This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

“1 in 4 boys who bully will have a criminal record by age 30.” – American Medical Association

Bullying is a big problem. The United States government even built a website (Stop Bullying) filled with resources that help children, parents, teachers and others learn more about bullying and how to stop it.

Learn the high level facts and statistics about bullying below:

Infographic source: MAT@USC

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

It’s a gorgeous summer day. The temperature is in the high 90′s, the sun is shining, and it’s too hot for most outdoor activities. Suddenly, you have a brilliant idea! You pack your kids in the car, grab some towels, pick up some sunscreen and head to the beach. What better way to spend a beautiful summer day than swimming with family?

Summer is the most popular time for many families to hit the water for some aquatic fun. However, there are some important safety tips that you should be aware of. Here’s some information to help your lake trip be fun, safe and accident-free.

Stay Close to the Lifeguard
It’s best to park your towels and umbrellas a short distance away from the lifeguard stand. This will make it much easier for your lifeguard to assist you (or your children) in the event of an emergency.

No Lifeguard?
Some beaches don’t have a dedicated lifeguard on duty.  If this is the case, you’re going to want to be extra careful with your children. Don’t allow younger children to go above waist-deep in the water. It’s best to also have your children wear life preservers (no matter how much they complain!). If you’re still concerned, you can even take a lifeguard course to become certified yourself.

Bring First Aid Supplies
It’s best to bring your own first aid kit when going to the beach. Though most lifeguard stations will often have a fully stocked first aid kit, you might need yours for small emergencies. Scraped knees, cut feet and bug bites are all minor issues that can be easily treated with a basic first aid kit. If you’d like to gain a greater degree of control over your family’s safety, you can take a Red Cross First Aid course, which will teach you how to deal with more serious injuries or health conditions.

Swim Responsibly
Don’t try to outdo yourself while at the beach. It’s important to understand your limitations, especially if you’re not a particularly good swimmer. If you’re feeling tired, or light-headed, cease all physical exertion immediately. It’s important to bring water to stay hydrated (even though you’re surrounded by water!).

Use Sunscreen
Both UVA and UVB rays represent a real hazard when you’re at the beach – both for you, and your children. You should always carry sunscreen that offers protection from both UVA and UVB rays. At the beach, you’ll probably need to reapply sunscreen every hour, even if you’re using a waterproof formula.

Know Your Wildlife
Every swimming area usually provides a natural habitat for wildlife. While wildlife are fun to watch (especially for your kids) don’t get too close! Disturbing wildlife could cause animals to become startled, which could cause them to either flee or become aggressive. Teach your children to respect wildlife in the area, and not to get too close to animals in their natural habitat.

Pack for Bad Weather
Even with a great weather forecast, it’s still possible that a storm could strike at any minute. To be safe, pack enough extra clothing and rain gear in case you get caught in a storm at the beach. If you live in an area that’s prone to severe weather, you should also pack a “hurricane kit” of extended supplies for emergencies.

This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

With one of this year’s data disasters involving the leak of sensitive information over the Playstation Network, many people are looking for new ways to secure their gaming consoles. For parents, this often means restricting what information their children can have access to while gaming. Using parental controls on gaming consoles is a great way to ensure that your children will have a safe gaming experience. Here are a few tips for adjusting the parental controls on your children’s gaming consoles.

Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is one of the most widely used gaming consoles in homes with young children. Fortunately, it also gives parents the most control over what content their children are exposed to. Here we will show you how to restrict content based on a game’s ESRB rating, as well as how your child interacts with online programs.

The first thing you’ll need to do is access the Wii System Menu, and then select ‘Parental Controls’. If this is your first time entering this menu, the Wii will ask you to create a 4-digit PIN and a security question to protect your changes. Once this is complete, you will be given a variety of options. You will probably want to focus on restricting the ‘Highest Game Rating Allowed’, which will allow to prevent your children from playing games with a higher ESRB rating than is appropriate for their age.

If your Wii is connected to the internet, you can also place limits on online features. Click on ‘Other Settings’ in the Wii system menu. Here, you can block your child from using the Internet or News Channel. You can also block sending and receiving of online messages, as well as “user-created content” (pictures, videos, etc). From here, you can also restrict the use of Wii points, which are used to purchase games from the Wii Shop Channel.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is an extremely popular video game console manufactured by Microsoft. Microsoft has created an entire section of their console dedicated to parental controls, which is called the ‘Family Center’ or ‘Family Setting’ (depending on what time of membership you have on Xbox Live). In this section, you can control which games can be played, which movies/TV shows can be watched, how long the console can be played on a daily/weekly basis, and whether or not your children can log on to Xbox Live.

