What Parents Should Know About Snapchat

April 7, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on understanding the app Snapchat.  First, it’s hard for children to imagine what life was like for their parents or grandparents.  While the majority of today’s kids are have smartphones, most of us were chained to the kitchen wall with a rotary dial telephone.  Furthermore, if we add social media to the equation we now have a worldwide audience available online.  Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have the biggest following.  But, Snapchat and Instagram also have huge online audiences.  Most of their users are young people.  

 

 

 

 

Snapchat

 

Teensafe is a tech app for parents to monitor their child’s online and smartphone activity.  Additionally, Snapchat has over 82 million users with 255 million “snaps” shared daily.  The majority of users are under the age of 25 and 41% of today’s teens use this popular photo sharing app frequently.  So, take a look at this video for more information.

 

The Internet Is Forever

Also, the majority of parents are teaching their children the important lesson that “the internet is forever.”  It is a fact, that things you post and share online are for an eternity.  However, sites like Snapchat often lure users into a false sense of security. Users think their posts disappear.  Unfortunately, they can saved easily and potentially shared.

As a matter of fact, 18% of Snapchat users admit to saving a humiliating or inappropriate snap or photo.  The intention was to embarrass the sender.  They planned to share it with their own friends or family.  Unfortunately, many young users are tempted to share risky, or damaging messages.  Simply because they believe they will disappear.

 

Monitoring Messages

Parents should be monitoring their children’s online activity for a variety of reasons.  This include cyberbullying, but there are other concerns when it comes to Snapchat.  For example:

  • Since the messages supposedly disappear, there’s no proof they ever existed
  • If the kids think inappropriate material will disappear, they are more likely to send inappropriate messages. This includes sexually graphic images, aka “sexting”
  • Other users can potentially share snaps with millions of other users.  So, just because they are sending messages to people they know, it can still be shared.

According to the legal terms of Snapchat, users are responsible for their online behaviors and the consequences.  In fact, the site owns the royalty rights to everything posted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Know the Lingo

There’s some lesser known lingo that kids are using that will not make parents LOL  But, rather have them saying OMG.  Here are some alarming acronyms that parents should know:

 

  • 8 – Usually referring to the word “ate,” but it can also be a reference to oral sex
  • 53Z – Sex
  • CD9 – Code 9 (parents are present)
  • IWSN – I Want Sex Now
  • KPC – Keep Parents Clueless
  • LMIRL – Let’s Meet In Real Life
  • PAL – Parents Are Listening (or peace and love)
  • PAW – Parents Are Watching
  • PIR – Parent In Room
  • RU18 – Are You Eighteen (or older)
  • RUH – Are You Horny?
  • TDTM – Talk Dirty To Me
  • WUF – Where (are) You From?
  • WYRN – What’s Your Real Name?

 

Although Snapchat declines usage for those under the age of thirteen.  Many youngsters sign up regardless of this restriction.  So, please monitor your child’s online behavior. Discourage them from sharing inappropriate information.  It is imperative that they know that it will likely exist forever in cyberspace.  We hope that you have found our parenting tips for Snapchat helpful.

 

About the Author: Born and raised in Austin, TX, Hilary Smith is a free-lance journalist whose love of gadgets, technology and business has no bounds. After becoming a parent she now enjoys writing about family and parenting related topics. You can follow her on twitter: @HilaryS33
 

 

Filed Under: Parenting Tips, Teens Tagged With: , , ,

Kid’s Driving Tips for Parents

March 10, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on kid’s driving tips for parents. Learning to drive is a key milestone in a child’s life.  Thanks to the demands of the modern world, it’s up there with learning how to walk and talk.  But unlike those early activities, the stakes are much higher.  Simply because of the inherent danger of driving around a 4000-pound piece of metal.  As a result, the first year of driving also brings stress for many parents.

 

 

kid's driving tips

 

 

 

Kid’s Driving Tips for Parents:

First, the statistics on driving accidents are concerning for parents.  Around a quarter of all accidents on the road involve people aged 22 and under.  So, underscoring the dangers of being a young driver is very important.  Most importantly, mom and dad must set boundaries.  Here’s some advice for surviving your kid’s first year of driving.

 

Buy Umbrella Insurance

Umbrella insurance is designed to cover all of your needs, including auto and home. The good thing about umbrella insurance is that it is fully comprehensive.  Normally, it’s also cheaper than buying insurance separately.  Teens are usually dangerous drivers because of their inexperience.  Umbrella Insurance is an excellent way to make sure that your family finances are protected in the event of an accident.  For example, Umbrella policies will cover damage your child caused to people or property.  This could possibly prevent the family from falling into bankruptcy.

 

 

teen driving tips

 

 

 

Establish Firm Boundaries

We all know that the way instructors teach and the way people actually drive are two different things.  As a result, parents must protect their kids.  Set clear boundaries for children.  Make clear that they must obey the rules of the road or there will be consequences.  Find resources like this one to brush up on your skills, free online resources for driving tests.  Discuss the possibly of them going to jail for breaking the law and the penalty of speeding tickets.  Also, ban talking on the phone or texting while they are driving.

 

Get Breakdown Coverage

Once your child has a car, they’ll be using it to go all over town and possibly the surrounding area.  There will be holidays, camping trips and even road trips, all thanks to their newfound freedom.  However, cars don’t care about how much fun your child may be having.  Cars can break down at the most inconvenient moments.  A broken down card that leaves your kid stranded is no fun.  So, it’s a good idea to make sure that they have breakdown coverage.  Paying directly for the recovery of a vehicle can cost hundreds of dollars.  So, make sure their car is covered.

Most breakdown services allow you to pay a monthly bill directly. Some car insurance businesses allow you to add on breakdown cover to your policy.  This often saves you money in the process.  We hope our kids driving tips was beneficial.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , , ,

Preparing Your Teens For Adulthood

May 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Teens know everything, right? So, it only makes sense that they’re ready to tackle the world at the tender age of 16.   Today, we’re sharing parenting tips on preparing teens for adulthood.  Next, they think they have all the knowledge and skills necessary not just to survive, but thrive in the big bad world. However, as parents we know the truth. Sure, there are some things that your child may have learned in school that weren’t available to us. These days schools are teaching Computer Science, Parenting, and more advanced classes on Government and Politics.

 

 

 

parenting, teenagers, parenting tips

 

“Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up. Trust me, life will still be there when you’re grown.” Wise words from my Grandma Blanche.

 

However, there are some key fundamental skills your child that you must implement in preparing your teens for adulthood.  Teens should be equipped  before leaving the nest – whether going off to college or moving out on their own.

Let’s discuss a few of these skills:

Grocery shopping – When our kids got their driver’s license, one of their new chores was going to the grocery store with cash. This taught them:

  1. Comparison shopping
  2. Budgeting 
  3. Communication skills (you know teens don’t talk! Lol)
  4. Checking account maintenance – The one class I really wish schools would make mandatory are banking basics. When our kids turned 14, we opened a High School Checking Account. With our names on the account, our kids knew not to get crazy with their bank card.

As a result, each month we reviewed the bank statement together and discussed future payouts. This was a huge help!

Stay In Learning Mode – This skill is crucial to your child’s growth! With or without a college degree, your child must know that learning is a life-long activity. Once they leave college learning doesn’t stop.

Next, one of the most important parts of learning is knowing who to learn from. Teens learn more from other teens. Also, as adults they need to know what they need to learn, and who would be best to learn from. This quote is so appropriate: “You don’t know what you don’t know, until you need to know it.” – Unknown

The best skill you can teach your teen is discernment. Help them understand how important it is to surround themselves with like-minded people, people who have similar lifestyle goals in mind.

Finally, your teen may not listen to you, but when in the company of other young people who are working toward a similar future they can teach and learn from each other.  “Each one. Teach one.” – an African Proverb.

 

You may also like:  6 Ways to Save on College Tuition.

 

 

life coach, business coach   About the author:  Ericka Richardson is a mother of three, and a grandmother. Ericka was raised in New York, but moved to the Atlanta, Ga area in 1993.  Atlanta is where she raised her children.  Ericka and her husband, Mike, started their business in 2003. Even with the time constraints of starting a business, they made sure their children stayed active, well-grounded, remained humble and grateful.

Ericka is a Certified Life and Business Coach as well as a Business Consultant. Ericka preaches and teaches Business Basics with each of her clients.

You can connect with Ericka online at:

www.coachericka.com
www.facebook.com/coachericka
www.facebook.com/groups/bizbasicsbootcamp
www.linkedin.com/in/ericka220
www.twitter.com/bizcoachericka

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , ,

15 Signs of Bullying By Kids

October 5, 2014 by
Today, I’m sharing parenting advice on signs of bullying.  Do you have a child in school? If so, this post is for you regardless of their age.  Bullying can start in kindergarten.  Is your child scared to go to school or scared of someone in their class?
School bullies are a national problem in America’s school systems.  Bullies can be found in preschool, elementary, junior, and high schools.  A bully is defined as a person with internal anger, resentment, and aggression.  And, they normally lack interpersonal skills and choose to displace their aggression onto another person.
signs of bullying

 

 

Furthermore, it’s anti-social behavior.  For example, school bullies usually come from families who lack warmth and affection or abusive homes. They are usually poor students and aggressive.  However, this is not always the rule.  A new bred of bullies have emerged.  They are referred to as “brat bullies or cyber bullies“.  These bullies are usually seen as spoiled, and they believe the world revolves around them.

Most importantly, bullying isn’t gender specific.  Believe it or not, girls are just as capable as bullying as boys. They just use different tactics.  Additionally, boys usually resort to physical violence.  Where as girls inflict psychological pain.  For example they may resort to calling their victim names, starting rumors, gossiping, or excluding the victim from groups or parties.  Psychological abuse can be just as devastating as physical abuse.  Some of the effects of psychological abuse are eating disorders, ulcers, depression, and suicide.

Just as importantly,  nasty emails and text messages are a part of the brat bully’s psychological warfare.  So, bullies are not limited to children who come from poverty, low income, or broken homes.  As a matter of fact most suffer from low self-esteem.  They wear the latest fashions, and engage in the latest technological trends, but deep down they feel inadequate.  So know that middle class and well to do homes have bullies too.  They call their victims fat, ugly, poor, make fun of the victim’s family or their cloths. They send emails or post pictures of the victim on-line and start rumors about them.

So, pay attention. Most importantly, if your child’s behavior changes, grades go down or they have mood swings, they may be having problems with a bully.  Likewise, don’t ignore the signs or think that the problem will go away.  You must get to the bottom of the problem and deal with it head on.

 

signs of bullying

 

 

 

Signs of bullying:

  1. Afraid to walk or ride the bus to school
  2. Feeling ill in the morning, and not wanting to go to school
  3. Asking for extra money or starts to steal
  4. Starts bullying siblings
  5. Stops eating or starts eating excessively
  6. Poor grades
  7. Cloths torn or dirty
  8. Starts stammering
  9. Crying themselves to sleep at night
  10. Crying before going to school
  11. Attempts or mentions suicide
  12. States that they hate themselves
  13. Withdraws from activities that they previously enjoyed
  14. Nightmares
  15. Have conversations with your child on what’s happening in school, with friends etc.  You may be able to detect problems during the conversation

 

It’s imperative that you let your know that abuse from other people is unacceptable.  Be sure to notify school officials of your concerns.  Safeguard your child by taking proper action. Bullying affects a person’s self-esteem and leaves life long scars.

Additionally, if your child is a bully you must address the pain that your child is inflicting.  So, don’t think that it’s not a big deal or kids are being kids.  For this reason, it’s imperative that you understand that children are killing themselves as a result of the pain they are enduring.   Most importantly, ask if you’re setting a good example for your child?  Are you contributing to your child’s mistreatment of another person?  Bullying is a serious issue within our society.  I hope my insight on signs of bullying will help you to help your child.  We would love to hear from you about your child’s bully experiences.  Please leave us a comment.

