Help your kids stay safe online

McClatchy-Tribune

This is an excerpt from the book “CyberSafe: Protecting and Empowering Kids in the Digital World of Texting, Gaming, and Social Media,” by Gwenn Schurgin O’Keefe, (American Academy of Pediatrics, $14.95).

Safety First

Teaching kids about online social safety is really no different than reinforcing off-line social issues. It all boils down to being realistic with your kids about being honest with what they are doing online and off, and following the rules!

Kids often become confused by boundaries and are quick to bond and part ways with other kids. As parents, advising our kids about friendships and off-line activities is a major part of our day and helps our kids enormously in mastering the...

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Positive coaching: It’s a choice and a philosophy

By Jack Perconte, McClatchy-Tribune

In many of my writings over the years, I have written how youth coaches have a great influence on their players, positively or negatively, as the case may be. As proof of this I have used my own experiences as examples, my kids’ experiences with their coaches, and the many discussions I have had with my students about their coaches. Most people involved with youth sports agree that the lessons learned playing sports are valuable to our youths’ development, so it comes as no surprise that youth coaches hold a key component to our kids’ futures.

Youth coaches have a great opportunity to be a positive influence to players’ future and, often, even to the opposition players perception of coaches. The problem is that...

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Most school garden produce is forbidden fruit in some lunchrooms

By Monica Eng, Chicago Tribune

It’s harvest time in Chicago Public School gardens full of chubby tomatoes, heavy squash and fragrant basil.

Carefully tended by teachers, students and volunteers, these urban oases range from several square feet to several acres of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers — and some schools even grow plants year round in school greenhouses.

But one thing the more than 40 gardens have in common is that none of the produce ever finds its way into CPS’s lunchrooms. Instead, because of rules set by the district and its meal provider, the food is sold or given away.

The policies are in place despite the high obesity rate among Illinois children and experts’ concerns that young people are eating few fresh...

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Celebrate your baby’s potential with these career onesies

By Merrie Leininger, McClatchy-Tribune

It’s hard to picture your soft little bundle as anything but YOURS right now, but one day, he will be an actor or a lawyer or a rancher.

Push him in the right direction (or at least create a funny photo that you two can look at and laugh when he’s an artist or a teacher), with the Baby Potential onesies. They each are 100 percent cotton and feature a cute silk-screened image that say such careers as chef, veterinarian or even rocket scientist. They also have three-button style closure with premium snaps. Coordinating bibs and burp cloths are available.

Right now, your baby has the potential to be anything in the world. Celebrate all they can be with these adorable little outfits. They are $15 each,...

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The world needs more “mean” parents

Earlier this week, I saw someone post something like this on her Facebook status:

“My parents were mean to me because they made me do chores, have a curfew and made me get a job. They also insisted I do well in school and work for the things I wanted. They brought me up with good morals, a good work ethic and respect for the law.”

Back in the 1990s, I could not wait to move out of my parents’ house because of the above paragraph.

Tips for parents of ‘boomerang kids’

By Sam McManis, McClatchy Newspapers

Mom’s side: He’s 20 now. He’s been out on his own. Now he’s come back home to live. So why can’t he at least screw the lid back on the jelly jar and put it away? And wipe down the sticky counter, too?

Son’s side: I’m 20 now. I’ve been out on my own. I’m just living at home briefly till I get back on my feet. None of my old roommates ever seemed bothered that I left the jelly out. Maybe Mom should just chill.

Sometimes it’s the little things, those niggling annoyances, that best exemplify the shifting family dynamic when an adult child returns home to live with Mom and Dad after having flown the nest.

Independence can clash with interdependence for so-called...

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Will this birthday party be worth the stress, Mommy?

By Wendy Donahue, Chicago Tribune

Having the police show up at a 1-year-old’s birthday celebration makes a parent wonder: Is this party worth the stress?

Alison Ray said the police cameo at her daughter’s bash in August spiraled out of a neighbor’s being upset that guests were freely moving between the front sidewalk (where the plastic wading pool was) and the condo building (where the food and drinks were). While one officer was negotiating a peace settlement among the adults, the other offered a tour of the squad car and a light show to the kids. Ray sent the partners back to Chicago’s streets with homemade coconut cupcakes in hand.

The next week, Ray would be back to playing hostess, not just in her professional capacity as a...

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Moms gear: Daycare worksheets

McClatchy-Tribune

Starting daycare it’s a moment that many working moms dread. While babies and toddlers may enjoy the new toys and attention, the transition can be difficult for moms who agonize over the separation.

Asking a care giver to fill out information sheets can help moms feel more involved with their child’s daily care. The Daycare Sheets from TinyTales are a simple communication tool between working parents and caregivers.

Parents give the notepad to daycare providers who fill in the cute colorful bubbles and answer questions about feeding amounts and times, nap times, playtime and bathroom business.

The pad also allows the caregiver to detail the playtime experience and check a box as to whether the child was happy, sad,...

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Curly haired Muppet is role model for little girls

By MELANIE SIMS, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO — A plucky little muppet in a pretty pink dress, her brown hair a perky ‘fro, is helping little girls — and their moms — to accept themselves just the way they are by loving their hair.

The nameless muppet manages to trim away generations of yearning for long, silky locks with her song, “I Love My Hair” and has become an Internet sensation. Now her creator wants to give her a life beyond YouTube.

“I really want to sit down with the writers and figure out what we can do with her and give her a name, and really expand her out,” said Joey Mazzarino, head writer for “Sesame Street,” who co-wrote “I Love My Hair” with composer Chris Jackson. (Jackson...

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Tylenol recalled again

TRENTON, N.J. — Tylenol caplets are again being recalled by Johnson & Johnson after some consumers were sickened by ingesting the pills or smelling a musty or moldy odor on the bottles.

Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit received some complaints from people who reported nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea after taking the pills, a spokeswoman said Monday.

This makes 13 recalls in barely a year by the health care giant, mostly for more serious problems with its nonprescription drugs, contact lenses, blood glucose test strips and hip implants.

It’s the fifth time that the New Brunswick, N.J.-based company has recalled nonprescription medicines because of consumer complaints about an unpleasant odor.

The moldy odor...

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