All of these options can be manipulated in the ‘Console Safety’ section of the ‘Family Center’.

If you need step-by-step instruction, consult Microsoft’s official Xbox support page: http://support.xbox.com/en-us/pages/xbox-live/how-to/parental-control.aspx

Playstation 3

Like the previous two consoles, Sony has also incorporated parental controls into the Playstation 3. Before any parental controls are changed, you will need to create a password for yourself, which can be done in the ‘Security Settings’ submenu under ‘Settings’. The default password is ‘0000’, which you will need to enter before you can change it. After you have successfully created a password for yourself, proceed to the ‘Parental Controls’ menu under ‘Settings’.

Under ‘Parental Controls’ you will be able to restrict games by ESRB rating, as well as playback of DVD’s and Blu-ray discs. If you would like to block the usage of the Internet Browser, you can set this option as well, under ‘Internet Browser Start Control’. If you need to restrict Internet chat, or set a monthly spending limit for the Playstation Store – log into your master account and select ‘Playstation Network’ -> ‘Account Management’ and then ‘Manage Sub Accounts’.

For more information, refer to Sony’s official documentation: http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/3_15/basicoperations/parentallock.html

This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

If you’re just discovered that you’re pregnant – congratulations! It’s time to get ready for baby showers, designing your nursery and late-night cravings for dill pickles. However, there are a few important lifestyle changes that you need to make as soon as you become pregnant. Here are 7 essential tips to make sure that you have a safe and healthy pregnancy.

1. Cut the Caffeine.
For many women, kicking a caffeine habit after finding out they’re pregnant is really, really tough. Though some studies have suggested that  200mg of caffeine (about one cup of coffee) per day is safe during pregnancy, some other studies have suggested a link between caffeine consumption and miscarriage. Since there are so many conflicting studies, it’s best to play it safe, and cut out your morning cup of coffee.

2. Start Prenatal Vitamins.
One of the main ingredients in prenatal vitamins – Folic Acid – is essential for helping to prevent birth defects. As soon as you discover that you’re pregnant, start taking prenatal vitamins. Folic acid is very important for preventing neural tube birth defects, which are usually determined in the first 28 days of a pregnancy (before most women even know they’re pregnant).  Be sure to up your Folic acid intake for at least the first three months of your pregnancy.

3. No More OTC Medications.
Have a headache? Put down the Excedrin – most OTC medications aren’t made to be taken by pregnant women. Since many women have a lowered immune system response during pregnancy, this means that you may be at risk for developing a cold or flu, which you won’t be able to manage with medications. You can ask your doctor for pregnancy-safe medications, or opt for more natural ways of boosing your immunity during pregnancy.

4. Spruce Up Your Diet.
As soon as you find out that you’re pregnant, it’s time to make some serious decisions about your diet. During pregnancy, you’re going to need to make sure that you’re eating the right kinds of foods that will help your baby develop properly. It’s especially important that you get enough protein, which is essential for prenatal development.

5. Limit Your Fish Intake.
You may have heard that some types of fish can have potentially high levels of mercury. For you and your baby, this could be very bad news. Babies are particularly sensitive to high levels of mercury when they’re in the womb. It’s best to avoid any high-mercury fish, such as tuna. Though salmon is one of the safer types of fish (and contains Omega vitamins that are great for your baby), avoid any salmon that comes from fish farms. Instead, stick to wild-caught salmon, or salmon from organic, sustainable fish farms.

6. Get Some Sleep.
Prenatal exhaustion is very common, and for good reason. Your body is going to be spending a lot of resources on making sure that your baby is able to develop properly. Because of this, you’re probably going to start feeling fatigue during the day. Pay attention! Being tired is your body’s way of telling you that it’s best for you to get some rest.

7.  Try Going Green.
While this may not be feasible for all women, it can be beneficial to try to convert your household to “green” products after you learn that you’ve become pregnant.  Throw out your Windex and ammonia-based bathroom cleaner – instead, try using natural alternatives. This can help limit the amount of toxins in your body during your pregnancy, which can be very good for your growing baby. Babies in their first trimester are especially vulnerable to toxins.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Cyber bullying is a topic that has recently received a lot of attention from many media outlets. Due to the popularity of the internet, many people are now completely dependent on online communication. However, this has spawned a new set of social problems for this generation of tech-savvy children, which includes the issue of cyber bullying.

Though childhood teasing is often seen as harmless, bullies are now being given even more opportunities to confront their victims online. Websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter give children the ability to interact with each other, sometimes with complete anonymity. With these tools, more child bullies are now taking their behavior online. If your child is being bullied, it’s important that you are aware of the symptoms of being victimized by a cyber bully. Here are some quick tips for concerned parents.

Lack of Interest in Computer Time
Has your child lost interest in spending time online? The important thing to look for is an abrupt change in your child’s behavior towards their computer time. Lack of interest in going on the computer could mean that your child is attempting to avoid being accessible to a cyber bully.

Withdrawn Behavior
While a little bit of angst is normal for the pre-teen and teenage generation, it’s still important to be concerned if your child becomes showing signs of depression. Withdrawn behavior may include a lack of interest in going outdoors, failing to respond to friends invitations to hang out, etc. Though this beahvior may have any number of causes, when combined with the other symptoms, it can be a sign that your child may be the victim of a cyber bully.

Physical Symptoms
If your child is being subjected to cyber bullying, this may manifest as physical complaints as well. Your child may begin complaining of headaches, stomachaches and other physical symptoms. These may be real symptoms that are brought on by the stress and anxiety of being bullied.

Lack of Interest in School Events
In many cases when a child is being cyber bullied, the bully is someone that they know from school. Because of this, your child may begin to display a lack of interest in school events that they previously enjoyed. This may include sports events, pep rallies or other after-school activities.

A Decline in Grades
If your child is showing an uncharacteristic decline in their grades, try to avoid getting upset with them. Often times, a decline in grades may be a sign that your child is undergoing some sort of emotional stress. If your child is being cyber bullied, they may begin to have trouble focusing on their schoolwork, which could account for their decline in grades.

Hidden Computer Activities
If your child is being cyber bullied, they may try to hide this from their friends, parents and other family members. Because of this, they may constantly be exiting their computer activities as soon as someone else enters the room. When asked what they were doing, your child may come up with an excuse or dodge the question. This may be a symptom that your child is the victim of a cyber bully.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Every winter, thousands of families get together to participate in outdoor activities. Bounding down slopes on snowboards, racing through the woods on snowmobiles and even a relaxing day of cross-country skiing are activities that are popular during the colder months. However, many people associate the winter months with another event – flu season!

According to the CDC, the beginning of flu season is around November, and the “end” of flu season is usually in April or May. Nearly 50% of flu cases during flu season occur during February, with 20% of cases occurring in January. Having the flu (or having a family member contract the flu) can definitely put a damper on your winter activities. Here are a few quick safety tips to help you and your family decrease your chances of getting the flu this flu season.

Boost Your Immune System
A great way to stay healthy during flu season is to help boost your immune system. This can be done by taking vitamin C supplements, eating a healthy diet, and eating a lot of fresh fruits/vegetables. Some of the fruits and vegetables that can help give your immune system a boost include:

• Kiwi
• Cantelope
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Spinach

You should consider talking with your doctor about designing a diet to help your immune system stay healthy during flu season.

Proper Hygiene
Though practicing good hygiene may seem like common sense, many people don’t realize how important hygiene is in preventing health problems. Since viruses such as the flu spread by contamination, a great way to reduce your risk of getting the flu is to minimize your exposure to the virus. This can be done by disinfecting household surfaces, carrying hand sanitizer to use in public areas, and thoroughly washing your hands with an antibacterial soap. It’s been proven that washing your hands for at least three minutes can help prevent flu infection.

Seasonal Flu Vaccination
To help reduce their risk of contracting the flu, millions of people each year choose to get a flu vaccine. The CDC releases a different flu vaccine each year, which is specially designed to vaccinate against the three most common flu variations that are suspected to cause illness during flu season. The vaccine changes each year, due to the mutations and changes in different flu viruses. For example, the vaccine for the 2010-2011 flu season includes a vaccine against H1N1, also known as Swine Flu, since it caused so much sickness last flu season. Some people decide not to get flu vaccines, due to some controversy about the safety of the contents of different vaccines. You can talk to your doctor for more information about the benefits and potential risks associated with being vaccinated. For many people, they decide that the benefits of getting a flu vaccine are worth the potential risks.

