The Parenting Entry

Hi All,

Just a few links to possibly help the harried parent....I've found a bunch of them that are useful, easy-to-read, and not too hard to enforce. 

Defiance: Why It Happens and What To Do About It - Babycenter.com

Consider the Consequences For Toddlers - What to Expect.com

Rewards Charts For Kids - KidPointz.com

Is Your Child Spoiled? Who's Ruling the Roost? - WebMD.com

Bedtime Battles - How to Nip them in the Bud - Babycenter.com

How to Stop Yelling At Your Kids - Use These 10 Tips - EmpoweringParents.com


Eight Steps to Anger Management For Kids - Empowering Parents (Child Behavior Help)

Hope these sites are a good starting point for you and your child or children.

Regards,
Stu

Traffic Cameras in Nassau County

Hi All,

You might have heard - or might not have - heard about traffic cameras being installed in a whole bunch of new locations; particularly schools in Nassau County. 

Click on this link from Newsday to see a current article about this.  The title of the article is 'Speed Cameras come to 5 New Long Island School Districts'.   Click on this article from July 2014 titled 'Speed Cameras Begin Operation in Nassau School Zones'.  This is the original article that set off the great debate....

Click on this link - from the veritable AAA-New York - titled 'School Speed Cameras'.  Basically this is a map of the location of all speed cameras in school zones in Nassau County. Thank you AAA!!!  The map is very easy to manipulate, use and understand!!!!

Finally, click on this link CopBlock.org - for an article titled, 'How to Beat a Photo Enforced Speeding Ticket or a Red Light Ticket?'.  The link is from CopBlock.org.

And while we are on the topic of traffic tickets, click on this link from Nolo Press for an article titled, 'Fighting a Red Light Camera Traffic Ticket'.

I hope you never have to use these sites, but if you do...they are here for your research.

Regards,
Stu

Hi All, 

Good morning.  Today is the first day of the second full week of school for school kids in and around the Farmingdale area.  Some might have started later or earlier making this not exactly the first day of the second full week of school...but close enough.

Anyway, with school in session, brains are starting to go into overdrive and hum with reading, writing and arithmetic. Yep - the fall semester is underway and getting into full swing.

With that all said, I found an interesting website to help get those brain waves moving and jumping and hopping - all in the hopes that school will be easier. 

Introducing...Mental Floss...so, you ask...what exactly is Mental Floss?  Great question. The site bills itself as "an intelligent read, but not too intelligent. We're the sort of intelligent that you hang out with for a while, enjoy our company, laugh a little, smile a lot and then we part ways. Great times. And you only realize how much you learned from us after a little while. Like a couple days later when you're impressing your friends with all these intriguing facts and things you picked up from us, and they ask you how you know so much, and you think back on that great afternoon you spent with us and you smile."

If you really, really want to learn more about Mental Floss, click on this link which takes you to the 'About Us' page on the site. 

That all said, there are 5 links that appear on the top banner of the page.
1. Amazing Facts - the Amazing Fact generator generates, well, amazing facts...fun stuff. In a flash card sort of way.  

2. Big Questions - answer the 'big questions' in life like 'Why Do Shells Sound Like the Ocean?' and 'Why Are Baseball Seasons 162 Games Long?' and more...

3. Videos - lots of videos hosted by John Green...as the site proclaims, 'Join host John Green as he makes a rapid trek through everything you really need to know about science, pop culture, and history.  Check back every Wednesday for a new episode of the Mental Floss List Show!'

4. Lists - list for every occasion. Examples of lists include '30 of the Best Parents in Literature',

5. Quizzes - again, a quiz for every occasion.  Examples of quizzes include 'A Simpsons Guest Star Quiz', 'Ikea or Cheese?' or 'The Name Behind the Initial'.

So there you have it...a fun, tongue-in-cheek entertaining, pseudo-educational website.  Did I mention that Mental Floss is fun?   

Enjoy the site!

Regards, 
Stu

Taking Pictures of Your Kids

Hi All,

Now that summer is 'officially' over, school has started and the Fall is right around the corner.  With all that happening, there are sure to be lots of chances to take wonderful pictures of your kids (think soccer games, playgrounds, Halloween, playing in the backyard in a pile of leaves - yep...there are lots of different opportunities to take great photos). 

Click on the following links to take more awesome pictures of the little ones, young ones, toddlers, teens and more!

Cut the Cheese -  5 Tips For Photographing Kids - Digital Photography School
Photographing Children - Composition - Digital Photography School
Ten Way to Take Better Photos of Your Child - Lexar (esp suggestion #1, #5 and #7)
Tips From a Pro: How to Take Better Photos of Your Kids - PopPhoto.com
Three Tips for Taking Photos of Kids - Olympus
8 Tips for Photographing Uncooperative Children - ClickinMoms.com

So there ya have it...anybody can take even better pictures of their kids!  And now you know how to do it - without having to take hundreds of pictures in the hopes of getting 3-4 good pictures in the bunch!

Regards,
Stu

Winterizing Your Home

Hi All,

It might seem like very, very early Fall, but soon the seasons are going to change - and with it the cold weather will be rearing its chilly head. 

Forthwith, 5 really excellent websites on how to winterize your home.   You'll learn all about how to prepare your home for the onset of winter with advice for the interior, exterior, roofing, water issues and other parts of your house.

Winter Preparation Checklist - Bob Vila
4 Winter Prep Essentials You Shouldn't Miss - MSN Real Estate
Prepare Your Home For Winter - CDC
10 Ways to Winterize Your Home - Now - MSN Real Estate
How to Prepare Your Home For Winter - How Stuff Works


Good luck!
Stu