honey mixture. Add a couple slices of kiwi to each bowl. Top with yogurt and garnish with the grape halves.

Kids Party Tips From Ages 1 to 10

Planning a kids party is all about great ideas. So take advantage of the list I've put together below! Be sure to take a look at all the ages as many of the tips will work for any kids party!

1st Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Elmo, Farm Animals, Abby Caddaby, One Is Fun, Lady Bug
2) Bubble Machine instead of live entertainment - toddlers love bubbles.
3) Keep the party short. 1 1/2 hours is the max for a kids party at this age.
4) If there is only babies at the party then they can't play party games but the adults can so have a couple of party games for the adults. You'll have everyone laughing.
5) Of course you will take plenty of pictures of the birthday boy/girl and guests but don't forget to take pictures of the decorations and cake. It's a good idea to take pictures of both before the party starts. You want evidence of all that hard work!

2nd Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Yo Gabba Gabba, Cupcake Party, Little Einstein, Circus, Unicorn
2) Music - Kids love music at this age. Play popular toddler music that they will recognize (Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog from the Mickey Mouse Club, the theme music to Little Einstein, Sesame Street song) and watch the kids dance!
3) Keep the party short. 2 hours is the max.
4) Plan the party around your child's temperament. If your child is a bit shy then invite a few relatives and keep it simple. If your child is a party animal and loves attention then invite friends and family.
5) Play simple games like Simon Says, Ring Around the Rosie and duck duck goose.

3rd Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Hot Wheels, CARs - The Movie, Backyardigans, Go Diego, Dora the Explorer
2) Get your child involved. Let him pick the theme or help make invitations. At this age children love to be helpful.
3) Get the timing right - An early to mid afternoon party is fine. By late afternoon the tots are usually getting cranky.
4) Entertainer - At this age you can consider live entertainment. Some good choices are a puppet show, magician, balloon modeling or a face painter.
5) Another great birthday party idea is dress up! Kids love to dress up at this age. Provide an area with some old clothes the tots can play in. They will love this activity.

4th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Dinosaur Friends, Fire Fighter, Princess Party, Mickey Mouse Club, Madagascar
2) Plan in Advance - Today's children have busy schedules. Between the various classes and play dates some kids are booked months in advance. Therefore be sure to give the parents of your child's closest friends the date of the party well in advance.
3) Craft projects - At this age kids are able to take direction and participate in craft projects. Here's one fun idea - Have an Art show! Provide an area with craft supplies such as stickers, glitter, crayons, markers, paint (washable), glue, construction paper, pipe cleaners and anything else they can use to create a masterpiece. Hang their artwork and have an art judging. Award a prize to each child for something unique pertaining to their art such as best use of color, best drawing of a tree and so on.
4) Kids love parades and what could be more fun than participating in their own parade. Have the kids form their own parade by providing musical instruments (drums, maracas, bells, etc.) and streamers. Have the kids march around the party area singing popular kids songs or the birthday song!
5) Kids at this age (actually any age) have lots of energy. Be sure to have enough activities planned to keep them busy.

5th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Buzz Lightyear, Wizard of Oz, Crafts Party, Pirate Party, Scooby Doo
2) Since your child is in school now you can plan a celebration at school as well as a party at home.

3) For a school party bring cupcakes (note, some schools will only allow store bought food items). Pass out a small goodie bag for each child containing candy and a small toy.
4) For a home party have the children make jewelry out of pasta. Have the kids paint pasta (any pasta with a hole in it will work). When it's dry they can thread yarn through the pasta and wear it!
5) Make sure you get your child's input when it comes to planning the party. At this age your child will be thrilled to see their ideas incorporated into the party.

6th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Gymnastics, Karate, Cheer Party, Nascar, Space Mission Party
2) At this age you may want to consider an all boy or all girl kids party. After the age of 5 girls usually want to do different activities from boys. It's not necessary to have a gender specific party but it can make the planning a bit easier.
3) At this age you can consider having a destination kids party. Kids love parties at fun locales like indoor playgrounds, gymnastics studio, karate studio or Build a Bear.
4) If you're having a kids party at home and the weather permits consider a party rental such as a bounce house or ball pit. Kids at this age can spend hours bouncing or playing in a ball pit.
5) Party games are of course a must try a treasure hunt, hot potato, musical chairs or a relay race. Check out these games as well:

7th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Slumber Party, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Tea Party
2) A 7th birthday party seems to mark a milestone in maturity for kids; they can no longer be looked at as babies. So, if you're going to have a big celebration this is the birthday to do it. Prior to 7 they are too young to truly appreciate it, but this year they will.
3) Consider having a girls slumber party. Provide activities such as makeovers, doing their nails or Barbie playtime. Allow them to eat junk food and watch a pre-teen movie.
4) For the boys consider having a superhero party. Have the guests dress up as their favorite superhero and provide activities based around Spiderman, Batman, Superman, etc.
5) Party rentals are always a hit such as the bounce house, ball pit, pony rental or a mini put put course.

8th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Bowling, Barbie, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Skateboard

2) This is the only age you can plan a figure eight party! Make a figure eight cake - Take 2 round cakes and cut the center out using a glass (frozen cakes work best). Put the 2 cakes together to form a figure eight. Have the party at a skating rink where the kids can practice figure eight skating.
3) A destination party is a good idea at this age as well. Consider American Girl, Dave and Busters or Bowling.
4) Throw a crafts party. Provide all sorts of crafts for the kids to do it can be as simple as building with clay or Legos or painting pictures to jewelry making and model building. Have several different activities so the kids can move around. Be sure to have help with supervision, it can get hectic.
5) Remember to be enthusiastic with every activity and play lots of music. Your enthusiasm will get the kids excited about any activity and music always gets them going!

9th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Star Wars, Glamour Girls, Hawaiian Luau, Harry Potter, Transformers
2) If you have a budding cowboy or girl try a Horse Round Up Party. Provide the kids with bandanas or cowboy hats when they arrive, serve western food such as bbq chicken or burgers western style. Have a pony ride at your house or if possible take the kids to a stable.
3) Here are some unique ideas for live entertainment - caricature artist, karaoke, a water slide, Hip Hop or country singer, costumed characters, kids comedian, impersonator (such as a Hannah Montana impersonator), temporary tattoo artist (asks the parents first), ventriloquist, airbrush t-shirt artist, live animals.
4) Cupcake decorating is a fun activity for kids. Provide already cooked cupcakes along with the fixin's such as frosting (a couple different flavors), sprinkles, candy and writing gel. Allow the kids to decorate the cupcakes and then they get to eat their creations!
5) Girls love to play grown up at this age so have a tea party for the girls. Either find a locale that has tea time or do it at your house. Tell the girls in the invitation to dress up and then serve tea and finger sandwiches with the crust cut off. Discuss the ritual behind drinking tea such as putting your pinkie up!

10th Birthday

1) Popular Kids Party Themes - Hanah Montana, Twighligt, Wizards of Waverly Place, American Idol, Jonas
2) This is an ideal age to celebrate your child's birthday at an amusement park. Invite a few friends. The kids are going to be old enough or tall enough to get on many of the rides. And most of the kids probably have experienced an amusement park by now and know what to expect.
3) Plan a chocolate party. What kid doesn't love chocolate? A chocolate party is simple to plan because everything is chocolate such as chocolate birthday cake, chocolate, favors, chocolate treats, chocolate fondue or even a chocolate fountain.
4) A great place to get favors for girls at this age is Claires or any similar accessory store. You can pick up tons of inexpensive accessories such as clips, barrettes and jewelry.
5) Plan a girly party for your daughter. A girly party would entail manicures and pedicures along with snacks and a fun girly movie such as the Princess Diaries. Have a couple of games or Barbie playtime and your daughter will love it!

Getting Kids To Like You - Tips For Great Relationships Between Kids And Their Nanny Or Parent

It's day one on your new nanny/babysitting job and, as is often typical, your kids have decided they either hate you outright, will hate you, or at the very least, are going to see how much they can get away with under your watch. Now what?

I'm not going to refer to the kids I nanny/babysit as charges because that is just a weird word. It sounds like something you do with credit cards, or African elephants. So I'll just call them my kids. They're not my biological children, and while most nannies can and do respect who the children's real parents are no matter how absent they may be, it feels right to just say "my kids" when talking about my charges. I'm an important part of their lives and they mine, and when I'm on the job they are mine to keep alive and happy. I have officially nannied for six kids and babysat for countless others over the course of 10 plus years. Obviously I'll change their names, to Alice, a first grader, Bobby and Chase, grade-school age twin brothers, and Dave, Eli and Frank, three brothers in grade school. By the way, these tips also work for parents trying to find a way to relate to growing and changing children.

So start right away by Being Firm. This sounds so counter intuitive, but every kid I've ever babysat or nannied for has responded extremely positive to me being firm and strict from day one. Alice was very wary of me from the beginning as she had never really had a nanny before, and when I was firm with her, she hated me for it. She actually went a whole night not speaking to me, and threw a couple impressive temper tantrums screaming for her mother. Since Frank is overall a laid back and obedient child I didn't have to be firm with him often. But when I finally had to punish him he freaked out. He actually voluntarily put himself in time out for more than an hour and did nothing but stare at the wall, amazing for a first grader. You might have to go through a couple weeks of a cranky child while you're being firm. But every kid under my watch has come out of this period respecting me more. Alice was a terror for two weeks, then turned into an absolute sweetheart. Frank warmed up to me more than ever after I punished him for the first time. He never hugged me until after the first time I punished him.

The problem is, a lot of kids have parents who are so absent they don't want to waste any time punishing their kids when they do get to see them, so your kids may have a huge backlog of timeouts they need to cash in. Kids actually crave the structure that comes from punishment. Subconsciously, they want you to notice them when they're doing things wrong and punish them for it. You are telling them that you care enough to correct them so they'll be better kids. Once you've established that baseline respect by being firm from day one, you can become friends and let up a little and let them get away with a bit, like a Coke after supper or staying up a little past their bedtime. But don't do any of that until your kids have demonstrated that they respect your authority.

Punishment. Get the hose. Certainly you should talk to the parents about their views on getting children to behave and techniques for punishment, but don't feel you have to use the same techniques the parents do, unless they tell you to or they object to your own techniques. I almost always use either "time outs" on the naughty mat/corner/bed channeling Supernanny, or I prevent an older child from calling over a friend or going out, sort of a temporary grounding. And I almost always tell the parent about what happened. Don't be embarrassed to tattle or worried your kids will hate you. It is better their parents hear it from you than the child's spin on it, most likely doctored to make you look bad. Surprisingly some parents fall for this carefully crafted pint-sized PR, so get to them first.

Talk to them like Adults. It's natural to talk in that soothing baby voice pigeon-speak to younger kids, but try not to. Kids know you're doing it and it's patronizing. Try to use the same respectful tone of voice you would use with an adult, even with a child as young as two. Use your normal vocabulary, and if they don't know what something means, don't worry they'll ask.

Listen to them. Really listen to what they want to talk about, respond to them and ask questions. Act really interested in what they have to say even if you're not. Kids get a lot of "uh huh, uh huh"'s from adults who aren't really listening. They know when an "uh huh" really means I'm not listening. They will love it if you give them your full, sincere attention.

Give them input and choices in their lives. Obviously a kid with too much control over the situation is unhealthy. But a lot of kids feel like they have no control in their lives--parents are out of town or absent, they're dumped on the nanny against their will, they're scheduled to do activities they don't really want to do, etc. A lot of bad behavior comes from this feeling of out of controlness. Give them back a little control in subtle ways. Ask them if they want chicken or hamburgers for dinner, milk or juice. Ask them what jeans they want to wear, where they want to ride in the car, what homework assignment they want to work on first. You're giving them control without really giving up control, but to them it feels like their opinions really count.

Have Little Secrets. Never do anything major behind the parents' back like doing the child's homework for him or taking him somewhere without telling anyone, but it's okay to have a few things that are just between you and the kids. Bobby, Chase and I had a code phrase for I love you that no one else knew. One time I helped Chase secretly cheat on a board game and we didn't tell anyone else. We giggled about that all day. And sometimes kids will confide in you things about their lives and their parents that would just hurt their parents' feelings if they knew. Eli told me that I handle Frank a lot better than his mom does. That's just something I would never tell her. Bobby told me that he knew some of the nannies he has had did not like his mother. He was trusting me with this information. It's our little secret. Let them know you're on their side--you want what's best for them, you want them to be happy and have fun.

Be into the things they like. You don't have to become a champion Wii gamer, but start developing interests in their activities and hobbies. Learn the rules of football if they play that so you can talk about it. Ask them to teach you how to play their favorite video game. Play it on two player mode. Watch the TV shows they're into from time to time. Go see the movies they like. Try the food they're into. Listen to their music. You will seem so cool in comparison to other adults. Try to get them interested in your shows, hobbies and pastimes too. I got Alice hooked on two of my favorite kid-appropriate TV shows, so when we watched TV it wasn't always her favorite shows, it was some of mine, too. We both enjoyed it. Involve them in necessary chores you have to do like laundry and cooking. Most young kids are thrilled to help, especially if you let them press all the buttons.

Be a Kid. Get down and dirty with them. Join in whatever they are doing, be it sports, video games, TV. Kids are usually thrilled to have you play, too. You're not as good as a playmate their age, but if you do things with them they will really enjoy your company almost as much. Eli sometimes didn't even think to call up friends when he knew I was coming over because we always have just as much fun together.

Kids aren't always going to like you instantly. Understand that this takes time. But if you plug away at being firm but a great playmate and confidante, most kids are going to come around very quickly. If they're not coming around in a few weeks, then you might want to think about whether this household is going to work for you. Because being a nanny is painful when the kids never warm up to you.

Electric Kid's ATV - The Kawasaki Monster Traction Captivates Imagination

The Kawasaki Quad electric kids ATV is a fast and tough looking ATV that resembles an adult ATV but is actually a kid's toys with built in safety features. Kids will certainly enjoy the fun that comes with riding this electric ATV for kids. This is a great toy that will fully engage the senses and motor skills of a child as he or she rides in the outdoors. This item is backed by the quality standards of Fisher-Price, the well-known toy manufacturer of this item. Besides the fast speed and realistic exterior, this kids electric ATV also includes power lock brakes and speed controls for added safety.

Electric Kids ATV - Kawasaki Monster Traction

Although there are many electric ATV for kids, this Kawasaki model comes in red simply rises above the crowd for its realism and power. When compared with the Batman kids electric ATV, the Kawasaki version has more speed and power. It comes highly recommended for more mature kids who have grown tired of toddler level kids ATVs.

This electric kids ATV is suitable for any kid within the range of 3 to 5 years, and a maximum weight of 65lbs. The Kawasaki ATV is sturdily built and has wheels with lots of traction so that it is suitable for use in rough terrains such as gravel, wet grass and mud. With this ATV, kids can feel the real experience of riding an ATV even going tough and wet terrains.

The ATV uses a single 12 volt battery to move it forward as well as in reverse. This model of electric ATV for kids gives the slightly more matured kids of 3 - 5 years old a better driving experience as compared to the entry level ATVs which are more suitable for the younger kids, runs on lower power and can only move in one way, forward.

Why Buy This Kids ATV

Comparing to the other electric ATV for kids from the same price point, parents will be wise to choose the Kawasaki for several reasons. First, this ATV is a 4 wheel model by Fisher-Price, a renowned toys manufacturer has the capability to maximize the speed of the ATV at 5mph. The ATV comes with 2 speed selections; 5 mph and a slower 2.5mph. When the kid is new to the machine and not accustomed to it yet, parents should turn off the faster speed selection. It is also important that at whatever speed, kids should not ride out of sight and away from the easy reach of an adult supervisor.

Second, the Kawasaki ATV has really good brakes and it easy for the kids to control. Other factors supporting this purchase are the fact that installation is extremely easy and the kid can enjoy the experience in no time. Parents should have no problem setting it up the machine as well.

In conclusion, those who have bought the Kawasaki electric kids ATV for their kids gave the ATV a 4.6 rating out of a maximum of 5. Many parents consider this machine a bargain for the price of around $200. The main positives of this machines are the features and because it is very sturdy, providing optimum protection for the kid. This electric ATV for kids is comparable or even better than some of the most expensive models out there.

Baking For Kids

Most kids enjoy baking with their parents. It is one good way for you to spend time with your lovely kids. You can also teach them about things that they need to know about baking. You can possibly hand down family recipes that your parents taught you when you were young.

The first thing that you must teach your kids is the basic kitchen rules that they need to follow. Kitchen rules are vital to maintain safety in the kitchen. Keep in mind that there are equipment and ingredients that can possibly harm your delicate kids. You need to remind them often about the rules. There are some recipes that you can cook with your kids that they will surely enjoy.

COOKIES AND BISCUITS

Making cookies and biscuits is one good way to expose your kids in the kitchen. Cookies and biscuits are good recipes that your kids can learn at an early age. They can do a lot to participate in making these foods. You just need to determine their capability before you assign them to a specific task. They can start by decorating the uncooked or cooked cookies and biscuits.

GELATIN SQUARE

A lot of kids enjoy making gelatin and eat it after it is cooked. Your kids can do a lot of things in making gelatin. They can use cookie cutter to make different shapes like square or even triangle. You just need to be careful when the gelatin is freshly cooked because it is too hot. Do not let your kids do the cooking without your guidance.

