Childhood is perhaps the best part of anyone’s life as during this time we enjoy life to the fullest. Children do not know what sorrow is, they do not know the harsh realities of time and go about being happy in their own merry world. Children’s day is a special day that aims to celebrate childhood, the most wonderful stage in the life of a person. Universally children’s day is generally celebrated on the 1st of June but not regularly. The International Children’s day has its origin at the World Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland for the well being of children. In India 14th November is celebrated as Children’s day, this day commemorates the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. Pt. Nehru liked children very much and he was often photographed with them and it is perhaps very apt that his birthday is celebrated as children’s day.

Pt. Nehru is seen as a special child of India as he was the country’s first Prime Minister which it achieved after a long struggle for freedom and independence. On this day all the school organizes different types of fun activities for children. Communities and cultural clubs also organize different activities for children. There are also different types of competitions held on this day and prizes are distributed to the winners. It is that one day in the year when we not only celebrate childhood but also remember one of the most prominent leaders in the history of India. Almost all schools have some or the other events lined up on this day and this is one day that children look forward to. And now due to the huge inroads made by satellite television, you will invariably find channels beaming out different programs to attract the children’s attention on this day.

The earlier memories that come to my mind about children’s day are the excitement and anticipation that I and my friends used to have. It was a huge occasion for all of us and we really wanted to take part in all the activities and win those prizes as well. In those days all my friends aimed for those prizes on children’s day as most of them were tickets to some ride in an amusement park. Now what better than this can be as a gift to a child? I remember taking part in a quiz competition with my friend, and we won the first prize there. The prize was a book on fairy tales and let me tell you this is one of the most treasured possessions in my collection of books.

Children’s day is celebrated on different days in different countries across the world. In Japan it is celebrated on the 5th of May and this day is known as Kodomo no hi, in Israel it is celebrated on 9th October, Hong Kong on 4th April. Children all over the world look forward to that day when children’s day is celebrated in their country as this is the one day where they can enjoy and celebrate the joy of childhood.

By: Denis tyler

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Sewing

Teaching children to write is very important in today’s world. Kids are not required to write very much in school anymore. They can receive a high school diploma with only a minimal amount of writing education. Here are 6 steps for teaching your children to write.

1. Inspire them. Show your children that writing can be very fun and exciting. Show them letters you have written. If you keep a journal show your children how rewarding and exciting it is to look back through the years in your journal.

2. Writing challenge. One day I challenged my kids to write a 400 word article on any subject they wanted. It was great. They turned the television off a started writing. I told them that I would give the winner for the best article $10. You can try something like this and your children will amaze you.

3. Blog? Blogs are a very popular method for sharing ideas and happenings with friends, family and the internet community. Your children could help with the blog and you can even make money from it. This will give your children a big incentive to write when they realize there is a way to make money.

4. Give your children a notebook. A notebook is a necessity for any good writer so they can quickly jot down ideas as they come. They can also start composing stories in their notebooks that can later be transferred to the computer.

5. Have your kids learn to write thank you notes. You and others give your children many gifts and sometimes it is hard to just get your children to say thank you. Can you imagine the joy that will fill someone’s heart if they receive a thank you note from one of your children for a gift or special outing?

6. Write letters. Writing letters is a habit we should all have. You can help you children develop a love for writing by encouraging them to write letters to grandparents and friends. They can even write letters to you complete with postage and an address. I have sent my children mail before and it is very fun.

Teaching children to write first requires that you inspire your kids. Show them how much fun writing can be. Next teach them activities where they can see the many benefits of writing.

By: Zacharias Allred

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Dating and Good Relationshipx

Leaving a child alone in front of the television can be an uncomfortable feeling. There are many violent and sexual images being shown these days that would have a deep impact on any young, impressionable mind. However, while there are several of these adult-themed shows on TV there are just as many educational, children-appropriate shows. Parents are searching for a way to let their children watch television alone with exposure to these positive programs, but not the negative ones. Satellite TV providers, such as DirecTV, have found a way to give parents this worry-free peace of mind they seek. Parental Controls is a feature that is available to every single DirecTV customer at no extra charge, and children are exposed to a much safer television environment because of it.

How Parental Controls Works

Parental Controls is a very easy-to-use feature within the DirecTV Menu that gives on-screen directions to guide you through every step of the way. The main goal of it is to prevent kids from being able to watch adult programs and any other type of programming themes parents deem inappropriate for them. One important thing to know is that even though programs are blocked from children it does not mean they are blocked from everyone. The Parental Controls system operates around a PIN (Personal Identification Number) that is chosen and known only to the parents or family members they share it with. This PIN is very similar to your Bank ATM Card PIN number in that you choose the exact numbers and can change them at any time. This PIN is chosen when you go through the Parental Controls set-up to establish which type of programs you do not want to be available to everyone in your family. Whenever that type of programming comes on while someone is watching television, the Direct TV system knows to ask for the PIN number before showing even one second of it. If you know the PIN, as a parent would, then all you need to do is punch in those numbers on your remote control and the program is instantly available. If you do not know the PIN, as a child would not, then the program remains blacked out and unwatchable.

How A Child Is Protected

There are different ways Direct TV’s Parental Controls feature can prevent kids from watching inappropriate shows and movies. One way is to establish what programs are inappropriate by the content rating they are given. Television shows are now required by law to have a content rating in the same way that movies are given a rating so people have an idea what to expect before watching. At the beginning of every TV show, you can see this rating, such as TVPG or TVMA, in the top corner of the screen. You can also choose to block out entire channels. This is great option for parents who may not want their kids exposed to the themes and messages that certain channels have such as comedy or religious channels. Besides limiting the programs or channels your child can watch, this Direct TV feature also lets you set a limit on the amount of time they can watch. After the amount of time you programmed in has expired then a screen pops up asking for the PIN to continue.

Saving Money and Peace of Mind

One more great feature Parental Controls has is the ability to set a spending limit on how much can be purchased in the Pay-Per-View selections. It can be as low or as high as you desire, and once that limit is met then the PIN is required to continue. This is a helpful way that Direct TV keeps their customers from being surprised by a large monthly bill arriving due to unknown purchases.

By: Archie Harris

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How to Save Energy

Since the dawn of television, children have found this an enjoyable and interactive pastime. Visual stimulation is preferred by children in comparison to any other media, and current figures report than children watch an average of four hours of television a day. These figures are much larger than they were almost half a century ago, but changes in lifestyle and technological advances make this inevitable. However, many people question how television is affecting the lives of modern children.

Children`s television programmes began in the 1950s. By 1951 television showed up to 27 hours per week of television programmes aimed at children. The usual time slot was late afternoon and evening with programmes aimed at shorter viewing periods. In the mid 50s the Saturday morning television programme slot was discovered, and since then has long since been kept for children`s viewing. The 1960s saw a switch to animation based television programmes which were cheaper to produce. The lower the cost; the more could be produce and children`s television gained more viewing slots. In the 1970s programmes were made longer to increase viewing figures and in the 80s cable television arrived. This enriched and widened the scope for the provision for children and dedicated television channels were aired.

As the industry grew, so did the concern for the effects of watching television on children. The children`s television act arrived in the 1990s, requiring high levels of research and monitoring in that area. The main concerns centred around health, academic progress and the effects of violence on television. The first testimonial involving the effects of violence on television on juvenile behaviour was brought about in the US as early as 1952. The effects of violence on television have been studied since 1964 when it was officially ruled that television was a factor in children`s behaviour. The main concerns were that levels of violence would increase through copied behaviour, with children becoming desensitised.

So, what has been determined through research with regards to children and television violence? Two outcomes were discovered; catharsis and stimulation which are still the leading theories in this area. Catharsis was found to remove negativity, whereas the stimulation effect increased violent emotions with the latter showing to be the most likely outcome. There is a proven small and consistent link between viewing violence and increased aggression. However, the results were highest amongst children witnessing violence at home rather than non television.

Other studies showed that there are definite cognitive effects when children watch television as they are stimulated by visual movement. This includes the movement of colour, camera angles, and panoramic views. Television aimed at children takes this into account and this is why children seem transfixed. Research shows, however, that attention to the television is in fact fragmentary before the age of two, but it steadily increases until attention peaks at the age of 12 years. The understanding of many concepts is lost until aged 10 in the average child as there is too much information to comprehend and so concentration depends upon pure enjoyment.

In terms of health, the main problem is obesity through a lack of exercise, and so television has been blamed for this in part. This is because watching television distracts the receptors in the brain which let the child know when they are full. However, there is no research to state that this has any more effect than general family eating habits. Television is like any other factor in life; it can have positive effects in moderation. There are no suggested guidelines for television viewing, and so it is down to personal and family choice.

If you have concerns about the effects upon your child, the best advice is to look at family attitudes towards television. This includes the amount of time spent watching television, the type of programmes viewed and even comments made. It is possible to limit the type of programmes viewed, and to reduce the time spent watching by offering it as a reward system. To improve educational elements, discuss issues raised with honesty and interest and your child will be encouraged towards this type of programme.

By: Roberto Sedycias

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SEO Services

Coloring pages you can print from the internet are a fantastic way to hold your kid’s attention. Coloring pages and printables activities are free for anyone with a computer, an internet connection and a printer. Your child will love to browse the selection with you and point to the ones they want.

Children’s coloring pages printed from the internet have become a replacement for the traditional coloring books their parents had in their own childhood. The variety of topics in coloring pages is as broad as the culture our children are being raised in. Nearly every children’s television program or cartoon character has a website with free printables or coloring pages as a feature.

Teachers and parents can also rely on the internet as a resource for educational coloring pages. Children can be taught their colors, the alphabet, numbers, the seasons, and have holiday traditions reinforced, as well as religious instruction fostered in Sunday School or at home.

Coloring pages are a great way to entertain children during travel or on a rainy day. Once a child has grasped the basics, they may color to their heart’s content with very little supervision required by parents. In addition to occupying a child’s time and imagination, handling crayons can prepare a child’s brain and hands for skills required to learn handwriting. While an adult may feel the sky must always be blue and the grass green, a child will experiment with all of the colors. Be sure to show pride in your child’s creation and reserve a spot on the refrigerator for their best works of art.

By: Michelle Patelle

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Baby Showers

A child who reads becomes an adult who reads. Most adults who begin reading at an early age continue to learn by reading throughout their lives. Reading is more than a necessary skill – it’s a source for learning, entertainment, enjoyment and comfort. The skill of reading can be one of the most valuable gifts that you give to your – or any – child.

Still, the question remains: How do you get children to read? There are so many distractions in today’s world – television, cartoons, and video games, to name a few – that it may seem impossible to get your children to sit down and read, let alone turn them into reading enthusiasts. As a mother who has raised five avid readers, I can tell you that it’s nowhere near as hard as you might think. Here are ten important tips for getting your children to read – and loving every minute of it.

1. Let them see you read.

I’ll bet you thought that #1 would be “Read to them”, didn’t you? That’s important (and it will get its own tip), but the single most important thing you can do to raise children who love reading is to be a reader. It doesn’t matter if you read magazines, newspapers or books. What is vital is that your children, from an early age, see reading as a valuable and fun thing to do – and the best way to show them that is to read in front of them.

2. Read to your children regularly.

Bedtime stories are an enduring childhood ritual, but don’t stop reading when your kids outgrow being tucked in at night. In our house, we made nightly reading a part of our evening – not at bedtime, but in the living room. Even when they reached their teens, my kids would often wander out into the living room to listen if I was reading to younger brothers and sisters.

3. Talk about what you read.

I am not suggesting that you should give your kids a reading comprehension quiz every time you read a story to them. Instead, get used to talking about the books that you read in casual conversation. Mention how excited you are that your favorite writer has just published a new book. Ask them how they think Ramona (or Harry Potter) would handle a situation. Remind them about scenes in stories that you read to them when you run into similar scenes in real life.

4. As soon as they’re old enough, get them a library card.

Your public library is still the very best source of reading material. Take your kids to the library often. Hang out with them in the kids’ room and let them choose their own books. Get them familiar with the librarian, and let them see other people enjoying books.

5. Make a big deal of their personal writing.

Writing gives kids an appreciation for the written word and deepens their enjoyment of reading. When children and teens start writing their own stories, they stop viewing books as something magical and unusual, out of their reach. If your children write, treat their writing as you would any other book. Buy them a journal. Help them create and bind their own books. Put their books on the bookshelf next to their bought books.

6. Subscribe to children’s magazines.

Books are fun, but magazines offer a different kind of reading and engagement. Too often, even we adults only consider it “reading” if it’s in a book. Magazines are colorful, topical and fun. Many children who consider reading a chore when the reading comes in book form will eagerly snatch their favorite magazine from the post box the moment it arrives and not put it down till they’ve read every last page.

7. Make books and magazines accessible – in every way.

Buy books and magazines for your kids as gifts. Make sure that there are books around the house in places that are easy for them to reach. Make sure, as well, that the books you choose are accessible – written for the right age level, and geared to their interests.

8. Institute family reading time.

When your kids start thinking they’re too old for read-aloud, institute a family reading time. It can be as little as twenty minutes a day, or an hour two or three nights a week. The only rule is that everyone in the family participates – shut off the televisions and computers and everyone reads.

9. Show an interest in what they’re reading.

The single most valuable reward for most kids is attention from their parents – so pay attention when your kids read. Notice it when they read a book that you remember. Ask them what the story is about. Talk to them about the books that they like.

10. Watch movies based on books – and then read the books together.

The other way around may work as well. Television and movies don’t have to be the enemy. When you read Charlotte’s Web, rent the video and watch it together – then talk about how well it captured the book. Or reverse the process – watch Harry Potter, then read the book together and talk about how much more depth there is in the book. Either way, you’re fostering a critical eye and showing your children that behind every movie or television show is a writer and often, a book.

By: Grant Eckert

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Insurance Questions

TELEVISION has become very much a part of life for most people today. In the U.S. some consider it the most important item in the home. In China it has replaced bicycles and sewing machines as the latest status symbol. In Britain more and more people are seeking medical treatment for stomach ailments, backaches and poor leg circulation due to long hours spent sitting in front of the “telly.

Worldwide, there are 465 million television sets in useone for every 10 people on earthand some sets are turned on as many as six and a half hours a day. This proliferation of TV has become the focal point of a great deal of research and study.

Power of the Visual Medium

“Television has a transforming power at least equal to that of the printing press and possibly as great as that of the alphabet itself, claims communications professor Neil Postman in an interview published in U.S. News & World Report. This is really not surprising because, basically, television is a visual medium. But, unlike the printed page, its motion, sound and often colorful pictures give the viewer a you-are-there feeling. In this way, it engages the viewer’s full attention body, mind and emotion. This, in turn, lowers or even overpowers the viewer’s critical and analytical faculties, making whatever appears on the TV screen seem quite believable and acceptable.

Advertisers apparently are well aware of this unique power of television. Each year they spend billions of dollars on TV commercials with one objectiveto move the viewers to buy their products. Typically, such commercials as those for designer jeans say nothing about the quality or cost of the product, but capitalize on the power of the “image they present to the prospective buyers, who are willing to pay two or three times the usual price for what they see advertised on TV.

Another characteristic of television is its ability to reach a vast audience around the world more or less simultaneously. For instance, it was reported that 600 million TV viewers worldwide saw man first set foot on the moon at the moment it happened, and some 1,000 million people watched the events of the 20th Olympic Games on TV as they took place.

Since the TV networks are constantly striving to attract larger and larger audiences with programs that appeal to them, they, in essence, become arbiters of public taste and attitudes. By their programming, the networks dictate what the viewers see and when they see it. They also determine what are the socially or politically important issues to be discussed or debated. It must be remembered, however, that in deciding what to put on the air, the determining factor usually is not the public’s interests or welfare but its buying power.

TV’s Effects on Children

Most researchers and people in the television industry agree that children are particularly vulnerable and susceptible to what they see on TV. One underlying cause for this is the amount of time and attention children give to television. Professor Postman, quoted earlier, explains it in this way: “TV is a medium that becomes intelligible to children beginning at about the age of 36 months. From this very early age on, television continuously exerts influence.

How does this ‘continuous influence’ affect children? “I can spot the heavy TV viewers right away, observes a kindergarten teacher of 20 years. “They are usually the children whose play is copied from TV superheroesthe ones you see standing on top of the tables with towels or aprons tied around their necks as capes like Batman has. They do a lot of aimless running around, punching and shouting. The heavy viewers are often the ones who can’t sit still and listen to a story without squirming and interrupting incessantly. But if I put on a film they will sit motionless and stare at it.

The “stare is clearly a carry-over from television viewing, and it creates another problem for childrenpoor reading ability. In reading, the eyes must move across the printed page line by line while the brain deciphers the meaning of what is read. “What is not generally realized, observes Dr. Edgar Gording, director of the Gording Institute of Developmental Vision, “is that habitual television viewing trains eyes not to move. (Evidence is also accumulating to show that children’s comprehension, imagination, range of conversation and use of words are affected by excessive TV viewing as well.)

Here is another serious consequence of television viewing by children. The ugly skeletons hidden in the closet of the adult worldadultery, divorce, homosexuality, incest, corruption, brutality, violence, and so forthare fully exposed to children through television. The result? The disappearance of childhood innocence.

What About the Adults?

For most people who own a set, TV viewing is relaxing, convenient and seemingly harmless. However, since the mid-1970’s, a great deal has been said and published about the harmful effects of TV, especially of its violence. Though some measures have been taken by the networks to cut the amount of violence in TV programs, the TV tube was turning from blood-red to blue. “You push down violence and up pops exploitative sex, says a media analyst. Even a member of a network’s censor board admits: “With the mix of programming today, sexuality has taken the place of violence.

The networks, however, defend their position by saying that “the viewers speak with forked tongue because surveys consistently show that programs riddled with flirtatious behavior and verbal innuendos, such as are presented in many of the situation comedies and variety shows, are among the most popular. They claim that they are merely giving the public what it wants.

Not only is the quality of TV entertainment often questionable but the limitations of the medium also make it an inefficient source of news and information. Why? Because not only does television dictate at what time you get your nightly news but you may have to watch the entire newscast to get a particular report, such as the weather. Books, magazines and newspapers, on the other hand, can be picked up and read at any time, and you can scan, skip, pick and choose as you please.

By: Flor Ayag

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Build Huge Twitter Following

My grandchildren are constantly watching TV shows over at my place. Ostensibly, my children have forgotten the joys of cartoons and won’t let them follow much at home. So every day after school, once they enter my entryway, the TV turns on and doesn’t turn off until their parents come to pick them up.

My grandchildren are my joy and I love to observe them after they get out of school. Nevertheless, they complain every single day about how teentsy my TV is and how extraordinary theirs is at home. I have no problem with watching my television and I am almost blind but apparently, technology has already captured my 5 and 10 year old grandchildren.

My husband is also on the big HDTV frenzy and has been trying to talk me into one forever. I just don’t see the reason in purchasing something new when I have something already employed at home. Last weekend, we were at the center and my husband dragged me into Best Buy to look around, just like he always does.

He also took me by the hand through the HDTV section as he always does to show me all the great high definition channels they have on exhibit. I must declare that it all does look nice and all but I am caught in sticker shock.

My spouse then had me talk to a salesperson about all the offers they have at the moment such as free interest if you open up a card through them or 10% off the purchase. The 10% didn’t seem like much but it did help with handling the tax on the television and I guess my grandkids would truly love to observe their shows on a pleasant HDTV.

I told the salesperson to hurry up and ring it up before I changed my mind. Now, I am home with my new high definition television and it is quite amazing. My blood-shot eyes don’t have to strain to see a small image anymore because the screen is big enough for me to see everything with no problems.

My grandchildren hurried over when they heard of the purchase and you would have thought it was Xmas morning. They could not wait to turn it on and observe their shows. What a pleasure it was to observe them so excited!

So I guess I have now jumped into the 21st century with high definition. At least I won’t have to hear anymore about how great the HDTV is because I already know.

By: Jim Williams

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Affiliate Marketing

The outburst of technology and the widespread of Internet have made the lives easier. Social networking has become easier than it had been ever before, but the dilemma of times is deploying local communication among the masses. Local communication, must say a better local communication is an essential for any social setup. Being in contact with local people either through a speech or writing, direct communication or using an external medium, i.e. radio, TV etc is as important as it’s to be in contact with the people worldwide. And so, we need better communication skills.

Communication skills though can be enhanced in any age, but the most suitable is childhood. Skills developed during this age long last and ensure a successful communicator. Preparing your children for being leading communicators in future is one the responsibilities of parents so don’t ignore it. The future success of your child entirely depends on the communication skills he has, and the development of such needs a little time and attention at your end.

There’re number of ways to boost communication skills among children, but the root of all is ‘knowledge’ and the interpretation of words. Knowledge increases with the experience, but an individual cannot experience thousands of situations in a limited time. A way to experience thousands of feelings is to observe them and they can easily be done either by reading or watching. So, the best way to enhance communication skills in children is to let them experience maximum number of situations and feelings, have them observe a lot of scenes, let them explore the characters etc through watching television and reading books. Reading books can be much effective as parents can provide the best books and control the process to a greater extent, while chances of misusing the television in young children are relatively larger.

Finally discussion, that brings out the hidden skills of children; so discuss more and more, i.e. what they’ve read, watched, observed, thought etc. Discussing all these will construct a bridge, helping children to develop their communication skills on one hand and befriend to parents on other. This leads them sharing their problems and analyzing and solving others’ problems.

Give your children a small amount of time out of your stringent schedule and let them explore the world of communication and become successful.

By: Qurratulain Akhtar

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Toddler Bedding

en cried when they realized they could no longer watch their favorite television shows, but soon learned that wholesome videos can cure their withdrawals in a moment’s notice.  But more importantly, they’ve gotten off their butts and started enjoying more physical and bonding activities.  And the best part is that I no longer hear, “Just a minute mom.  I’ll be there on commercial.  Huh, what did you say?  Oh, I forgot because I got hooked on this show.”  And, “do I have to?  I was right in the middle of the good part!”

 

It all began on February 9, 2004 when my friend and I attended an all-day Women’s Bible Study.  At one of the workshops, the speaker discussed ways we could simplify our lives and in return grow stronger bonds with our children and other loved ones.  One of her suggestions was to nix the television.  She read a study that stated television consumption wastes approximately 4 hours of our day and 13 years of our lives.  She went on to ask, “If you knew you could gain just 6 of those years back by cutting your television watching down to just 2 hours a day, what would you do with all that time?”

 

The irony was that this lesson came at a time when my husband and I requested our cable services be lowered to the very basic package, but found the cable company had disconnected our service instead.  Now for those of you who live in a big city being without cable isn’t that big of a deal, but for those of us who live in rural communities, we need cable just to get channels 2 through 13 to come in clear.  After learning that the cable company wasn’t going to be able to come back out for another week and that we would incur a “service connection” charge, we decided to forego cable altogether.

 

Our 9 year-old-daughter stormed out of the room, up the stairs, and straight into her bedroom as she mumbled and screamed about the injustice of it all.  Our 13 year-old-son looked at us in disgust while he complained that he’d never be able to watch television again because the only shows he ever watched were cable-only stations.  And my husband; well, let’s just say that he had a moment of television jitters but soon realized something pretty powerful—television shows had become more important than socializing with his family and friends.  He realized and later admitted that he had grown accustomed to planning his time around what show was on at what time and yelling at the kids to “not” interrupt him. 

 

I’ll admit that the first week was the hardest.  With so much time on their hands, my children began bickering with each other over the silliest things. After a week of listening to my children constantly bicker, I was ready to re-order cable.  But we stuck it out. We’re now going on our third week and I’m pleased to announce that no one has died of boredom, the children have stopped bickering (well for the most part), my husband and I have found more time to talk with our kids and each other, we’ve rediscovered reading for pleasure, and board games have become a family affair.  It truly has been a blessing in disguise and a great way to reacquaint ourselves with one another.

By: Alyice Edrich

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Mesothelioma Lawyers