singleparent101mag.com

(ARA) – Most parents would agree that raising teenagers is never easy. But in a down economy, when many American families are trimming extras from their budgets, it can be even more difficult to keep teens happy, entertained and engaged in family life.

With the prospect of unemployment and falling home values on many parents’ minds, sending teens on a ski trip with friends, or funding mall excursions and meals out, are just not in the budget anymore. Parents may find it’s a better investment — both for their homes and for their teens’ development — to create a haven at home where teenagers can socialize for free.

“Like most teenagers, my son really enjoys hanging out with his friends,” says Ann Mackinnon, mother of a 15-year-old boy living in Minneapolis. “But a lot of the things that kids like to do outside the house cost money that just isn’t in the budget right now. Instead, we decided to turn our basement into a place where my son Ian and his friends could spend time together. It’s cheaper then sending him out somewhere, plus it gives me the peace of mind of knowing where he is, what he’s doing and who he’s with.”

Turning your basement, game room or family room into a teen haven doesn’t have to cost a bundle. Here are some helpful hints:

* Make it Game Time — Video games are a big part of social life for many teens, but don’t overlook the value of board games and table games as well. Besides the Wii and PlayStation, stock your teen haven with teen-friendly board games. Consider adding a table hockey or foosball game if space and budget allow.

* Master the Munchies — Teen boys are notoriously big eaters, so be sure to have plenty of teen-friendly (and hopefully healthful) snacks on hand if you’re hosting your son’s friends. You could even add a small refrigerator in your teen haven to keep beverages and snacks cold and within easy reach for both genders.

* Set the Mood — Atmosphere has a big impact on mood, especially if you’re an already-moody teenager. Be sure to provide plenty of comfortable seating where teens can lounge with their friends while they chat, watch TV or surf the Internet. Consider setting the mood for the room by adding punch with teen-friendly decor like a wallpaper mural of your child’s favorite sport. You’ll find plenty of well-priced, easy-to-install wallpaper murals at www.MuralsYourWay.com. Or, to make a really big splash, have the company make a full-sized mural out of one of your teen’s favorite personal photos, such as a snapshot from her dance recital or his football team’s group picture.

* Make Yourself Scarce — Just because your teen is hanging around at home with his friends, don’t think it means you’re automatically invited. Teen havens only work if parents respect the child’s space and make their presences barely felt.

“Of course I keep an ear and eye out for what Ian and his friends are doing in our basement,” says Mackinnon. “But I really do try to respect their privacy and I don’t hang out with them. Just as I wouldn’t want his friends to infringe on our family time, I try not to horn in on Ian’s time with his buddies.”

With a few simple steps, parents can turn their home into a place where teens will be happy to hang out — and save themselves some money in the process.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) – It’s fun, it’s messy, and it means time with an adult — no wonder most kids love to cook. Kitchen duty provides plenty of learning opportunities for kids too. Problem is, for many parents, the goal of cooking is getting something on the table, pronto. And that’s OK — whipping up a nutritious meal using a mix or livening up leftovers together can also be a fun learning experience.

Here’s how to make the most out of cooking with a pint-size helper:

* Look for the lesson. No need to get preachy, but take advantage of the learning potential. Besides kitchen safety and cooking techniques, your child can also practice reading, basic math skills (everything from number recognition to division), and how to follow directions.

* Listen. While mixing ingredients, your child might just decide to open up about the school bully or that upcoming, worrisome test. (Somehow it’s less intimidating than sitting down for a serious “talk.”)

* Encourage easy creativity by stocking up on an array of spices. Try asking your kids things like: “Want to try cardamom instead of cinnamon on those apples?” and “How about adding some zip to these leftover mashed potatoes with a little garlic powder?”

* Explore other cultures. Spice blends like Indian curry and Mexican seasoning are an easy way to introduce ethnic flair — and conversation — to dinner.

* Choose dishes that are fun to make, nutritious, and bound to succeed. Pass down family favorites or try new recipes when time permits. Or go quick and simple with convenient mixes. Frontier Natural Products Co-op offers quality, healthful bulk mixes for soups, dips, beverages like lemonade and cocoa, salsas, soy burgers, falafel and taco filling. And its Simply Organic line has meal-size quantities of everything from baking and dip mixes to gravies, pasta sauces, taco mixes, dressings and marinades.

* Take advantage of broth powders. Just add water and you’re on your way to homemade soup. Have your child toss in leftovers from the week and a few spices, and you’ve got yourselves a budget-friendly, healthful dinner.

* Sprout seeds. Show your child how to start a batch of sprouts and rinse them twice a day until they’re ready. (It’s an easier way to teach responsibility than a family pet!)

* Introduce your child to related life skills, like meal planning and nutrition, grocery shopping and budget management, table setting, and gardening. Visit the farmer’s market and the food co-op together.

* Use cooking as a springboard. “Kids can learn about important topics like organics, food miles, and ethical sourcing at an early age,” says Kathy Larson, vice president of Sustainability and Education at Frontier Natural Products Co-op. “You might explain that you purchase your produce from a local farmer who sells at the co-op, for example — or that you order your coffee, tea, spices, sprouting seeds and other cooking ingredients from a company that helps the farmers who grow their products and makes business decisions with the environment in mind.”

* If you find that your child is eager for more time in the kitchen, devote some of your weekend to baking a cake or making cookies from scratch. (That’ll give you plenty of time to talk about why cakes rise or the concept of that Fair Trade cocoa you’re using.)

Cooking side-by-side with your child means you can set the timer for quality time and make every minute count. You’ll find more tips on cooking with kids — and kid-friendly recipes — at www.frontiercoop.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

The internet is full of opportunities for education and growth, exploring new horizons, and expanding your child’s perspective. Unfortunately, it is also full of dangers and inappropriate material. Providing adequate protection for your children is important, but can also be intimidating. Many parents feel helpless as children are often more computer savvy and as internet trends are every changing.

Fortunately, the internet also provides a wealth of resources for parents that will inform and assist them in protecting their children. Below, we have collected some of the best of those resources from around the net.

Articles

A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety – An FBI publication that speaks mainly to the issue of sexual exploitation

20 Tips to Protect Your Children on the Internet – - A blog article that outlines twenty good tips for internet safety

Protecting Your Children on the Internet – An 8 page .pdf article from Penn State University

Kids’ Privacy – An article discussing your rights in protecting you child’s privacy online with information about the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

Using family contracts to help protect your kids online – An article and sample family contract from Microsoft

Improve your family’s Web security in 4 steps – Another good article from Microsoft

Understanding a Child’s Virtual World – A parents guide…also check out the website…lots of good resources

McAfee’s 10 Step Internet Safety Plan for Families – A very attractively designed, full-color .pdf brochure of 29 pages

Web Surfing as a Family Adventure – An introduction to online safety from Yahoo

Internet Safety – An article from kidshealth.org

How to use Facebook Privacy Settings – includes a video tutorial

Social Web Tips for Teens – and be sure to check out Social Web Tips for Parents

Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens – from the FTC

YouTube and Your Teen – An article on the internet’s most popular video site

Government

CyberCrime.gov

FBI Cyber Investigations Division

Internet Filters and Monitoring

CSWeb

Cyberpatrol

CYBERsitter

IMview

MaxProtect

McGruff Safeguard

NetMop

Net Nanny

Safe Eyes

WiseChoice.net

Organizations

The Family Online Safety Institute – The Family Online Safety Institute works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practice, tools and methods in the field of online safety, that also respect free expression.

Safefamilies.org – Safe Families is a program of TechMission, Inc. that was formed to assist parents in protecting their children from pornography and other dangers on the Internet.

Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use – The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use provides research and outreach services to address issues of the safe and responsible use of the Internet.

CyberAngels – CyberAngels is one of the oldest and most respected online safety education programs in the world.

ikeepsafe.org – The Internet Keep Safe Coalition is a broad partnership of governors and/or first spouses, attorneys general, public health and educational professionals, law enforcement, and industry leaders working together for the health and safety of youth online.

The Wireless Foundation – offers tools for parents to help children understand the “rules of the road” for responsible wireless use

Enough Is Enough – a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to make the Internet safe for children and families

ChildNet International – a non-profit organization working with others to “help make the Internet a great and safe place for children”

Tools

Website Reviews from Common Sense Media – Websites reviewed for suitability and also recommendations of safe sites for kids and lots and lots or resources and articles

Verizon’s Parent Control Center – Parental control tools for a variety of Verizon products

Tools for Families – Find and search for tools that will help protect your children. A very good resource!

AOL Parental Controls – Parental controls for AOL users

Kidzui - An internet browser for kids…every parent of young children should check this out

Websites

safetyclicks.com – from AOL

Online Safety from Disney – Advice for parents from Disney.com on how to keep your child safe on the internet

Get Game Smart – A very nice website that discusses online safety but also developing healthy habits when it comes to playing video games, watching TV and surfing the Web

NetFamilyNews – A blog devoted to the subject of internet safety

Net-Mom – Net-Mom reviews and approves websites for kids

NetSafeKids -from the National Academy of Sciences

NetSmartz.org – from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Symantec’s Family Resource Center - from the people that created Norton Antivirus

WebWiseKids.org – Web Wise Kids is about empowering today’s youth to make wise choices online.

Children and Media – The PBS Parents website for interacting with all types of media

connectsafely.org – Resources and Discussion forums on internet safety

About the Author

Jeff Weese is owner of Joslex Website Design, self-proclaimed computer geek, father of two, and a big fan of taking naps.