The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting |
| Most parents monitor kids on Facebook: study Posted: Some two-thirds of American parents monitor their children's Facebook activities, but a large percentage say they trust their youngsters to manage on their own, a study showed recently. The survey by the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California found 70% of parents keep tabs on their kids' Facebook accounts. Some 46% had passwords. Yet 30% said they allow their children to manage their own social media activities, with some saying it was because they trust their children, or because monitoring would indicate a lack of trust. Nine per cent of those who allow children to roam free on Facebook said they did not know how to use the social network, and 7% said they lacked time. "It's every parent's dilemma to know when to trust their children," said Jeffrey Cole, director of the centre. "In the last five years, we have seen many new issues about parenting and technology evolve that previous generations never encountered. "How parents cope with their children using social media like Facebook represents only one aspect of these issues." The survey also asked adults at what age the children in their households should have a mobile phone or Facebook account. They responded the appropriate average is 13 for mobile phones and 15 for a Facebook account. The findings are part of the 2013 Digital Future Project, the longest study of its kind of the views and behaviour of Internet users and non-users. - AFP Relaxnews |
| Are you getting any 'me time', mums? Posted: As working mothers, we spend a lot of time focusing on the needs of our children and our jobs. With school out for the summer and my son at camp during weekdays, my life is a bit more crazy than usual lately. I am sure many of you working mums understand. Summer may mean no homework, but in its place are all kinds of other things that must be worked out if you have a child in daycare. Coordinating early days and work schedules, packing lunches and snacks, packing the bathing suit and towel for swim day (now, which day is swim day again?), and my personal annoyance: When camp is at a different location not even close to camp's regular site one day a week. I don't know about you, but especially during the summer, I need my "me time". That means a few uninterrupted hours alone to do what I want. I need this for my sanity. I use the time to take a hot bath, watch a movie, binge-watch TV, take a nap (I nap both weekend days, by the way, and support this practice), read a book, tend to my garden, get a pedicure or go shopping. I wondered if and how my working-mum friends find time for themselves and what they did with it. Here are some of their responses. Jeannie, who has boys, efforts to get "me time" in a few times a week. "It may be a night that I don't sit around with the boys watching Nick or playing games, instead I read or watch a show I want to watch. Occasionally, I go out with a friend for a glass of wine and adult conversation at a time I would typically be with the boys," she said. Her favourite time is afternoon sunbathing with a light novel and a cocktail while the kids are entertained and fed by someone else. "These things are essential for my sanity, and a sane me makes a better mum." I totally agree. For a long time, Amy, a co-worker did not get "me time", she said, but once her son hit fifth grade she started getting more. She spent that time getting her nails done or walking the mall. Now that her son is almost 14, she said she gets more time for herself. "It is usually spent vegetating on the couch," she said. Another friend, Linda, said she didn't get a lot of time for herself in the past, but now she finds the time and reads books. "It felt like I found myself again," she said. Amy, a former co-worker, works from home and her "me time" comes after her three kids go to bed. "It usually involves me going to bed by 9pm." My childhood friend, Julia, takes really long showers because it's the only place she can have quiet time, she said. And, sometimes she pretends she's asleep on Saturday mornings and just lies in bed. (I hope her kids don't see this and ruin her quiet time. Also, I think this is brilliant, and I am going to try this method. Good thinking, Julia.) Katie, another friend, Linda and Julia also count grocery shopping as "me time". I agree and do what Katie does: Put on my music with my iPhone and tune the world out while I shop. (I hate grocery shopping, by the way. Not as much as I hate housecleaning, but it comes pretty close.) How about you? Are you fitting any "me time" into your schedule? - The Orlando Sentinel (MCT Information Services) |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Family To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan