Left Unattended

There’s a lot of truth in this quote by Zsa Zsa Gabor. ‘Husbands are like fires- they go out if unattended.’ I’d like to suggest we need to change it to read ‘Marriages are like fires- they go out if unattended. That seems to me to be part of the problem. People live their lives as though there marriage and their spouse are not important. Everything else – career, hobbies, friends, family, or being right seems to take precedence over the marriage. If you are both working at your marriage attending to the details to make it the best it … Continue reading

Summer Travel Tip: Never Leave Children Unattended in a Car

It’s a lesson a father living in my city learned the hard way. The man left his 2-year-old daughter sleeping in his locked alarmed car while he ran into Wal-Mart to pick up a spare battery. When he returned to his vehicle his daughter was awake and two police officers were waiting to arrest him for child endangerment. That dad was lucky. Seriously. While I’m sure he wasn’t pleased about being hauled off by police, he is lucky his daughter is still alive. Had the temperature outside been higher his toddler would have suffered much more than just emotional trauma … Continue reading

The Pets Blog Week in Review for October 29 – November 4

The new format worked so well I think I’ll stick with it again this week. Ready? Here we go…let’s see what Aimee and I wrote last week: Monday, October 29 More Viral Animal Emails: Doggone Hysterical Cartoons aren’t just for the funnies anymore. These days people can share them with everyone in their email address book. I talked about some that friends had shared with me that tickled my funny bone. Common Saltwater Fish Diseases Aimee talked about the diseases that saltwater fish are susceptible too, many of which are the same that affect tropical fish. She gave a list … Continue reading

Child Left With Caretaker is Dead

Last Saturday, a seventeen year old Dallas mother of two left her children at the home of Detress Richmond in order to go to work. She needed money and she had been hired to braid hair. Richmond had assured her that she would watch her two daughters. The decision to rely on the woman’s promise turned out to be tragic. A nine year old boy, who lived in the home, stabbed her two year old daughter to death with a knife. Apparently, no adult was in the home. Richmond left her fifteen year old daughter in charge of at least … Continue reading

5 Tips for Staying Safe this Summer

Summer vacation is in full force. The kids are out of school and many families spend time outdoors enjoying themselves. While you and your family are out and about, make sure you are following these summer safety tips. Summer Safety Tips Prevent Playground Injuries The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that emergency departments in the United States treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries. Check to make sure the surfaces under the playground equipment are safe, soft, and well-maintained. Before letting your child run and play, take a minute to make sure the … Continue reading

Tips for Keeping Kids Safe on Facebook

Does your child have his or her own Facebook account? Are you letting your child use the account unattended? Facebook requires people to be at least 13 years old before they can create their own Facebook account. That being said, some parents make accounts for their kids who are under age 13 – and some kids make their own Facebook account without their parent’s knowledge. Either way, it is important to keep kids safe while they are on Facebook. Here are some tips for parents that can make their child’s Facebook experience a lot safer. Limit The Child’s Activity Does … Continue reading

Free Range Parents Cleared of Neglect Charge

It can be extremely frustrating to have someone criticize your choice of parenting style. Imagine how scary it would be to have the police tell you that your parenting style is considered to be a form of neglect. This situation happened to parents in Maryland – who have since been cleared of child neglect charges. It all started with a trip to the local park in December of 2014. Parents Alexander and Danielle Meitiv allowed their son and daughter to go to the park, and walk home, by themselves. Their son, Rafi, was 10 years old, and their daughter, Dvora, … Continue reading

Free Range Parenting – Letting Kids Roam Free

There’s a parenting style in the news that has gotten some attention lately. Its called free range parenting. The basic concept is that children should be allowed to roam free while they are unattended by their parents (or other adults). This parenting style was common in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Today, it appears to be causing some controversy. Parents Alexander and Danielle Meitiv are practicing free range parenting. It is pretty much the opposite of helicopter parenting. A helicopter parent wants to hover over their children and step in at the first signs of a problem. A free range parent, … Continue reading

Parenting Techniques Outside of the United States

The things that you consider to be typical parenting techniques might seem strange to people who live outside of the United States. Likewise, some of what parents in other countries do may seem weird to parents here. It’s all a matter of perspective. What works well for parents in one place might not be acceptable to do in other places. NPR has an article titled Global Parenting Habits that Haven’t Caught On In the U.S.. It was written by Emily Lodish and posted on August 12, 2014. In it, she points out some parenting techniques that are commonly practiced in … Continue reading

What to do When Other People’s Kids are in Danger

Most parents are very careful and cautious with their children. They put in a great deal of effort to keep their children out of dangerous situations. Sometimes though, things happen and a child could wind up in a situation that is not at all good. What can you do when you see that a child, who is not yours, is unsafe? Here are some suggestions about what to do. What to do if You Think a Child is in Danger A Child Has Been Left in a Car There are a lot of parents who will tell you that they … Continue reading