Surf Net Parents

Many adults are stunned when they get a look at the language of "textspeak". This is the new language full of codes that teens are using to communicate with each other through their phones. The language of text messaging is leading to new and highly creative ways of writing English. Teens are showing incredible innovation in coming up with ways of getting their message across. They figure as long as the recipient knows that the sender is "laughing quietly to myself", do they really need to write their message out in full? This has led to a nationwide discussion as adults wonder if this type of language is detrimental to their children. There are many parents and educators who believe that text messaging is having a detrimental effect on the way young people communicate. They feel that since text messaging is with us and we can not get rid of it, there is little we can do, other than discourage young people from its use as much as possible. Others worry that since many kids spend more time texting than writing Standard English it could lead to a complete collapse of language skills. They feel that since it does not require people to know precise spelling kids can just make it up and those who use it tend to use simple words.

You may be surprised to learn that the exact opposite may be true. This is shown by the most recent research into the effects of text messaging. These studies are showing that far from damaging English standards, it may actually be enhancing them. Early analysis of many of the studies shows a causal relationship between using text and improving language learning. Researchers feel that this is because a lot of textism is written phonetically so it improves children's phonological awareness, which improves both their reading and writing skills. The bottom line is that texting is just playing with words, and it is fun. Many researchers (and some educators) feel that this shows a proficiency in language when young people are able to manipulate it in this way.

Other researchers are quick to point out there are many myths that surround texting. One of the biggest misconceptions is that all text messages are sent with abbreviations. Studies have shown that most are written in Standard English and without any abbreviations. Another misconception is that texting is something that only young people do. Records show that adults and organizations send approximately 80 per cent of text messages. This was evidenced in the last presidential election when Barack Obama's presidential election had voters sign up for text message updates on his policy announcements and even download ring tones of sound bites from his speeches laid over hip-hop beats.

Many people who study this area believe using abbreviations is one way that young people can demonstrate to their peers how "cool and clever" they are. It may be that using abbreviations actually shows that people have to be highly literate to know how to abbreviate a word so the recipient knows what they mean. This is because in order to do this effectively, they must know how to spell a word and be able to use it in the correct context.

It is important to understand that no on is denying that teachers still need to focus on grammar, punctuation and spelling in the classroom because knowledge of Standard English is a measure of being educated. Yet it is important not to disparage text language. Texting will continue to play an important part in the language development and social access of anyone who has a phone. Understanding its value and its place will be vital in the years to come.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be very difficult for parents to deal with. It is hard on the child, in that it makes it difficult to socialize, to do well in school, etc. It is hard on the parents as the child will often have behavioral and learning problems. It is hard on any and everyone who knows the child with ADHD. Because it is often such a difficult disorder to deal with, many parents seek ways to cope, and often this leads them to the door of ADHD drugs. There are several different drugs prescribed for ADHD, including Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin and so on. ADHD drugs seems to be the first thing doctors recommend. However, with the rise of ADHD drug abuse, and the fact that ADHD drugs do not cure ADHD, rather treat the symptoms, many parents are asking the question: "Does my child need ADHD drugs?"

The answer is never easy. There are alternative treatment options for children with ADHD, all of which are therapy and counseling. In other words, you can teach your child through talk therapy and behavioral counseling how to better manage the symptoms of their ADHD. However, many parents do not have the time, discipline, or money to take this route, and thus medication is often the simplest fast-result solution.

Medications affect each individual differently, so the only way to really know if it will help your child is to put your child on it. In some cases the results are drastic, improving behavior, focus, concentration, etc. On other cases it offers only marginally different results. However, with the potential for improvement, there is also potential for risk. ADHD medications can cause side effects. Some of these side effects are severe such as headaches, fatigue, or sick to the stomach. Others are more mild, such as difficulty sleeping, lack of appetite and depressed personality. The point is, you never know which side effects will manifest themselves in your child, and whether or not those will be worth the improvement in concentration. They may be better at school, but at what cost? At loss of their esteem, loss of friends because they are no longer the same person, loss of appetite, resulting in illness from malnutrition.

Because of the inconsistency with medications on individual cases, it is important that if you do decide to try ADHD prescriptions for your child that you monitor them carefully to be able to note the side effects, and the improvements. Then weigh out the benefits with the drawbacks.

One of the most important things to consider as a parent is that most kids do not like the ADHD drugs. They feel like they can't think as quickly. Yes, they have better concentration, but they feel they are not as witty. Most kids feel like they are a different person when they are on the medication, and they want to be themselves, poor concentration, bad behavior, and all.

This article is not meant to replace the advice of your family's medical professional.

