Do I have what? What in the world is parental street cred? Well, let’s start with street cred. According to the Urban Dictionary, street cred is:

So what does it have to do with parenting? Pam Stillman, one of our readers, brought a new site to our attention – ParentalStreetCred. It is about being seen as “cool” by your children and at the same time exhibiting good parental skills.

I paid a visit to the site and was immensely amused by the instructional videos on offer. I like how they used a geeky (sorry for the term but it seems so appropriate) man to give tips to parents. In this site, parents will learn how to relate to their kids, who may seem to be worlds apart from them. Topics include saying hello, dance floor etiquette, skateboarding, clothing, dissing, and video games.

Though the videos may seem a bit goofy at first, the pointers offered are quite practical and provide various insights to our children. Let us say that it is a refreshing way of looking at the differences in generations. One thing I’d like to say, though, I really prefer the PS3 to the Xbox360, which is the sponsor of this site. Does that mean I have more parental street cred???

Do you children have pets? I grew up with dogs all over our house – my dad loves animals and we grew up loving them as well. Yet some of the saddest times in my life are linked to the times when one of the dogs would die. Some died of old age, some of illness, one of an accident, another of poisoning. Looking back, I realize how parents can have a hard time explaining the loss of a pet. More than having to deal with the loss of a treasured companion, parents have to explain the concept of death. How do you deal with the loss of a pet?

I found some practical information in an article written by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend in Christianity Today. They point out that:

They’re not sure what dying is all about. They don’t have a clear idea if it’s like sleeping or if it’s a trip to another dimension. They don’t know if it’s good, bad, permanent or temporary. Your basic task is to help your child see that the death of a pet is real. And yet it’s a reality that’s bearable because he has a mom who will help him understand and deal with it.

So what can we do as parents? They outline some tips:

-Help your children understand that death is part of life. It is not something to be scared of.
-God loves pets and is in control of whatever happens to them.
-It is ok to feel sad – grieving is a part of life.
-Create a positive memory – remind your children of the happy times they had with your pet.
-Get back into life’s activities. As the saying goes, life goes on.

Losing a pet is indeed a difficult situation but it is a good opportunity to show your children that death is not something that we should fear.

All parents have gone through this stage, I am sure. Your toddler asks a question, you give an answer and then he comes back with a “Why?” Else, your toddler asks for permission to do something, you say “No” and he asks “But why?”

What do you do when this happens? Do you simply say “Because I said so?” Or do you just keep silent and ignore your child? I think that best way to handle these situations would be to give your reasons – I am assuming you have good reasons behind your answer. Your child may be merely 3 or 4 but I am sure that he can understand reasoning – if presented in the right way. Here are some tips to answer the “whys” of your toddler.

Relate it to your child
When giving reasons, make sure that your child can relate to the answer. Explain to him how the situation affects him. For example, if you want him to take a nap, you can tell him that it’s because you want him to be full of energy at night because you are going to have dinner out.

Simple is best
Remember, he is a toddler. Keep your reasoning to the simplest terms possible.

Don’t hesitate to repeat yourself if necessary
Sometimes, toddlers need to hear it again and again. They have short attention spans and sometimes, they need time to process things. Be patient and if you need to, repeat your reason.

Remember, it is better to help your child understand that for every action, there is a consequence. It is good for him to know this early in life.

The best way to get good tips and tricks on how to properly balance parenthood and personal life is to learn and read it from the people who know. Such can be found from sites that have used the services offered by organizations as the Los Angeles SEO when it comes to affordable search engine optimization and many have been directed towards their way.

For sure, parents are looking for advanced practices on how to become better parents. Moods and the things they do at home are not enough. There are varying techniques in the world of parenting today and people just have to be more open to them. Books may be of help but with the way technology has been spread today, the web is where updated facts and resources are at.

Be assured that there are a lot of ideas over the web today for better parenting practices. They are just waiting to be found!

While there is no question that most parents today know the responsibilities of growing their own breed while at the same time relying on other areas for potential improvement of the same, people often check the web for best sites which can help improve their current practice. Surely, these best sites will often be the first to come out when links or search queries thanks to the expertise of affordable search engine optimization techniques by companies such as Los Angeles SEO.