This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

The winter months are one of the most exciting times for families. Christmas is approaching, families are gearing up for holiday gatherings, and many children are excited about the upcoming break from school. However, with the cold weather come several safety hazards that can affect your children. Teaching your children about winter safety is an essential part of the holiday season.

Using Sunscreen
During chilly winter days, it’s easy to forget that UV rays can still cause skin damage, especially in young children. When playing outside on sunny days, make sure that your children are wearing sunscreen. It’s best to use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, in order to prevent sunburn on sunny winter days.

Dressing Warm
It may seem like common sense to dress warm in the cold, but many children love to run outside without their coats! Due to the vulnerability of your child’s immune system, it’s important that you emphasize the importance of staying warm in cold weather. The best thing to do is dress your child in layers. Use a moisture-absorbing thin bottom layer, 2-3 middle layers and a waterproof snowsuit as the top layer. This will help to keep your child warm and dry while playing in the snow.

Preventing Skiing/Snowboarding Injuries
Two of the most common activities that can cause winter injuries are skiing and snowboarding. If your child is involved in downhill skiing or snowboarding, it’s essential that you outline a few basic safety tips. For example, teach your child to always have an adult to check their boots, bindings, helmet and other equipment to make sure it’s secure and working properly.

Staying Alert
When playing outside during the winter months, it’s important for your child to stay alert! Even if they are playing safe, it’s possible that one of their playmates could become injured. Teach your child to always alert an adult in the event of any sort of emergency. If possible, you can enroll your child in a basic medical safety course, which may be available at your local fire department.

Avoiding Frostbite
It’s essential that you teach your child about one of the most common dangers of the winter months – frostbite. Frostbite usually affects the extremities, such as the toes, fingers, ears and nose. If your child complains of any numbness, immediately bring them inside, and apply a warm washcloth to the affected area. Do not rub the affected area! Rubbing a frostbitten area can cause serious damage to the skin. Instead, use warm water that’s about 104 degrees Fahrenheit. After several minutes, dry the affected area, and wrap your child in a blanket to warm up.

Fire Safety
With winter’s chill comes warm fireplaces, bonfires and scented holiday candles. However, this also means that you need to be diligent in teaching your child about basic fire safety during the winter months. For young children, it’s important that they’re never near an open flame without an adult present. Candles are especially dangerous, since many children don’t see them as being dangerous. Never leave lit candles unattended, even with older children. It can also be helpful (and fun!) to practice monthly fire drills with your children. As an incentive, you could provide “prizes” that are given out after the fire drill is over.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Its late at night, and you’re asleep in your bed. Your children fell asleep hours ago, and the house is completely quiet. Suddenly, the smoke detector goes off! You wake up, and realize that smoke is pouring into your room under your bedroom door! What should you do? Are your children able to escape on their own? Should you open the door and try to wake them up?

The last time that you want to be thinking about fire safety is during an emergency. It’s highly recommended that you teach your children about fire safety, as well as what to do in the event of a fire. However, did you know that fire safety can be fun? Here are four activities to help teach your children about what to do during a fire!

1. Stay Outside!
There are far too many cases of a child dying because they ventured back into a building to try to save a cherished stuffed animal, rescue a beloved family pet or to search for an adult. Be sure to teach your child the phrase: “Out means out!” You can even make up a rhyme or short song to help them remember this phrase. Once your child is outside of a burning building, they should never try to go back inside. Make this an integral part of your child’s fire safety training!

2. Stop, Drop and Roll
The phrase “Stop, Drop and Roll” has been repeated to children for years, but you can also make it into a fun activity! Cut red construction paper into small pieces, and apply double-stick tape to both sides of the paper. Stick the red paper pieces onto your child’s clothing, leaving one of the tape pieces facing out. Now, tell them to “Stop, Drop and Roll” until all of the red paper pieces have come off of their clothing!

3. Finding the Way Outside
In a dark house filled with smoke, its easy for a child to become too scared to venture outside to safety. It’s important to teach your children how to escape from the house even if they can’t see. A great (and fun) way to do this is to set up a short obstacle course for your child, which they must navigate while blindfolded! If they are able to successfully navigate to the door (with supervision), reward them with a treat, a “treasure” or other goodies.

4. Planning a Meeting Place
It’s important for you to arrange a “rendezvous” point outside your home where all your family members will meet in the event of a fire. The meeting spot should be far enough away from the house to be safe, but easy to find even in the dark. Teach your children to run outside to this spot, and wait there until an adult arrives. This activity should be repeated during monthly family fire drills.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Fall is a season of beautiful colors, warm pumpkin pie and the excitement of Christmas fast approaching! However, fall is also the season when millions of children around the country return to school after their summer vacation. As a parent, it’s natural to worry about your child’s safety, especially when you aren’t able to supervise them. Here are a few back-to-school child safety tips to help put your mind at ease.

Wait With Your Child
If the school bus stop is a significant distance away from your house, it’s recommended that you stand outside and wait with your child. Of course, older children might be embarrassed by having to wait with a parent, so you may want to park a short distance away in your car. Even if you’re busy, take the time each day to watch and make sure that your child gets on the bus safely.

Who Are Your Neighbors?
It’s highly recommended that you check the sex offender registry in your area – both for your safety, and the safety of your children. Usually, sex offenders are prohibited from living too close to a school or certain residential areas. The National Sex Offender Public Website is a great resource for learning about any registered sex offenders in your area. You can also do a search for your state’s specific registry of sex offenders, which may contain more recently updated information.

Being Home is Important
If your child takes the bus home from school, you should ideally be home when they arrive. If it isn’t possible for you to be home (due to work or other obligations), have a trusted friend or family member wait at your home. There are reports each year of children getting off of the bus, but never making it inside their home. Be sure someone is at your house (or at the bus stop) to ensure that your child gets home safely.

Choosing a Safe Walking Route
If your child walks to school each day, be sure to plan out a safe route, and walk it with them beforehand. The route should have well-trained crossing guards stationed at each intersection during school hours. Also, choose a route that avoids alleyways, vacant lots, or less-than-safe areas of your city or town.

Stranger Safety
It may seem basic, but teaching your child about safety with strangers is extremely important. The well-worn phrase “Don’t talk to strangers!” is a great starting point, but you may need to explain to your children why talking to strangers can be dangerous. Educate your children so that they know to avoid any strangers that try to coerce them into a house, vehicle or secluded area. It’s also important to teach your children to avoid strangers even if they offer promises of candy, treats, or say that they’re taking the child to their parents.

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Facebook has over 500 million active users. Those on Facebook have an average of 130 friends. On average, a user is connected to 80 different pages or groups. A user creates 90 pieces of content (status updates, photo albums, messages, etc.) a month. All of the Facebook users combined share 30 billion pieces of content per month. At the end of the month, people have spent an average of 700 billion minutes on Facebook.

Your child/teenager probably contributes to these 700 billion minutes on Facebook. Do you know what they are doing on this social site? Do you know who they are interacting with or accepting as friends? What are they posting on their page? There is a thin line between snooping into your child’s privacy and protecting them. Last year alone, Facebook kicked off 6,000 registered sex offenders. Wouldn’t you rather be called a snoop than risk your child’s safety?

There are a few things you can do to insure your child’s safety while still allowing them the freedom to use Facebook. First, go through your kid’s friend list. When you come across someone you do not know ask your child who the person is. Much like you teach your kid to not talk to strangers, teach them to not accept friend requests from strangers. Although there might be “mutual friends,” the stranger could be a hacker or worse. A warning sign that the “mutual friend” may be a hacker is invalid or no information listed (such as no high school or a fake school listed).

Second, make sure your teenager has their account set to private. The privacy setting is under the Account dropdown menu in the upper right hand corner. Selecting the “friends only” option will keep your teen’s posts and pictures private.

Another thing you can do is have the computer in the living room. If teenagers know that you might be walking past the computer screen, they will avoid risky and dangerous situations online. You can also add your child as a friend on Facebook. The majority of parents sign up for an account simply to keep tabs on their children.

Your teenager probably will not be thrilled about adding you as a friend on Facebook, but wouldn’t you rather deal with that then the risk of your child being in danger online?  

Sources:

http://blog.apxalarm.com/2010/5-tips-protect-teen-predators-facebook/

http://blog.apxalarm.com/2010/ignore-friend-request/

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Photo Source: http://blog.apxalarm.com/2010/5-tips-protect-teen-predators-facebook/

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