In the news: A recent study performed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) found disturbing information claiming that teens who listen to their iPods and MP3 players at volumes relatively louder than adults experience symptoms of hearing loss.

The ASHA notes that it’s not solely MP3 players and iPods that are responsible for these signs of hearing loss. Instead, it’s the combination of length of time and volume at which the teens are listening to music through headphones that is responsible for the damage.

Thankfully, teenagers seem to have some understanding of this. The ASHA’s survey shows that nearly 70 percent of students say that they are “likely” to turn down the volume of music when listening to it through earphones. However, 58 percent said they weren’t likely to cut down on the time they spent listening to music with earphones on. “Louder and longer is definitely not the way to use these products,” says Brenda Lonsbury-Martin, PhD, ASHA’s chief staff officer for science and research.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) offers three basic rules for limiting the damage done to your children’s ears by listening to iPods and MP3 players:

1. Make sure that he or she can hear normal conversation voices while listening to music through headphones

2. Limit the amount of time he or she spends listening to any type of music through headphones to one hour a day

3. Set the volume of their music player no higher than 60 percent of the maximum

Kids need to be independent and responsible as they grow up. What better way to do this than to give them household chores which they can handle. Studies have shown that children who are given responsibility for tasks they can carry out are more likely to have a greater sense of family belongingness and develop confidence that they can contribute to life in a significant manner.

As a child grows, psychologists recommend adding new responsibilities instead of just spoiling them. Remember though to give them tasks that they can handle according to their age. For example, kids aged three to six can be asked to water the plants or clean up their own toys.

The reward and punishment system still works in this case. By all means, do praise your kids for their effort in fulfilling the simple tasks assigned to them regardless if the job is done properly or not. A big hug, a high five, a pat on the back will surely go a long way in teaching responsibility among children. It will give them a good feeling for what they’ve done.

On the other hand, make sure not to frighten the young ones if they do not finish their tasks. This will only discourage them from learning their responsibilities. Just let them experience the consequences of their not being able to complete the task by, for instance, not granting a privilege of watching television for that day. Be firm in giving them the necessary punishment.

A parent’s guidance and example are indeed vital in maintaining this kind of training in the house. Once you have started this system, you may need to remind them from time to time about their tasks.

[tags]parenting, family, childcare[/tags]

Fathers hold a special place in a child’s life. Some Fathers are involved with sports teams, outdoor games, and having lots of fun. While other Dads enjoy helping children learn new skills. It could be anything from baking to building bird houses. It really doesn’t matter how Dads spend time with their children, as long as they do spend time together. Father’s Day is a time to remember just how special is your Dad.

There are many stories how the custom of honoring Dads on a Sunday in June got started. The most popular story about the origins of Father’s Day is said to have started growing its roots in the year of 1909. Mrs. John B. Dodds, from Spokane, Washington, campaigned for a Father’s Day celebration. The idea came to her while she listed to a church sermon on the virtues of Mother’s Day.

Mrs. Dodds thought about her own childhood, raised in a family of six children by a single father after the death of her mother. Mrs. Dodds thought of her father, who acted as both father and mother, and nurtured and cared for her and her siblings. There were many other fathers who selflessly gave of themselves to help take care of their own children, as well as provide for them financially too.

She wanted all fathers to be honored with a special day all their own. She campaigned and worked to spread her message, and even got the help of friends and family to write letters to influential people who could make this dream happen for her.

After much hard work, Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910. Mrs. Dodds wanted the date of the holiday to be on her father’s birthday, which was the fifth of June. But the events had to be moved to the nineteenth of June so there would be enough time to prepare.

Over time, annual celebrations were held throughout the United States and Canada. In 1972 Richard M. Nixon signed a congressional resolution creating Father’s Day in the United States.

Today, this special day provides the opportunity to honor fathers, stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, guys that act as big brothers, and any other men that have played the father role model your life.

This was recently in the news - something quite disturbing all parents should be aware of….

Belittling, shaming, or threatening a child may be as detrimental to the young victim as physical or sexual abuse, new research suggests.

Repeated verbal abuse from parents can contribute to depression and anxiety that lasts well into adulthood, researchers at Florida State University in Tallahassee report.

The study, published in The Journal of Affective Disorders, evaluated the impact of verbal abuse on the mental health of more than 5,600 people, aged 15-54. Thirty percent of participants admitted to being verbally abused both sporadically and frequently by their parents as a child.

“Those who were verbally abused had 1.6 times as many symptoms of depression and anxiety as those who had not been verbally abused and were twice as likely to have suffered a mood or anxiety disorder in their lifetime,” study author Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, an FSU professor, said in a prepared statement.

Poor self-esteem triggered by verbal abuse during childhood continues into adulthood, allowing the symptoms of anxiety and depression to settle, the researchers said. But, they added, therapy offers hope for these victims.

“Self-critical people can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy, an approach that helps people identify their irrational thought patterns and replace them with more rational thoughts,” Sachs-Ericsson wrote.

Good old-fashioned family values may not be dead. They’ve just got a new gender twist. According to an online poll of 731 parents by one of the largest parenting sites on the Web, and AOL, half of the moms and dads quizzed said they think women should stay at home with their kids and not work if money isn’t an issue. But a surprising 22 percent said that Dad could stay with the kids instead of Mom, especially if Mom earns a bigger paycheck. The idea that Mom (or Dad) could work for personal fulfillment, instead of financial need, was given the thumbs down by many parents.

Bonding
One benefit many talk about was the special bonding that takes place between parent and children when they are able to stay home.

Development
Many stay-at-home parents felt that, by staying home with their children, their kids were benefiting by developing faster.

Mr. Mom is Still Scarce
According to a 2002 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, “stay-at-home” dads numbered only 189,000 compared to 11 million “stay-at-home moms” for the 41 million children under 15 living with two parents. Obviously, full-time parenting is still predominantly female territory. However, it is important to note that about 3-in-10 children under 18 living with one parent, lives with a single father. There is still obviously a huge difference in who plays the predominant care-taker.

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