MUFFINS

Kids love muffins especially blueberry muffins. They are very delicious and tasty. You can teach your kids on how to cook muffins since the recipe is quite simple and they can easily learn it. Just be careful in dealing with the oven as it may cause burns.

COOK CAKE MIXES

Baking a cake is quite complicated for young kids to do. There are cake mixes that you can buy in stores around. These cake mixes are easy to do and your kids will surely enjoy cooking this with you. You just need to guide your kids on the tasks that you will give them so that they will remain safe.

BROWNIES AND CREAM FUDGE

There are a lot or people who enjoy eating brownies. Your kids will surely like them too. You can cook brownies with your kids and you can let them design the finished product. On the other hand, cream fudge can be very pleasing to your kids eyes. But you have to remind them that the fudge is sometimes hot so they need to take safety measures.

There are a lot of things that you can do with your kids in the kitchen. You can cook and bake a lot of recipes that you and your kids love. Just make sure that you take the safety measures for all the things that you do so that your kids will remain safe and well.

Kids 4 Wheelers and Electric ATVs For Kids - Time For Some Outdoor Fun!

Are you looking for a fun way to get your kids playing outside? Get kids 4 wheelers or electric ATVs for kids! Why let your children sit around the whole day playing video games or just watching the TV? Kids of all age groups should have a good time outside with some fun on 4 wheelers of their size and age. You can get them as a kids go cart, standard kids ATV or electric 4 wheeler. Your child will surely have fun outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.

Types of Kids 4 Wheelers

There are various types of 4 wheelers for kids to select from. An electric ATV for kids is a stylish ATV specially designed to emulate the look of an real adult ATV. However, it's a lot slower than the real thing, which makes them suitable for young kids. On a side note, kids go carts can be something to check out at the same time, and they all bring much fun to the children. There are also faster gas powered 4 wheelers which have varying sizes to cater to young teenagers (rather than toddlers and young children) in a position to decipher choke and fuel valves. Browse online for further information on suitable options for your kid's preferences and needs.

Make it Age Appropriate

The majority of the 4 wheelers for kids have different sizes and power levels to go with the user's requirements. If you are going to buy a gas or electric ATV for kids, you should ensure that the choice is proper for the child's age. You will find go carts, electric ATV's and toy cars for younger kids with 8 mph speeds but for older children you will find them bigger and with more power. The child's being able to reach the controls does not amount to maturity to use more powerful kids' 4 wheelers.

How to Select Kids 4 Wheelers

Before buying an electric ATV for kids, take into account their fit. Children should be capable of putting their two feet on the footrests with ease and use the handlebars and brake lever especially when it is turned and away from the child. If not, you should hold on till they can use it or in the mean time, buy a size smaller. Some kids 4 wheelers also have dual speed

Staying Safe on 4 Wheelers For Kids

Despite the type of 4 wheeler for kids you buy, the user requires safety gear and children should not be let to ride without wearing it. Among them is the helmet and it's the most important. An open faced helmet is preferred to enable the child to see better from all angles. Ensure the helmet fits comfortably. They should also have safety goggles and appropriate attire like knee pads and riding gloves.

In summary, kids 4 wheelers or electric ATVs for kids make great toys if you take care to choose one that is age appropriate and safe for them to ride on. It is less difficult to get your children to do some outdoor activities with these cool outdoor toys and cars to have fun with. Before we go, it's worth it to stress one more time that guardians and parents should definitely take required safety measures to train their children on riding the kids ATV in safety.

Improve Kids Ability By Playing Kids Games

Kids have several abilities to do, for that they can amend there ability in several facts, there is as well a explore that shows Fun kids Games provides kids the best beginning to develop all the skills that they require in the early ages, even so, you know kids development in their early aged immediately affects future IQ and EQ. Lot of parents like to teach the skills consequently and early frustrate the child. If you like to avoid the frustration of the child, you can select some kinds of the kids Games, just to better the skills that a child need.

Here on your Web site, thousands of Fun kids Games are offered for kids and "big kids" who really want to play funny Games, these Games will help junior children to increase their intellectual, emotional and physical potential.

There will be caring Games for kids, parents must allow the kids to know how to take care herself and others, if you are concerned about how to instruct them, might be you can select some of the Caring Games for kids Online which is as well safe and free, what's more kids can as well learn how to caring their pets or many others from the caring Games.

There are several types of Games that have the time limits, which will make the kids to know how to supervise their time in a best way, and this is what you can do for your kids too. Simply to look for the right type of Games for kids Free Online and in the end, all will be fine for you to know that which is the good for you to select and how to improve the kid's all accepts of abilities. But you all know lot of kids play Games just for make them more clever, they will ascertain so many skills, as parents, the more and more you should do is to supervise what they uses the kids Games, and if the Games are secure and have no violent, that is simply what they should do, but not prevent the kids play Games. Racing Games have always appealed people of all ages but for children they have held fascinates unlimited.

With the Racing Games for the kids, it is really possible to let them relish the thrills of speed without having to concern about them having an accident. Racing Games for kids have been present in the offline version, because the early days of Computers and Video Games. With the growth of Online Gaming, the Racing Games for kids have come up to a totally new level of enjoy ability and interactivity.

Kids Decals Growth Charts - A Fun Way to Measure Up!

Before becoming a Mom, I never realized how fast kids grow. As a kid, I couldn't grow up fast enough! Now as a Mom, my kids can't stay small long enough! Either way, keeping track of how BIG your kids are getting, can be a fun and memory building activity! Maybe you've just kept measurements with pen marks on the back of a door or on a wall. NOW, you can add style to the way you keep track of your children's sprouting.

In case you are not familiar with kids decals, let me catch you up to speed. Decals are a rising trend in the world of interior design and are nothing short of amazing! They are thin, flexible, but durable, vinyl stickers that are capable of being removed and repositioned multiple times. They leave no sticky residue behind and they won't peel paint. Most people think of using kids decals simply on walls or furniture, but they really offer endless possibilities for decorating childrens living space, making art and gifts. Kids decals come in all shapes, sizes and themes.

Kids decal growth charts come in so many fun and affordable styles; you'll be sure to find a growth chart that not only keeps track of your child's ever changing height, but their unique interests and passions as well! Watch your little girl grow with delicate Little Princess kids decal growth charts! Or try measuring her growth spurts with Barbie! These beautiful growth charts come with repositionable height markers and additional decorative elements too. Fun, beautiful and interactive all in one!

See how your boys measure up with Bob The Builder kids decals growth charts. Use the peel and stick tools as markers or simply as decorative elements. Or observe your little Thomas enthusiasts growth with ultra cute Thomas and Friends Train kids decal growth chart. Stick the chart on any wall, door, or mirror, and use the additional suitcases and arrows as repositionable markers. Keep yourself and your kiddos on track! Not only can these growth charts add decorative fun to your kid's walls, but they're very convenient too ( who doesn't like convenient?!).

For families who want to compare the different heights of their kids, there are fun options for you as well! The Woodland Friends growth chart is great for measuring multiple children because its gender neutral. This way your boys and girls will be equally excited! This kids decal comes with 4 name tag "leaves" which can be used as the growth markers. There are lots of adorable woodland animals and birds that your children will love! Fully assembled it measures over 7 Ft. tall! The ruler starts at the bottom of the trunk, at 24 inches, and goes up to 60 inches!

A little assembly tip for your growth charts. If you layer the decals slightly behind each other, it gives the whole image a three-dimensional appearance! Because these kids decals are removable, you can adjust the items as often as you need to until it's just right! It really is too much fun!

I know for myself, I can often have good intentions about keeping up with baby books, memory books, growth charts, but sadly I often fall off the wagon! With kids decal growth charts, it couldn't be easier to keep up with your kid's growth spurts? Instead of running for a pencil when the thought crosses your mind... getting distracted (heaven knows that happens all the time )... then forgetting ( I think there is something sadly REAL about the "mommy brain" theory )... and as you and I know, the cycle just keeps going on and on! Now, as soon as you think, "Oh, its been a few months since I checked to see how tall "Johnny" is... you can march little "Johnny" over to the wall, peel off the marker and stick it back on the wall at his new height!

Not only are growth charts a fun activity, but its great for kids to quantitatively see how much they're growing! While you're measuring their new vertical accomplishments, take the opportunity to encourage them on how they're growing up in character and personality too! Kids love to hear all the ways we love them and think they're special!

As the saying goes "Knowlege is Power!". Now that you know there is an easy, fun, convenient and affordable way to keep track of your children's growth spurts, using kids decals growth charts, you can start creating these memories with them! Not only can growth charts make it easy for us parents to measure our kid's exterior changes, but its a good reminder to encourage them of the interior changes as well! Happy Measuring!

How to Make Amazing Crafts with Kids

Arts & crafts with kids!

There are countless reasons why it is a great idea to do arts and crafts with your kids. For one, working on arts & crafts helps to hone children's creativity. Arts and crafts can also help promote teamwork and sharing, as well as offering the perfect opportunity to bond and find new common interests. Arts and crafts also allow kids to openly express themselves, even at very young ages. Nonetheless, despite all these positives, the best reason for getting your kids involved in arts and crafts is that it is fun! If you are panicking that you will not know how to guide your child through their first craft, there is no need to worry; there are plenty of arts and crafts ideas for all ages from pre-schoolers up through teenage artists.

Best practices for doing arts & crafts with kids

1. Don't ask "What is it?" when you are befuddled as to the identity of your kid's final creation. Just ask your kid to tell you more about their art or craft, and let them explain how they see their creation.

2. There will be a mess. There is nothing you can do about it. As soon as you make that realization, the whole experience will be far more enjoyable. Indeed, sometimes it is even important to make a mess. Take that knowledge to plan ahead. Get a large clear workspace for your kids, and give them the opportunity to be creative without having to worry about getting paint on your new Persian rug

2. Making arts and crafts is supposed to be about using your imagination. For this reason, try not to show your kids a completed craft as an example. Instead, let your kids learn to interpret the instructions as they wish in order to truly be creative. This will also give your kids a good lesson on the best ways to follow and adapt instructions.

4. Making arts and crafts requires a lot of focus. For this reason, it is best to get your kids to calm down a bit before placing them in front of glue and scissors.

Basic supplies for making arts & crafts with kids

Just like your kitchen pantry, a kid's craft drawer should have a few staples. While you may need something more specific for special crafts, for the most part you will be able to get by with the following list: kid-friendly paint, scissors, crayons, etc. It's also a good idea to keep a drawer stocked with construction paper, beads, glitter, paint brushes, glue sticks, and the ever popular "wiggly eyes."

The education benefit of arts & crafts

Arts and crafts can be used to apply hands-on learning to any subject. Using crafts this way helps kids think more in-depth about the subject of their artwork or craft projects. Virtually any subject matter can be taught using arts & crafts with a little creativity. For instance, if you are learning about world geography, you could have the kids make a tissue paper globe.

Learn about holidays, history, and any other topic your kids should study. Even math can be enriched through arts and crafts. Remember that school isn't the only place kids should be learning; your kids will be much more willing and excited to learn if you make learning fun with interactive arts and crafts projects.

Some ideas for kids' arts & crafts

Kids' arts and crafts can be quick and simple to keep the attention of on-the-go toddlers. They can also be sophisticated and complex for older kids who are up to a challenge. To get an idea of the scope of arts and crafts projects out there, take a trip to your local arts and crafts store or teacher's supply shop. These stores will have pre-designed craft kits, including jewelry art, painting kits, and other craft ideas. Each kit will come with instructions and all of the materials you require.

Another good idea, once you have gained some experience, is to walk arts and craft stores to shop for kids' art ideas. Here are some ideas: try straw painting, where kids can create arts and crafts by blowing paint through a straw onto a poster board or construction paper; or let your kids dip marbles in paint and roll them across the painting surface for a messy (but fun!) painting project. If you are looking for something a bit less messy then try pipe cleaner art. This is a great craft because kids of all ages can join in. Young children can use their imaginations to create simple objects out of pipe cleaners. Older kids may enjoy incorporating other supplies such as beads into pipe cleaner art.

Kids Toys - The Joy Of Your Children

Kids are the biggest treasure of God to the parents. They are the most important members of the family. So taking care of them and their happiness is also very important. Happiness of their kids should be the first priority of parents. Kids are most happy when they are at play, while playing they enjoy their life and are out of everything in the world. They live in a world that is full of joys and their play.

Kids toys are one of the most important elements of their play. Toys are object use by kids to play. When it comes to growing up kids and teaching them about the world around us toys play a very important role. Playing with toys prepares the kids for their social role. Kids toys provide entertainment to the kids while also teaching them about different things. They have to develop the mental and physical skills of kids, which are very important in future as kids have to face the world and understand it.

Kids toys are found in many different forms. They may be representatives of dolls, animals, infants, and soldiers or of tools. Kids get entertained by playing with them as they think of them as if they are real and those living in the world the kids want them to. Kids toys also include different types of vehicles like cars, buses, motorbikes, airplanes, trains and trucks etc. Kids from ancient times are playing with such toys before there were two-wheeled carts but nowadays there are military vehicles, toy boats etc created by different companies like Hot Wheels, Matchbox etc. There are a huge variety of kids' toys available in the market giving each individual a chance to choose the one of their own choice.

Kids toys also exist in the shape of puzzles. Actually a puzzle is a problem that challenges humans' ability of applying ideas to solve a problem. To solve a puzzle you may have to recognize a pattern or crate a particular order. The children with good deductive skills are able to solve puzzles easily and faster then other children.

In some cases kids are interested in just collecting different toys to have a complete collection such as action figure, cartoon characters, lonely tones, mego dolls, teddy bears, strawberry short cake, super heroes, bobble heads, universal monsters, Simpson's, Popeye weebles, transformers etc. The most used and famous collectible toys are Barbie, matchbox car, toy gun, tow sewing machine and many more.

There are many famous toys shops in the world as its branches are spread over different parts of the world. It is the largest toys store all over the world.. All types of toys are available in this store and thus it is also the favorite shop of all kids because kids love shopping for new and different toys and this shop provides all the favorite and best toys for the kids.

With time and new technology new toys are created every year according to the needs and demands of the kids. Kids toys are ranked according to their fun and creativity. The top ten Kids toys for 2010-2011 are:

1. Sing-A-Ma-Jigs

2. My Pillow Pets for Kids

3. Nerf N-Strike Stampede ECS Blaster

4. LEGO Harry Potter Sets

5. Squinkies Kids Collectible Toys

6. Cuponk Kids Games

7. Leapfrog Leapster Explorer Learning System for Kids

8. Fisher Price Lil Zoomers Spinnin Sounds Speedway for Kids

9. Fisher Price Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster

10. Disney Princess and Me Dolls

Top Kids' Birthday Party Questions Answered

Kids' birthday parties today are a lot different today than they were when most moms were kids. In many communities, throwing kids' birthday parties has almost become a competitive sport.

Your kid's party should be about fun, not competition. And birthday parties should never put kids in the position of comparing levels of party extravagance.

The key to having a great birthday party? First, remember that it's about your kid-not anyone else's. Plan your party around your own child's interests, and what you're family is comfortable doing.

Start planning the party at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance so you have plenty of time to take care of everything-if that's what you want to do and are able to do. If you decide to hire a party entertainer or book a birthday party venue, make your calls about three months in advance, to be sure the date and time you want is available.

Here are some of the most common questions that moms ask about planning kids' birthday parties, and some common-sense answers.

How many kids should I invite?

If the party is for a child under age 5, and parents are invited to stay, the number of kids won't be a big factor. The parents will supervise their own children, so you'll be able to concentrate more on yours.

Some experts maintain that kids are old enough to be dropped off at parties once they're about 5 or 6 years old. By that time, most have been in playgroups, pre-schools, and possibly, kindergarten. That means they should have the social skills they need to play nicely with other kids and have a good time.

The general rule of thumb on how many kids to invite: your child's age plus one.

What time should I have the party?

The best time for the party also will depend on the guests' ages. For babies and toddlers, consider naptimes. Scheduling the party so that it ends by noon is probably a good idea. For slightly older children, parties can begin by 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. and end at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m.

How long should the party last?

An hour for kids under age five, and an hour-and-a-half to two hours for older kids should be perfect. State a pick-up time on the invitation, so parents know exactly when to get their young partygoers.

Is there a guideline to choosing party decorations?

Just make everything colorful-Use your child's favorite color and carry a one-, two-, three-, or multi-color scheme through with balloons, plates, napkins, serving bowls, tablecloth, and goodie bags.

Decorations will also reflect the theme your child chooses. Once you and your child have decided on a theme, the easiest choice is to buy a complete party ware kit. If your child is into, say, pirates, dolls, Disney princess, Hannah Montana, or any sport, there will be an all-in-one package to suit his or her birthday party fantasy. Check out this extensive assortment of party decorations and themed party packs.

What should I serve?

The tiniest tots are easy to please: Having their moms or dads help them to a bit of cake and ice cream will probably make them very happy.

For young kids, small food portions work well. Think cut-up fruit, pieces of cheese, baby carrots, crackers, and miniature muffins.

Another idea is to make popular sandwiches rolled up and sliced to form pinwheels, or cut into shapes using cookie cutters.

For kids over age 7 or so, you can never go wrong with macaroni and cheese, baked ziti, or pizza. Add some salad or cherry or grape tomatoes and sliced cucumbers to give the party fare a bit more color.

If you're serving pizza, cut the pies into smaller-than-usual slices and let the kids keep coming back for more. Cutting small slices will dramatically reduce waste.

A birthday cake or cupcakes are essential. Decorating cupcakes has become a dual-purpose parent-pleasing activity: It keeps the kids busy and takes care of providing a dessert the kids will love.

What are the best games for young kids?

Little kids will enjoy listening to and singing familiar songs, clapping their hands or following simple hand motions. The stories, songs, and games they know from pre-school will be popular at parties, as well. Ask your child or your child's teacher for favorites. Have enough activities planned to start a new one every 10 or 15 minutes, if necessary.

A treasure hunt can also work, and easily be customized to fit almost any theme-e.g., the kids search for the pirates' "gold" or the princess's "jewels." Just be sure that moms and dads or other party helpers are there to help the kids as they follow clues and look for the hidden treasure.

Should I hire a party entertainer?

Hiring a party entertainment pro is an increasingly popular option. Party clowns, magicians, and other entertainers can, of course, take charge of all the birthday party activities.

Party pros can lower your hassle and stress levels, because they're prepared to handle almost any situation. They do this all the time. They're tuned into the signs that a little girl isn't engaged, or two boys aren't getting along, or that all the kids are getting antsy and it's time to move on to a new activity.

Another option: Bring the party elsewhere. There are plenty of party venues that can keep your child and his or her friends occupied from the second the first guest arrives 'til the last happy child is picked up.

Are there any special party "Do's and Don'ts?"

A definite "Do" is to let kids be creative. Coloring, painting, putting stickers on objects, making badges, bracelets, decorating inexpensive hats, or working on other craft projects will keep kids amused and happy. In fact, letting young kids create or decorate their own party favors is a great way to keep them occupied during the first 15 or so minutes of the party, when everyone is arriving.

Another "Do" is to have refreshments for the parents, especially if you've asked them to stay at the party.

And "Do" be gracious if unexpected siblings show up. Have enough food for a few more people, and one or two extra goodie bags, just in case.

Here's a big-time "Don't:" Regardless of the activities you have planned for your child's birthday party, never let any child feel left out or unhappy because he or she isn't chosen for a team or is eliminated from a game. Encourage participation, cooperation, and team effort, not individual competition.

Should we open gifts at the party?

There are two schools of thought on opening birthday presents. The first is to wait until after the party is over. Key reasons:
1) you don't want the party to focus on gifts;
2) it can get boring for everyone to sit there while the birthday boy or girl rips open boxes; and
3) you have a limited amount of time, especially if you're having the party at a party venue.

The second viewpoint is to open presents while everyone is there. Key reasons: 1) the birthday guest of honor can't wait to open them; and 2) the kid giving the gift wants to see his or her friend open it-especially if that child helped pick out the present.

Decide what makes you comfortable-just be flexible about it, should circumstances warrant a change of plans.

Should I insist that my child write a "thank-you" note?

Absolutely. Before kids learn to write, it's appropriate for the parent to write the note and have the child scribble or color something on it. When the child is able to write his or her name, signing the bottom of a mom- or dad-written note is OK.

When kids are older, though, they should understand that written "thank-you" notes are a very meaningful way to let people know that you appreciate their kindness and generosity. Think of thank-you notes not only as part of teaching kids to be well-mannered, but as helping them learn a social lesson that will serve them extremely well throughout their lives.

What to Do When Your Step-Kids Disrespect You

Over the years, many parents in blended families have come to me to talk about the subject of disrespect. In some cases, their step-kids didn't respect them, and in others, their biological child did not respect their new spouse. The truth is a child may never respect his step-parent, but he does have to know that he can't get away with being rude or obnoxious to them. The only way to achieve the desired behavior is to be certain you and your spouse are united in making sure that your kids treat you with respect.

Lay Down the Ground Rules from the Start

If you haven't done so already, sit down with the kids in your blended family and lay out some ground rules. Start by saying, "In our family now, this is what a parent is." And, "In our family now, these are the expectations on every child." I recommend that you tell your step-kids from the beginning, "You don't have to call me Mommy, but you have to be respectful and follow my directions." And both adults need to do this with all the children in the family.

What if Your Step-kids Disrespect You?

Naturally, step-parents become very upset when their step-children are disrespectful to them. I've had parents come to me in difficult situations where the kids were really being rude or obnoxious, saying things like, "You're not my father, I don't have to listen to you!" Let me be clear: parents have to be careful, because once that kind of behavior gets entrenched, it's very difficult to stop. By being rude, kids protect themselves-and they train adults what not to ask of them and what not to expect of them.

The answer here is that you and your partner have to decide ahead of time how the kids in the family will talk to each parent. You set the expectations together, and then you remain consistent; you hold each child accountable.

Here's an example. If one of your step-kids says, "You're not my mom; I don't have to do what you say!" You can say, "No, I'm not your mother, but you have to do your homework anyway." Or, "We're not talking about me being your father. We're talking about when you're going to start your homework."

Now, the consequences for that kind of behavior should be swift and clear. The kids in the family should know that if they disrespect their step-mother or step-father, they will lose their cell phone privileges for the rest of the night, for example. In other words, there should be no tolerance for that kind of disrespect. When it comes down to it, both adults work hard for the family, both adults are struggling, both adults are making sacrifices-so the rule is that the kids have to treat them both with respect. They don't have to call them Mom or Dad unless they want to, but they have to be respectful.

Don't try to read your step-child's mind

Know that as a parent or step-parent, you cannot read your step-child's mind. In other words, if this child doesn't like you telling him what to do but he does it anyway, don't challenge him on what he's thinking. Don't worry if he's giving you "that look." When you tell him to go do his chores, if he does them whether he likes it or not, that should be enough. So, don't try to read kids' minds to determine if they really don't want to do something, or if they really don't like you. You have to let that go until everybody gets to know each other.

Here's the bottom line: if you carry yourself with respect, kids will find things to like about you. This is because kids want to like people that they respect. Know that he or she may never get over the loss of his mother or father, or that of his original family. But there's nothing you as a step-parent can do about that besides accept it and avoid getting into fights about it.

When You're Parenting, They're All Your Kids

Some parents wonder how they can be fair while still maintaining the trust of their biological child. Know that it's natural to feel a stronger connection to your own child, a special love for and commitment to them.

But in a blended family, you have to keep those thoughts in a separate compartment from parenting. Understand that when you're parenting, they're all your kids. And believe me, they're all watching the way you behave yourself, the kind of role model you are, and the kinds of things you do. So when the kids are acting out and the television is taken away for the evening as a consequence, it's not taken from the biological kids or the non-biological kids-you don't get into those distinctions. It's taken away from all the kids. And so it also becomes, "When we're going to the zoo, we're all going to the zoo-the whole family." Or "When we're watching a movie, we're all watching a movie."

You'll always feel that special connection with your biological child, don't get me wrong. But part of the thing that you'll struggle with, sometimes every day, is that you have to treat these kids the same. Don't worry that you will lose that connection with your biological kid by doing so-that will never happen. There may be anger, there may be disappointment, there may be separation, but that connection is there by nature.

When Your Child Challenges You

Often in blended families, it's very common for the biological kids to challenge their birth parents. They'll accuse them of being unfair, or say things like, "You're treating them better than me." Or, "He treats his kids better than you treat us." And you might also hear, "He treats his kids better than he treats us." And parents have to work very closely together to solve those problems.

When your child comes to you and says something unfair happened, the kind of question you have to ask is, "If I was there, what would I have seen?" So, let's say your child says, "Today she treated her kids better than us." The question you have to ask is not, "How did you feel," or "What happened," because those things get distorted. Rather, parents should be asking the investigative question: "If I was there, what would I have seen?"

Let's say the answer is, "You would have seen her give three cookies to her kids and two cookies to us." That's something they can see, not what they felt. So find out what they saw, what they heard, what was done. That's the most effective way to investigate these kinds of statements. That's also one of my key questions when parents tell me their kids are acting out at home. One of the things I used to ask them in my office was, "If I was there, what would I have seen?" And then they'll say, "You'd have seen my son punching a hole in the wall and threatening his sister and calling his brother names." I want to know what I would have seen there because that's how I can investigate what they need to do differently.

So again, you're asking for facts now. It's the parent's job to say, "Okay, I'll look into it," and then talk to the other parent in private.

Structure Time to Do Things Together: Establish a "Family Day"

If you want to come together as a family, I think you have to make rules about doing things together. So you can make the rule, "On Wednesday nights we all watch a video." This rule is in place whether the kids like it or not. Let them know that if they refuse to watch the video, then they will lose their electronics for the rest of the night. But the deal is, "We all watch a video. We all go to the zoo. We all go to the beach. We all go to the park." Don't overdo it, especially with teenagers. But doing one activity as a family per week, not including church, can be helpful in this kind of situation. Sit together in the living room eating popcorn and watching a DVD. Or go to the park together, go to the beach and find seashells. Whatever it is, find one thing a week to do together.

By the way, I say don't overdo it with teens because developmentally, their job is to start to break away. So we just want them to participate without being abusive, disrespectful or nasty. If one of your kids is 17 and doesn't want to go along, let them bring a friend. But the rule is, "You're going with us."

Instituting a family day gives kids the message that "This is important to us, and it's so important we're going to make it happen." They learn that you do things as a family and that you respect each other when you're doing them. With younger kids, having a night where you just play board games is really fun. Older kids may resist it at first, but younger kids will love it. If you start when they're small, that becomes part of their expectations for family night-and it also becomes their way of understanding how families operate.

Empower the Children in Your Family to Express Themselves

One last word about kids: children have to be empowered to express what they feel and think, and those thoughts and feelings have to be accepted at face value. When two adults decide to blend their families, kids have no choice. They can feel powerless, threatened and overwhelmed. The idea is to give them appropriate ways to express themselves so they don't have to act out their feelings behaviorally. This doesn't mean they get to make decisions about how the family will run, but they should certainly have input in an appropriate way.

This input is usually best received by the child's birth parent. If you try to do a family meeting without getting the input first, it's very likely that people will get defensive or feel threatened. But if birth parents can talk to their kids about their concerns, it is much easier to work them out, and it's much easier for the two adults to come to an agreement. So the idea is not to squelch kids, the idea is to set up a situation where they can express their feelings safely and appropriately.

Remember, no rule or situation has to last forever. Before you put any new plan into place, I recommend that you sit down with your kids and ask these questions:

  • How will we know this is working?
  • How will we know something isn't working?
  • What will we do if something works?
  • What will we do if something doesn't work?

If you analyze the decisions you make this way, you'll always have the ability to measure if you're accomplishing what you sought to do, as well as change what you're doing if necessary.

One of the key things that a blended family needs is two adults who are mature; you've really got to grow up as a parent. It's hard to see your step-child when they come back from a holiday with their other set of parents, and they have better presents than you gave them, or when they're bragging about the things they did together-or when they're sad about the things they used to do before their original family split up. But you've got to be able to handle that. Without a doubt you may have feelings about it, but you have to have mature ways of dealing with those emotions. So, if you're hurt or frustrated-and it's normal and human to be hurt, frustrated and confused in this situation-you need to be able to talk to your partner or call your friends. If you need professional help, go to a counselor. The main thing is, you need to be able to work toward accepting the situation and not trying to control it. It's not that you shouldn't feel things-it's the way you deal with the things you feel that is important.