Is your child a MOUSE POTATO???
According to a 2000 study from Grunwald Associates, the number of 2-17 year
olds online in the US has tripled to 25 million since 1997, when 8 million
children and teenagers had Internet access.
Parents are motivated to buy PCs and get Internet access because they believe
their children will benefit educationally from using the Internet.
While there are some great benefits to being online there are also some
pitfalls.
Inactivity in children is increasing. Obesity rates in children have doubled
over the past 30-years. The American Obesity Association shows 25% of school
children are overweight. Twice as many as 20-years-ago.
Television has always been noted as a reason for kids inactivity. Now, you
can add video games, computers and Internet activities to that equation.
"Watching TV, playing video games, listening to music and surfing the
Internet have become a full-time job for the typical American child," says
Drew Altman, Ph.D., president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Inactivity can turn into serious health problems. Being overweight during
childhood can lead to obesity in adulthood, which is a risk factor for
serious diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, researchers say.
Definitely something to think about if you think you are online too much.
Maybe it's time to shut off the computer for a while. Get outside and
exercise, even if it's just to go for a walk. The Internet will be here when
you get back. (taken from kidsturncentral.com : social issues)
CLIQUES
Now that school has been in session for several weeks, students may begin to
see “groups” of friends forming inside and outside of the classroom. In most
cases, these groups are appropriate, safe, and a normal part of the school
experience. However, the dynamics of a “clique” are very different.
• What is a “clique”? A clique is a small, exclusive group of people,
usually tightly controlled by a leader and rules. A common feature of a
clique is an “outcast” who is shunned or purposely excluded from the group.
• When can a clique become a problem? Cliques may raise concerns when
kids behave in a way they feel conflicted about or know is wrong/against
their values, the clique becomes anti-social or presents unhealthy rules or
boundaries, or if an outcast is bullied, threatened, or excluded resulting in
other issues (academic, attendance, social, sleep/eating, anxiety)
• How can parents help? Encourage your children to “find the right
fit”…not just settle for “fitting in”, foster out-of –school relationships
and play-dates, find stories or movies that illustrate the consequences of
cliques, reinforce your child’s interests, strengths, qualities, and values
and guide them to follow these at all times, keep open communication between
home and school, practice assertiveness and “standing up for yourself and
what you believe”, point out all the other healthy types of groups that
children can be a part of!
(taken from kidshealth.org, October 2007)