To help kids prevent injury when using a backpack take the following things into consideration:

The weight of the backpack. Your child will suffer from too heavy a backpack no matter how great the backpack is, and how they wear it. No matter the design of the backpack, if there is too much in it, it can cause damage. So, keep the magic number of 15% in mind. The most your child should ever have in their backpack is 15% of their body weight. If your child's pack exceeds this, you are looking for trouble. So do the math. If your kid weighs 100 pounds, do not ever let their backpack exceed 15 pounds. This can be difficult today with the sheer amount of text books and homework they may be assigned, but stick to your guns, and talk to their teacher about it if the load seems to be too much.

The backpack design. Many backpacks are available, and some are cooler than others. The fact is that most kids want to look cool, and could care less about whether or not the backpack they choose is going to be good for their back. A pack that has one strap, an over the chest sling, or anything other than two straps will not distribute the weight evenly, and can cause harm.

A good backpack should be worn properly.

How the backpack is worn. A backpack should be worn properly. It should have both shoulder straps, and these should be wide straps so they do not cut into the muscles above the shoulder. In addition, they should be tightened to the right height. The backpack should sit about two inches above the waist for the best weight distribution. A great way to ensure this is to use a waist and chest strap. This will keep the bag where it ought to be, and not strain muscles or ruin posture.

Beyond choosing a good backpack, and wearing it right, there is more kids can do to ensure backpack safety, so talk to your child about doing the following things to improve their backpack safety:

1. Use their locker frequently. While it is convenient to carry everything around it is also heavy, so use your locker.

2. Don't take extras. Some kids take video games, ipods, cell phones, laptops, etc. in their backpack, which just adds to the weight. Leave those things home, and you do not have to lug them around all day.

3. Keep up on homework so that your child is not needing to take home tons of stuff on the same nights. Usually homework is spread out a little better, and thus they only have a heavy backpack because they are procrastinating.

4. Use all the backpack compartments. This will help to spread the weight out, and keep it from putting too much pressure or weight on any one muscle or limb.

5. Put heavier items in the center of the backpack for better weight distribution.

It can be difficult to be organized when you are a mom. There are always a million obligations pulling you in a billion different directions. In your "free-time" you cook, clean, and get ready for the next round of activities and obligations. This is why it is so important to be organized, and the following six secrets will help:

1. Start a routine. It does not matter how disorganized you have been in the past, you can change that today. How? Start by beginning a routine. For example, have your meals at the same time each day. Plan a way to handle yourself in the morning. For example, you may get your kids up 15 minutes before breakfast is ready, and let them know they need to have their beds made, and clothes picked out before they can eat. A bedtime routine is critical as well, and an after school routine will mean homework gets completed before kids go to play.

2. Take a break. Organized moms know to take time off if they start to get overwhelmed. You can still be super mom and do it all, even if you take a night off and get your toe nails done, or let dad take over the duties of getting the kids to bed so that you can soak in a hot tub. You won't stay organized and on top of things for long if you let stress overtake your life.

3. Have places for things. The best way to stay organized as a mom is to have a place for everything, and help your family consistently put things where they belong. This means, when they walk in the door from school, don't let them drop their backpacks on the floor, rather have them hang them on the hook assigned to them, or put them in their cubby, etc. It means that no one should have to search for socks in the morning because there will be a spot in their closet or dresser designated to socks. If you have a place for everything, you spend less time looking for stuff, and more time enjoying being a mom.

4. Plan your meals. Organized moms do not have time to always prepare a five star dinner, but that doesn't mean they have to serve fast food each night. Instead, they can avoid any problems by planning out what they are going to serve for the week, do all of their shopping at one time, and know what they will need to do to get dinner on the table. This may mean they wash lettuce for the week all on one day, and freeze the different meat options, but remember to pull them out of the freezer in time to defrost on the day they are to be consumed. The idea is, if you know what you are going to serve, you can prepare it quickly and efficiently, and have everything to do so on hand.

5. Planners. Organized moms have a calendar, a planner, a phone, or something that helps them to keep track of what they have coming up, what they need to do that day, and what is in the back of their mind. If they know that every Tuesday their daughter has ballet, and the see it written down every time they open their planner, then there is less chance of Tuesday coming around before they locate and wash the dance clothes. So, write it down, keep lists, and stay organized!

6. Organized moms get help from their families. The children know the rules, and the consequences of breaking them. For example, a rule may be that if they want a ride to something, they have to make mom aware of it at least 2 days in advance. The morning of will not guarantee a ride. Setting these kinds of rules eliminates many of the typical problems that plague moms such as uniforms needing to be washed the day of a game, or homework being done minutes before running out the door to school.