A Guide To Kids Communication For Parents

Writen by Gabriel J. Adams

When it comes to communication, times have definitely changed. When we were kids, talking to each other meant an occasional phone call, or waiting until we saw each other in school the next day. Now, teens and even younger children have access to so many forms of communication that they are never at a loss to talk to each other. Chatting via instant messenger, email and even cell phone text messages are all commonplace for today's youth – but what does all of this technology mean for parents? Here are some facts you should know about the way kids talk with each other.

Chances are, you have a computer that's hooked up to the Internet in your home. This means that your children have the ability to talk to their friends via email (electronic mail) or instant messaging programs. If kids want to talk to each other in real time, instant messaging is the way to go – users just download a simple program (two popular ones are AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger) and they are able to type messages to each other as long as both parties have the program. This form of communication can be great for keeping in touch with friends, but can also invite unwanted strangers to try to talk with your children. It's important to make sure you know what your kids are doing on line at all times.

Another way kids talk to each other without actually speaking is via text message. This form of chatting requires a teen (or even a younger child) to have a cell phone equipped with text messaging software and service. Text messaging services can be bundled with your regular cell phone service, or they can be an additional fee-based service (where you are charged either per text or a flat fee per month). Text messaging offers kids a way to send short messages to each other via the cell phone, but does not require actually speaking on the phone. While this can be good for occasional use, sometimes kids get a bit caught up text messaging and can either run up large bills or disrupt their classes in school. If you are planning to let your child use text messaging on their cell phone, it's important to teach them about proper usage.

Today's youth has many more choices when it comes to staying in touch – and while this can be a good thing, it may also be disruptive to important aspects of their lives such as school work. As a parent, be sure to make your child aware of proper computer and cell phone usage, and keep yourself informed about your child's activities both on line and in real life.

Visit the Free Text Messaging site.

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Parenting Tips How To Prerpare For The Prodigal

Writen by Jeff Herring

"Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal, with nothing to do but keep his house open to hope."

- John Ciardi

The above quote reminds me of the proverb that says "raise up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it."

What the proverb implies, and most parents miss, is that at some point, our kids are going to "depart from" all the good stuff we have tried to teach them.

Getting ready for your prodigal

Not all kids become prodigals. So I am not saying that you need to expect your child to become a prodigal.

I am saying that as parents we need to be prepared for their chosen field of departure and be prepared beforehand.

Here are two strategies to help you get prepared -

1. Prepare for how you will respond to the many different ways in which kids can "depart."

2. Make sure, even if all you are holding onto is hope, that you keep the kind of relationship with them that provides a place to return to when they are done departing - even if it takes longer than you ever thought possible - once you are a parent, they are always and forever your "child."

Visit ParentingYourTeenager.com for tips and tools for thriving during the teen years. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 5 day e-program on The Top 5 Things to Never Say to Your Teenager, from parenting coach and expert Jeff Herring .

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Ten Terrific Ideas For Rainy Day Fun

Writen by Katelyn Thomas

It's been raining for a week and the kids and bored and restless. How do you cure those rainy day blahs? Try some of these parent tested and kid approved ideas and your children will be hoping for another rainy day when the sun finally peaks through.

1. Share a book. Pick an action packed, funny book and take turns reading aloud. Some great choices are My Brother Louis Measures Worms by Barbara Robinson, The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald or Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parrish. For more great reads, check with your local library. Your librarian should have reading lists available.

2. Put on a play. Your children can write their own play and act it out or make paper bag puppets for additional fun. A great book for quick and easy skit ideas is The Skit Book by Margaret Read MacDonald.

3. Go on an indoor picnic. Put out a blanket and pack a basket full of goodies. For a quick but special picnic lunch, jazz up ordinary sandwiches with cookie cutters in animal shapes.

4. Hold rainy day Olympics. Make the events things that can be done in the house, such as standing on one leg or seeing who can make his bed the fastest. Give the winners chocolate coins instead of medals. 5. Learn a new craft or hobby. Check your local library for instructional videos that will tell you how to knit, crochet or paint and buy enough supplies for everyone to give it a try. If you decide to learn to knit or crochet, your children can make scarves or blankets to donate to a local shelter.

6. Hold a fancy dress party. Put together a trunk of old cocktail dresses, suits, fancy hats, and costume jewelry. Have everyone dress up and give prizes for the most creative and fancy costumes.

7. Go on safari. Make an indoor tent by draping a blanket over a table or several chairs. Serve trail mix as a snack and provide binoculars for hunting wild animals. Then pull up a cushion and read Maurice Sendek's Where the Wild Things Are or play a video or DVD about wild baby animals.

8. Get ready for a yard sale. Work with your children to clean out the attic, garage and bedrooms. Clean and price all the items and box them up by category so that you can quickly set up your sale on the next sunny weekend.

9. Have an indoor market. Buy snacks, activities, and other inexpensive items and set up a store table for each child. Provide market baskets and spare change so they can buy from each other and make sure you stop by the shops, too. For additional fun, let them keep their profits to restock their shops for the next rainy day.

10. Make portrait cookies. Buy a sugar cookie mix, a gingerbread cookie cutter, colored icing and sprinkles. Roll out the sugar cookies and help the kids cut out their people and then let them decorate the gingerbread men to look like themselves, friends and family. For additional fun, find dog or cat cookie cutters so your children can include the family pet.

Katelyn Thomas is the editor for Cecil Child, a free online parenting magazine for Cecil County residents at http://www.cecilchild.com

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