Are you the parent of a child or a teenager who wants to use the internet, if they don’t already?  If so, you may have some concerns.  Yes, it is typically safe for your child to use the internet to do research for school projects, but did you also know that children and teens are now using it to communicate with their friends or other internet users?  This is how and when using the internet at a young age can become a problem.

As important as it is to hear that your child can find themselves in trouble online, if you do not know what internet safety steps can help to protect them, you may be looking for more information.  You also may be curious as to what it is about the internet that can be so dangerous.  For your convenience, five reasons why internet use can be dangerous for children and teenagers are highlighted below.

1 – False Identities Are Easy to Create

Making new friends online is easy and convenient, but it is much different than doing so in person.  Why?  Because you can’t see who is at the other end of the computer.  The internet makes it easy for someone to be anyone else in the world.  For example, if your child is using social networking websites online, they have to enter in their age.  They could easily lie themselves or they could be talking to someone else who is.

2 – Internet Predators

As it was previously stated, the internet makes it easy to create a new, false identity.  Often times, the individuals who lie about their ages are internet predators.  They are the ones who target children, like yours.  Unfortunately, many children, teenagers, and their parents cannot tell an internet predator until it is too late, like when the predators try to approach your child or contact them in person.

3 – So Many Websites To Choose From

What is nice about the internet is that you have so many websites to choose from.  In fact, that is why it is a good way to research school projects.  With that said, having so many websites to choose from can be dangerous.  Your child can gain access to social networking websites, adult chat rooms, pornographic websites, and websites that are violent in nature.  Unless you have parental controls set up, your child can easily access any type of website with a standard internet search.

4 – Not All Information Is Private

Unfortunately, many individuals, including both children and parents, do not know that the information that is posted online isn’t always private.  For starters, most teens have their MySpace profiles set to public, as opposed to private.  This means that anyone can view it.  There are also online message boards that are indexed by the search engines.  This means that others can view the conversations that were discussed, even years down the road.

5 – They Are In Control

When your child uses the internet, they are the ones who are in control.  This can be okay if your child is older and mature, but you honestly never know.  You may ask your child not to communicate with strangers online, give out their phone numbers, or share pictures with strangers, but that doesn’t mean that they will follow your rules.  For that reason, if you do let your child use the internet, be sure to monitor their use.

Posted: October 30th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Japan is well-known for cutting edge innovations that often go unnoticed by the Western world. But Sharp Corporation’s press release on 27 August 2008 cannot be ignored! Incorporated in its ionic air purifier, the Plasmacluster Ion Technology (more on this in a later post) has just been scientifically proven to be 99.9% effective in destroying the bird flu virus known as H5N1.

Every now and then, the press reminds us that bird flu is the prime suspect to cause mankind’s next pandemic. Pandemic sounds terrifying. It is. That’s when a highly contagious and deadly virus goes global, in a very negative sense. It boggles my mind that the 1918 Spanish Flu may have killed 50 million people on earth! That deadly killer flu was confirmed on 5 October 2005 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be caused by H1N1, a bird flu virus.

Is your heart pounding away? Is it time to PANIC?

Not just yet. WHO data, updated as at 10 Sep 2008, shows the death toll to be only 245 since records were kept from 1996 when the H5N1 was first identified in China. So what’s the fuss? The greatest nightmare for scientists monitoring the bird flu virus is to see it attain human-to-human transmission capability. As of now, there has been only one probable case of human-to-human transmission recorded in Thailand in September 2004. But if (it seems the virus has not reached the “when” stage) the dreaded virus mutation takes place, you can expect pandemonium on a global scale.

Countries around the globe are conscientiously preparing for the worse (more on this in a later post). At our individual level, we should start doing some homework too.

Ok, so what’s all this got to do with Sharp’s ionic air purifier. Isn’t it just another ionic air purifier? It is ordinary in that it performs the usual functions of the run-of-the-mill air purifier by getting rid of dust, dirt, smoke, dander, pollen, cuisine and pet odours, pollutants, allergens etc. But if we can get protection from all these and more in one ionic air purifier, especially one that is a tested defense shield against a potentially deadly virus, why not? That’s what Sharp is claiming, get the all-in-one package with their Plasmacluster Ion Air Purifier.

Obviously, for the value-conscious, the next logical question would be “yes, that makes a whole lot of sense but at what cost”? At no extra cost, Sharp claims! Sharp contends that it is cheaper than any other competing ionic air purifier when measured over 5 years. Great value for our hard-earned money! How is it possible in this nothing-is-for-free world?

Well, in promotional materials, using the Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier Model FP-N40CX as the basis, Sharp contends that it is much better value for money as there is no filter replacement costs for the first 5 years. At US$399, the Sharp model compares favourably against a typical competitor’s ionic air purifier that may cost US$160 upfront but over 5 years cost a total of US$560 due to annual filter replacement costs of US$100 each.

Feedback on relevant data on Sharp or its competitors will be very much appreciated. Just email me if you have actual data.

Meanwhile, I’m going to seriously investigate this Sharp Plasmacluster IonTechnology. The time to research is now, while bird flu is still not quite at pandemic proportions.

It’ll be way too late when that hits. I have been there. It was like a horror movie that ran for months. Paranoia abounded in crowded places even as people commuted to work on buses and MRT trains. Taxis cruised empty as stories were told of the infected travelling in them to hospital. It was near pandemonium in many Asian cities as pandemic fears took hold. It was the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus. Originating in Asia in 2003, it eventually infected 8,096 people around the world and resulted in 774 fatalities. As always, being prepared is half the battle won.

Watch this space as we track exciting developments in our pursuit of safe, pure and clean air with nothing more than an ionic air purifier.

To easily receive updates on new articles, subscribe to The Ionic Air Purifier Blog today.

Posted: October 26th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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There are some parents that want to give their children as much as they can before they enter school so that they are ahead of the game. Other parents believe that children should be allowed to be children, and that learning can wait. Although it is up to each parent, all kids do benefit from some leaning before they go into school. If you don’t want to put too much on your children at such a young age, you can find easy early childhood learning plans that teach the basics without overwhelming the child.

The best thing about many early childhood learning plans is that they are often a lot of fun for the parents. Learning in a sterile environment never goes over well with anyone of any age, but that goes double for those under the age of five. Mimicing things that are fun is the learning at this age. In fact, they often have no idea that they are learning anything. Some of the most successful tools in early childhood lessons plans are music and imagination. Both seem to be what work the best.

You can always base your early childhood educational plans on the age of your child. Children under the age of two will not get much, as they are still mastering things like walking, talking, and emotional intelligence. For this age group, early childhood learning plans may include things like simple numbers, colors, and even a few letters. You can even try to incorporate things like big and small, but don’t be too frustrated if they don’t get it right away. If you learn to know when they are overwhelmed and stop you are doing for simple play time, children over this age can benefit a bit more from things a little more complicated.

You can find some really great early childhood learning plans if you go to your local book store, or if you look around online. Free or paid advice or program that was aimed for those under the ages of five and six is easy to find. Remember that learning for younger children comes through play and exploration. They are goint to learn more than you think by purely playing with other children and their toys. Keep your early childhood development lessons simple and short, and you will find they are all the better for it in the future.

Posted: October 21st, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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There are hundreds if not thousands of different tests that you can do online that can test your intelligence. The truth is that the majority of these free tests are totally useless or inaccurate, therefore if for that reason only, you must prepare both you and kid if they are going to be tasking a free kids iq test online.

Here are my top 5 preparation tips:

1. Find a test which really will suit your kid. For example, if they are just doing it for fun then almost any will do. If you need to take a test which is recognized, then you should carry on searching. You can probably do this by visiting the website of the school or organization and find out which free IQ tests for kids they suggest.

2. Much of doing will in a Kids IQ Test is to make sure that you have a great mental state beforehand. What I mean by that is that you will endeavour to answer every single question as well as you can. The vast majority of Kids tests do not penalize your child if they get a question wrong. They don't receive a positive mark though.

3. It is up to you, the adult, to make sure that you kid knows that even if they don’t do so well in the IQ Test, then you will still love them and support them. It is much more positive to take the pressure and worry away from the kid.

4. Make sure that the child sleeps well the night before. This may sound obvious, but I would go as far as to say that if the child has not slept well then it is not worth them taking the free kids iq test as it is likely that it will kill their confidence.

5. Tell your child that before they answer any question in the test, they should breath first and be 100% sure that they answer that they choose seems the most correct out of all the choices.

Please note, that the way to get the best results from any test is to go a professional that has experience of doing them and is certified to carry out the tests.

Posted: October 19th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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One of the best places to look for personalized baby gifts is online. In a lot less time than it will take you to get to the mall, look around and drive back home, you can look for new baby gifts on websites. Think about choosing from the many personalized baby gifts available. If you are looking for some of the new baby gifts you have come to the right place. Look in local department stores for personalized baby gifts. It’s always good to start your search for new baby gifts online. Personalized baby gifts are wonderful and make lovely gifts. This will save you time and often money, too. You may also find personalized baby gifts in catalogues.

Diwali Gifts India
Shopping online allows you to compare prices and quality. There are websites that have simply darling clothing for newborns. You can view hundreds of personalized baby gifts in a very short time and choose your favorite. You can find these new baby gifts of clothing in several sizes. You will have many choices when looking for personalized baby gifts. Another plus for shopping for new baby gifts of clothing online is being able to find baby clothing that you will not see in most baby departments. Websites are good places to look for personalized baby gifts because of all the choices. Look for new baby gifts of frilly dresses and appliquéd overalls.

Diwali Gifts to India
You may want to look at the gift registry list and then check prices for the new baby gifts online. Personalized baby gifts are always a good idea and you can choose from baby blankets, cups and picture frames. Diapers, bathing lotions and shampoos, blankets and accessories for the nursery are always appreciated new baby gifts. Books make good personalized baby gifts and so do photo albums or scrapbooks. Some parents register for new baby gifts. This makes it easy for the gift giver to buy just the right gift. Some of the most beautiful personalized baby gifts are jewelry. You will often find better prices and a greater selection. You can have tiny lockets or rings engraved with the baby’s name and date of birth. You will find excellent personalized baby gifts on websites that feature items for babies and children.

Posted: October 13th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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True education should aim at developing an all-round personality of the child. It means that education should result in the mental, moral and physical development of the child.

Unfortunately the present system of education lays too much stress on the mental development, pays only a lip sympathy to moral development and completely neglects physical development.

All Work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. The wisdom of this proverb is long forgotten in schools and colleges which turn out millions of educated youths every year who bear the stamps of degrees but whose personalities remain totally dull and undeveloped.

In fact, for an all-round development of children the curriculum of studies should include sports and games and health education. Sufficient time should be devoted to sports and physical training.

This is absolutely necessary because mental and moral development is just not possible without physical development, for it is wisely observed that there is ‘A sound mind in a sound body’. A strong and healthy student will in the long run surpass the pale, sickly scholar who is but a mere bookworm.

Sports are necessary for developing a healthy and strong body. Body is a means and a very essential means of living. If the body is weak and unhealthy it is not possible to live a happy and useful life. Only the person with a healthy and strong body will be able to face the struggles of life successfully.

Besides promoting health and strength, sports strengthen the students’ power of endurance and develop in them a spirit of co-operation and brotherhood. They promote discipline, sense of fair play and team spirit. Young men and women are trained to accept defeat with a smile and preserve humility even in victory. Sports are the greatest and the healthiest means of refreshment and recreation. They fill the students with new vigour, vitality and enthusiasm, which will help them to concentrate more on their studies.

In short, sports are not only essential but also indispensable for an all-round development of the youngsters. It is rightly said that “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playgrounds of Eton.”

Posted: October 11th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Early education instructors frequently use what is called a guided reading curriculum to help develop a child’s basic reading skills and teach them reading techniques.  Each level of this program has a set of books which are designed to impart specific skills, based on the child’s age and abilities.  Parents can get a comprehensive list of these books from the teacher, so that they can work with their child outside the classroom.

Program for Kindergarteners

Success in reading begins at an early age, and many of the necessary skills are a part of the guided reading curriculum used with kindergarteners.  The children are taught basic reading skills, which can be built upon as they become ready to learn more advances skills and techniques.  The books used in this type of program are made up of short sentences, often composed of just two or three words.  Thinking back to your own childhood, you may remember sentences or stories such as “See Spot Run.”  Even though these classic titles are old, they are still popular favorites in kindergarten classrooms.

One important skill that is taught during the kindergarten guided reading curriculum is the different sounds of letters.  Learning the sounds that vowels and consonants make, as well as the combinations when they are put together, helps the child sound out new words that they encounter.  By learning these types of skills during kindergarten, the children can become successful readers later in life.Being schooled with good reading skills during kindergarten can have a direct impact on their reading and study skills later in life.

Program for First Graders

As the child advances from kindergarten to first grade, the reading program that they follow will likewise become more advanced.  Instead of focusing on simple sounds and individual words, students begin to identify nouns and verbs and see words in larger groups.  The skills that the child has already acquired are developed as they read more complicated books.  The selection of books have more complex stories, as the children are becoming better able to understand plots and character interactions.

Program for Second Graders

Reading comprehension improves dramatically as students move into the second grade.  These young readers will follow a guided reading curriculum that reflects that advancement.  Students begin to answer questions about the protagonist and antagonist of their stories, which are progressing towards short chapter books.  The children are not only more capable of understanding complex stories.  They are also better at retaining the information after they leave the classroom, so parents can engage them at home about what they read at school.

Parents who take an active role in the guided reading curriculum will not only be spending more time bonding with their child, they will be helping to improve their reading comprehension.  Contact your child’s teacher to get a comprehensive list of the books available for their level.  The time spent reading together will create beautiful memories for both of you.

Posted: October 8th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Ways to help your infant sleep through the night

Premature infants with immature brains and reflex systems are at high risk for central sleep apnea syndrome, even if these babies are otherwise healthy. Fortunately, those premature babies who have the syndrome will generally outgrow it as they mature, providing they receive careful enough monitoring and supportive care during infancy to survive. Because of the propensity toward apnea, medications that can cause respiratory drive depression are either not given to premature infants, or given under careful monitoring, with equipment for resuscitation immediately available. Such precautions are routinely taken for premature infants after general anesthesia. Caffeine has been found to help reduce apnea in preterm infants and to aid in care after general anesthesia.

Sudden infant death syndrome is sometimes theorized to be attributable to sleep apnea.

It is important to make sure that your child gets enough sleep and sleeps well. The value of sleep can be measured by your child’s smiling face, happy nature and natural energy. A tired child may have development or behavior problems. A child’s sleep problems can also cause unnecessary stress for you and the other members of your family.

Important hormone production is regulated during sleep; in children, human growth hormone (HGH) is released during deep sleep. Insufficient sleep can affect hormonal balance in adults as well. Getting enough deep sleep is important for a baby’s growth.

Many parents are unsure of how much their child should sleep. According to reports from parents, many American children are not getting enough sleep. Some children sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. But most children do have the ability to sleep through the night. Children who do not sleep well may have a sleep problem.

Many children have behavioral insomnia of childhood. With sleep-onset association, parents naturally may feel that they need to “help” their child return to sleep. The child learns to connect or “associate” going to sleep with a person or activity. I have to rock my child to sleep every night and for every nap. Set aside 10 to 30 minutes to get your child ready to go to sleep each night.

Many parents are unsure of how much their child should sleep. Experts recommend that your child get the following amount of sleep at each stage of growth:
School-age children: 10 to 11 hours

These are some signs that your child has a problem with sleep:  You spend too much time “helping” your child fall asleep, your child wakes up repeatedly during the night, your child snores very loudly or struggles to breathe during sleep, your child’s behavior, mood or school performance changes, your child who used to stay dry at night begins to wet the bed.  You lose sleep as a result of your child’s bedtime and sleeping patterns.

If your child has an ongoing sleep problem, then you should talk to your child’s doctor or to a sleep specialist.  Help for your baby’s sleep include warm milk, a white noise machine with the sound of a beating heart or soothing soft music.

Posted: October 5th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Choosing a Summer Camp:

Summer camps today have always been a set of fun-n-learn programs for kids and children. They are the best way to spend their time in most rewarding manner. Choose a right sort of summer camp to bring about change in your children.

What is more confusing for you is the selection of a camp from a wide array of camps organized targeting various topics across the world. Exploration in finding a camp will help select a right one.

Courses and Programs:

There are summer camps arranged for strengthening children’s performance at school. And they focus on some of academic subjects and present them in entertaining manner to get the children learnt and entertained.

There are summer camps to provide the students an experience of real academic picture by offering programs including summer day camp where kids study in classes and also in computer labs. As soon as their day sessions are over , they enjoy eating in dining halls of the university.

Besides various classroom and lab activities, campers are also taken to campus tours where they learn how to socialize with the other campers and enjoy as a whole team.

Camp Locations:

Various types of summer camps organized in various locations always deal with an average of six students per instructor. They offer modified and customized curriculum which can be suitable to even beginners . Moreover, IL summer camps bring an array of summer camp courses and programs keeping in mind the children’s interests. The techno-based courses, for instance web design, animation, video game creation, filmmaking, programming and robotics are especially designed for kids and children so that they can enhance their creativity.

When it really comes to choosing a summer camp for your child, make an extensive research for the possible camp locations. Get to know the areas of your kids’ interests, their expectations and drams which will help you choose a right location and a suitable summer camp course for your kid.

Posted: October 3rd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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Music in the background is a good way to relax or to get your baby to relax if they suffer from a sleep disorder such as insomnia.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic problems  falling asleep, staying asleep or only sleeping for several hours and being wake unable to fall back to sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder

It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Researchers do not know exactly why people need sleep, but we do know that lack of sleep can kill. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems.  Babies often have a hard  time falling asleep.

It is important to make sure that your child gets enough sleep and sleeps well. Many parents are unsure of how much their child should sleep. According to reports from parents, many American children are not getting enough sleep. Some children sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. But most children do have the ability to sleep through the night. Children who do not sleep well may have a sleep problem.

These are some signs that your child has a problem with sleep:   Your child snores very loudly or struggles to breathe during sleep,  you lose sleep as a result of your child’s bedtime and sleeping patterns.

 
A child who gets enough sleep and sleeps well is more likely to be cheerful during the day. The better the child sleeps, the happier the entire family will be. Most sleep problems in children are not a result of bad parenting. If your child has an ongoing sleep problem, then you should talk to your child’s doctor or to a sleep specialist. In reality, sleeping is your most valuable activity of the day.
If sleep time isn’t a good time for you and your baby, talk to your doctor or healthcare professional about your options. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) makes sure that people with sleep problems get the best medical care.

Sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
Your doctor will recommend trying to get to sleep by changing your sleep habits from bad to good.

Soft music playing in the background is also a way to help your baby to relax and fall sleep.  Or you may find that using one of those machine that makes the sound of rain falling, or waterfalls, can also help.  One of the sounds is even the familiar heart beat that the baby had been hearing while in his mother’s womb.

Posted: October 2nd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
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