You may also like:   How to Help Victims of Bullies

Filed Under: Parenting Tips, Safety, Teens Tagged With: , , , ,

Tips for Raising Teen Girls

April 26, 2014 by

Should single dads take their daughters to get bras or should they seek the assistance of a woman in the family? As mothers, we just take on the responsibility when the times arrives.  But, what about dads?  There are many situations today where moms and dads co-parent.  There are also situations where dads have primary custody of their daughters. When I was growing up, this was basically unheard of.  However, times have changed.  Today there are gay couples raising daughters, single dads raising daughters, widows raising daughters, grandfathers raising granddaughters, uncles raising nieces and the list goes on.  Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on raising teen girls.

 

raising teen girls

 

At some point our little girls, regardless of who’s raising them, will start growing into young ladies.  They will need a bra.  When I look back on my childhood, I can’t imagine my father taking me to the store and purchasing one for me.  I was raised in a traditional home, bras and feminine products were my mother’s responsibility.  Had my father been widowed, I think he would have reached out to one of my aunts or another family member.  Raising teen girls was one thing, but going shopping for a bra was another.

Decades later, I am proud to say that I have nephews who have primary custody of their children and who co-parent.  I think my dad would have been proud and very supportive of them taking on this responsibility.  He would have seen this as a demonstration of character and a demonstration of the morals and values that have been instilled in them.  He probably would wish they would have made wiser choices with the young ladies, but none the less he would have been proud.  I’ll save how this all came to fruition in another post.

 

teen girls

Here’s a few tips for raising teen girls:

  • The endeavor has been made easier for parents these days.  Young girls are now wearing bralettes.  Yes it seems that our young ladies no longer refer to their first bras as training bras, but bralettes.  Dads can purchase bralettes, which resemble undershirts, from Walmart, Target or Macy’s. They are the rage with young ladies now.  Also, they come in a variety of colors and stretch as they develop.
  • Their are several benefits to bralettes:  1)  Dads and daughters don’t have to endure the embarrassment of going to the store and asking for assistance or measurements.  Bralettes can purchased in sizes 4 – 6x and 7-14.

 

For all the single dads raising teen daughters, take a deep breath.  Purchasing a bra for your teen daughter is easier than you think.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: ,

Is Your Teen Sexting On Their Phone?

December 1, 2013 by

Is your teen sexting or participating in the “hook up culture”?  Statistics show that 22% of teen girls and 20% of teen boys have sent nude or seminude photos of themselves over the Internet or their phones.  Why, they don’t think about the repercussions.  They want to show off their bodies.  Girls want to entice the guys they’re attracted to or they think they’re proving that they’re committed to the young man they’re dating.   Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on teen sexting.

 

In reverse, boys think it’s cool to approach girls via text using sexually graphic content.  Social grace is nonexistent.  There are sites set-up to give examples of how to send a sexting message.

 

parenting tips

 

Times have changed and Teens are Sexting.  We live in a world that revolves around modern technology and it’s here to stay.  Teens don’t realize that the person they sent the picture or text to is now in possession of material that can prove damaging.  Too many times we have heard about the text or image being sent to others or being posted on a social networking site.  Unfortunately, once it’s sent you can’t retrieve it.  Both teenage boys and girls have forwarded the images to others.  They in turn have passed the image on which has lead to humiliation in school, parties or other social situations.  Sadly, it’s hard to undo the damage.  And, people are revengeful.

So, many teens have said they felt pressured by their boyfriend or girlfriend to send the picture.  Teen pressure is not unusual.  Also, they feel the same pressures with drinking and doing drugs.  As a result, sexting is just another social pressure.  What can you do to prevent your teen from sexting:

 

 

parenting tips

 

 

 

  • Set aside time to have a serious discussion on the damaging affects of sexting.
  • Let them know that they’re in control of their body and reputation.  They should never allow anyone to pressure them into sexting.
  • Give them an example.  A great one would be the beautiful and talented Vanessa Williams.  She posed nude in college and the photos came back to haunt her when she won the Miss America Pageant.  She resigned her crown as a result.    Don’t want to use Vanessa Williams, Google to find other examples of teens who have been harmed.
  • Set rules on phone use.  Kids need structure and guidance and a cellphone shouldn’t be an exception.
  • Discuss the meaning of privacy and intimacy.  Would they want family members or friends to see the photo?  If not, they shouldn’t want the world to view it either.
  • Discuss dating etiquette and what’s acceptable.  You set the rules or assist your teen in setting rules.
  • Discuss the legal ramifications.  Since I am not an attorney, I would suggest that you consult a family lawyer in your state for advice.

 

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , ,

Teen Suicide Is Real in America

March 21, 2011 by

Sadly, this is probably one of the saddest post that I’ve ever written.  My neighbor’s 13 year old daughter committed suicide.  They found her around 3:00 am.  One of my neighbors came to visit so she could let me know of the tragedy.  We discussed how we come together as a community to help this family.  That’s the type of neighborhood that I live in.  We look out for each other regularly, and help each other out in time of need.  Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on teen suicide in our society.  

 

Teen Depression

 

 

Like many, my neighbors stated that they hadn’t seen the suicide coming.   Their child was being bullied, but they didn’t see it as a big deal.  In their mind, she wasn’t being bullied anymore than anyone else.  My immediate thought was, here’s another child being bullied and nobody does anything about it.  Sadly, this child as ended her life.  She was a beautiful little girl with so much to live for.  However, in her mind she had nothing to live for.  Her pain was far greater than future.

After my neighbor left, I wondered how her parents could possibly find the strength to deal with this tragedy.  Furthermore, I wondered how they could not take bullying seriously.  How could they just chalk it up as her not being bullied anymore than anyone else.  Bullying is a serious problem.  I thought about the guilt that they must be feeling right now.  So many things have crossed my mind.  I wondered what I would say to them when I see them.  I wondered how they could continue to live in a home that was so lovingly built 3 years ago to one that would now hold a memory that would be unbearable.  How does life go on after you loose a child in any manner, especially to suicide?

 


 

 

Teen suicide is not unheard of in today’s world.  Why do kids think it’s  acceptable to torture another person?  Why are we so accepting of bullying, and so willing to chalk it up as kids being kids?   Most importantly, what’s happening to our parenting skills? I guarantee children aren’t just acting out and bullying other kids in school.  They’re misbehaving at home too.  Behavior problems start at home.  To single out another person and torture them is beyond my comprehension.

My daughter was bullied in school, and I’m here to tell you that it was not acceptable to me.  I took action.  I let the school and the parents of the girls involved know that there would be hell to be paid if it continued with my child.  At that point there was two things that you didn’t mess with 1) My daughter and 2) My money.  I labored for 8 hours to bring my daughter into the world.  She was an investment.  I invested all the love, time and money that I had into my daughter.  She became my life and my most prized possession.  I’ve just added to my portfolio now there’s my grandson and granddaughter.  Anyway, I told other parents that if they weren’t investing in their child, that wasn’t my problem.  And, they weren’t going to make it my daughter’s either.

 

teen depression

 

 

As my readers know, I have been writing about bullying for some time.  Unfortunately, bullying has an effect on families for the rest of their life.  You just don’t get over it as some people think.  It affects your self-esteem and self-worth.  Children don’t understand that the problem really lies with the kids who are doing the bullying.  As children it is easy to believe what the other person is saying about them.  Parents must counteract bullies.  Children today have no respect for authority, their peers or themselves.  They think it’s okay to just say or do whatever they please.  I would venture to say they have no respect for their parents either.

Wake up America, this is a serious problem in this country.  It is not kids being kids.  The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, works with a charity as a result of being bullied herself.  Her parents pulled her out of the school where the trauma was occurring.  I wonder what her bullies think of her now.

Finally, I pray that this family finds peace and the strength that they need to move through this difficult time.  No parent should have to lay their child to rest.  Parents, teen suicide is real in America.  And, it could become a reality in your life at any time.  Teen suicide changes everyone’s life.  All will remind in my prayers.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , ,