Search Results for: blog unplug please

Unplug, Please

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This is a plea to parents. We express concern at the way our children sink easily into the television. I know that my four-year-old does. We get worried about their interest in video or computer games and try to limit their exposure to violence in the digital media. Many of us try very hard to control our children’s media focus, but we neglect to do one thing. We forget to turn it off ourselves. The latest trend? We text during the times when we could be hanging out with our children, focused instead on scrolling down a tiny screen. Either … Continue reading →

Helping Kids Balance Electronics and Life

With Christmas around the corner electronics are in high demand. But, how do we as parents teach our children to find a balance between technology and their other everyday activities? Our kids are living in a digital world. They instinctively know how to work just about every electronic device out there. I have been amazed at the things my 4 year old can do on Grandma’s Ipad. He knows how to work it better than I do. He can navigate and find his favorite shows in a matter of seconds. He knows right where his games are and can go … Continue reading →

Should Doctors Tell Patients to Hang Up?

We have all been to the doctor and had them tell us the stuff we shouldn’t be doing – drinking, smoking, and overeating and the stuff we should be doing – eating healthy, wearing our seatbelts, and getting regular checkups. But, should your doctor be asking about your cell phone use while driving? Dr. Amy Ship is a primary care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and she has written a paper for the New England Journal of Medicine that says doctors should counsel their patients on the affects of talking on the cell phone or texting … Continue reading →

Disney Tickets Together on Facebook

Everything goes through Facebook these days. Companies use it to network, advertising agencies promote their wares, and people play games and scroll through pictures of their friends. With everything attached to Facebook now, it’s hard to remember the early days of the site, back when it was only designed for students. Those days are long past, and now Facebook routinely performs one of its primary services as a marketing tool. Companies create pages for their products of which people can become fans; sometimes agencies also put together groups where fans come together and discuss their favorite show, clothing line, etc. … Continue reading →

A Sick Day for Mom or Dad

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When you are home with a small child, a sick day is no fun. Now, I’m not talking about your child getting sick. Of course that’s no fun, but you can deal with it, right? You’ll soldier on through the colds and the flu and the general I-don’t-feel-wells. However, when it’s you who doesn’t feel well, woe betide us all. I’ve been having that sort of a day the past few days. Since I have a chronic illness and don’t feel well a lot of the time anyway, actually being sick makes things many times worse (insert sympathy here). What … Continue reading →

The End of the Nap

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As much as I am into child-led activities, I am also keen on parent and scheduling sanity. The summer that my daughter was three years old, we had neither of these. About half way through the summer, I discovered that this was because she really needed to stop napping. Now, my daughter loved her naps. Heck, I love napping too. It’s wonderful to be able to fall asleep in the middle of the day. However, when napping turned into an 11 pm bed time and mommy was very, very grumpy, things had to change. There’s nothing like an awake three-year-old … Continue reading →

Teaching Kids about Maintaining the House

This week I have really been concentrating on teaching my oldest child how to do the laundry. We have gone over sorting, setting the washer and turning it on, adding detergent, transferring clothing to the dryer, setting the dryer and turning that on as well. When the laundry is done, he brings it up two flights of stairs to the master bedroom, where I will fold it (we will work on folding another time). You may be surprised to know that my son is only seven. At his tender age, he also knows how to vacuum his room, wipe down … Continue reading →

How to Maintain Your Refrigerator for Maximum Efficiency

Take care of your fridge and it won’t leave you! Maintain your refrigerator to save money on energy. Proper maintenance will also allow you to extend the life of your refrigerator, so you won’t have to spend money on an appliance replacement. We tend to think of the fridge as a useful fixture in our kitchens that will always be there when we need it. But a refrigerator is an appliance, like any other, that needs regular care to keep it running smoothly. You wouldn’t let your car go for years without any maintenance would you? While a refrigerator is … Continue reading →