In fact, people may have a hard time choosing the best one since it is practically hard to select which site truly provides the best resource and information people are looking for these days.

There are a lot of sites on parenting today and each has its own line of specialty. While parenting may be simple to some, many would be amazed at the things they are missing out in their journey of parenthood. It is these little things that they can only locate once they start checking out the leading sites of parenting practices today.

“Where do babies come from?”

Ah, the dreaded talk. It’s the moment that parents don’t really look forward to. And sometimes it’s the moment that kids (especially those old enough to understand) don’t really want to go through. But then when is the right time to have “the talk” and what is the most appropriate way to go with it?

This is especially true with conservative societies. Some people would rather sweep things under the rug, escaping responsibility because talking about it might be considered taboo.

To the contrary, the topic of sex should not be something hidden behind an iron curtain. As parents, we should understand that humans are sexual beings at–and even before–birth. We were made to be male and female, and there should be no malice with how we discuss these matters with our kids. Reproduction, after all, is a God-given gift. These things should be handled with openness, and yet with sensitivity.

So do away with the “birds and the bees” or the “Mr. Pelican” talk. It’s time kids learn about the truth.

It’s important for parents to be there to guide kids about matters about sex. Children today can be overwhelmed by inputs from the media and from their peers. For all you know, they could be getting the wrong ideas and false information about sex. These could lead to dangerous situations later on (such as unreported sexual abuse, teenage pregnancies, and the like). It’s best for kids to be aware of themselves and their sexuality so that this could not be exploited by other people.

The Mayo Clinic has a great introductory article about having “the talk” with your children. It involves dealing with human sexuality at various stages in a child’s life. This is probably a good reference when you feel the time has come for that talk.

Incidentally, this will be my last post here on the Parenting blog for a long time. Lara has come back from taking care of the Pirates stuff. I will perhaps post here from time to time, though. And of course, I’ll still be around as your host at several other Splashpress blogs like the Blog Herald, Jack of All Blogs, Gadzooki.

I’ve never been into video games, which probably explains why I’ve always told N that she wouldnt be allowed a Gameboy or the like until she was 10 years old. So imagine my annoyance when at the family Christmas get-together, my 11-year-old half sister (who N adores) lent N her Gameboy, and N was entranced, showing that she clearly had some talent despite being only 5-years-old.

Then a few days ago, her friend Rose (as mentioned in the previous post) brings the latest Gameboy to school, which was a present for her birthday. It was the envy of all the kids at school, especially N. Noticing this when I picked her up from school that day, I gently (but firmly) reminded her that she wasnt getting one until she was 10. She was very-grown up about it, as if resigned to her fate….

Now feeling guilty, I spoke to my husband about it (who, has been desperate for N to be old enough to play video games with him, a hobby he gave up when we had the kids). He said that if we had a “big one” (i.e. something he can play too) at the beach house, which she can only play on weekends or holidays, then MAYBE we can bend this rule a bit. Hmmmmmmm…….

The jury’s not out on thus, but I didn find an interesting article about ways parents can make video games “good” for kids, which I’ll be blogging about next.

Ok, it isnt such a far-fetched idea really, but given the day and age we live in, when it comes to video games and kids, its just a matter of time (unless you live in Outer Mongolia - but then again, even there they’ve probably got some bootleg gameboy from the mainland).

Not that I’ve decided to give in and allow N to have one just yet- I think its better to get all the facts and get oneself ready to make the best out of a situation.

So here are some tips I found:

1. Find the “good” games and stay away from the “bad”

Find games that people can play together (team building and sportsmanship) like sports and action games. Make it more social, as opposed to a “mind-numbing” activity. Steer clear of violent titles, do your research and check out online reviews first.

2. Get �Active� Games

If like me, you’re concerned about the health aspect, then get some games which will get the kids (and maybe even yourself) out of the sofa and moving! These usually come with a dance pad, which younger kids will enjoy. Karaoke games are fun too, like Singstar, which can get the whole family spending some fun quality time together.

3. Be Involved

As with most things in your child’s life, take an active involvement. Try and spend some time together playing and discover why your child loves it. In my case though, it will be my husband playing the sports and action things - I’ll just stick to the karaoke.

The same pro-video game parent who inspired these tips had this to say (he does have a point).

Don�t believe all the popular media about violence in video games. While there have been a great deal of sensationalist news claims over the years, little legitimate supporting research has been presented that makes a strong link between games and violence. In 2001, the Surgeon General of the United States released a report that concluded, �[t]aken together, findings suggest that media violence has a relatively small impact on violence.” Besides, the debate becomes mute if you pay attention to the content of the games your child is playing.

It�s easy to want to say no when your kid asks for a video game system for Christmas or for a birthday; after all, we�ve all seen various news reports about the dangers of video games. But next time your child makes such a request, don�t be so quick with that knee-jerk reaction. Two thirds of parents with children under the age of 18 say that they feel video games are a positive element of their child�s life. You don�t have to feel guilty next time someone asks you, �You let your kids play video games?� Just look surprised and say, �We play video games together. Why? Don�t you?�

You might be surprised at how nice a ring that line has.

After the crocs scare, I got loads of emails from Moms all over the world, with similar stories of escalator dangers and tragedies - like a boy who lost part of his arm when his jacket got caught.

I also realized that apart from the little picture warnings some escalators (not all) have printed on them, many of us parents dont know the basics on escalator safety.

Heres what we all should know about escalator safety, which applies to moving walks as well:

The Way To Go

* Face forward on the center of the step with feet slightly apart and without touching the stationary sides.

* Hold the handrail.

* Watch your step when entering or leaving the escalator, and step off (don’t slide off) quickly.

* If your hands are full with packages or luggage, choose a nearby elevator instead. Balancing packages on the steps or on the handrail may cause injury to yourself or other passengers.

* Never ride an escalator barefoot.

* Keep hands, feet and clothing clear of moving parts.

* Be particularly careful with loose clothing such as scarves, coats and their belts, long skirts, wide pants, untied shoelaces, and when wearing soft rubber shoes or boots, open-toed shoes, sneakers or high heels.

* Passengers using bifocals should pay particular attention as they enter or exit the escalator.

* Recognize your limitations. If you feel uncomfortable riding, or experience difficulty boarding or exiting an escalator, use the elevator instead.

Rules of the Ride

* Don’t strike side panels with hands, feet or objects.
* Don’t place items on the handrails or steps.
* Don’t use an escalator for freight.
* Don’t walk up the “down” escalator or down the “up” escalator.
* Don’t use an inoperative escalator as a stairway.
* Don’t run up or down the steps.

If you’re using a stroller, wheelchair, crutches or any kind of car or wheeled vehicle, follow the signs to the nearest elevator. Escalators were never intended to accommodate these vehicles safely.

For adults, online privacy usually isn’t much of an issue, except when it comes to financial matters. Who would want his credit card info or bank statement stolen, right? And sometimes, having your identity available online can help, especially if you use the Internet to market your business or services.

But with kids, having their identities publicly available online can be dangerous, as we discussed before. Here are a few ways to make sure your child is practicing good privacy online. Of course, these could also apply to you!

Don’t post your home address and telephone numbers. This is the easiest way that bad people can find you.

Don’t post the name of your school or your exact town or vicinity. Even if people don’t find your exact home address, they can still do some research, and your school and town would be a good place to start.

Use nicknames when blogging. When writing about people or yourself, it’s good to use pseudonyms instead of real names. And make sure that these nicknames are not easily identifiable or associated with the real identity of a person.

Don’t post photos for public consumption. It’s best if you keep your pictures viewable only by people whom you personally know. Many photo-sharing websites have this feature.

Don’t write too detailed information on your online journal. Strangers can use these information to make you feel as if they know you. If you’re writing a public blog, then be sure you do not reveal too much.

Respect the privacy of your friends. Don’t just make sure your privacy is protected. Also do the same for your friends. Do not have your friends real names, addresses and other details publicly available.

The best advice would be to consult with a parent knowledgeable in online privacy and security, when in doubt