Parental Control Tools to Protect Kids in the Digital World

August 8, 2015 by

The internet offers a lot of benefits that bring ease and convenience in the day to day activities of everyone. But it can also add challenge to the complicated world of parenting. Instead of just browsing the net for tips on how to make the best waffles or how to raise well-rounded kids, you now find yourself searching how to stop cyber bullying. The use of social media and easy access to internet sites expose your children to the dangers of cyber bullying, inappropriate content, and cyber predators. The smart thing to do is to know more about these potential threats and find parenting tools to protect your kids in the digital world. These could include apps like storiesig that lets you save abusive Instagram stories so you can gather evidence against a perpetrator, or learning how to help your child avoid exposure to harmful posts altogether.

“Security Button On Mobile Screen” by Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A major concern for parents is the child’s access to inappropriate content that may corrupt their minds or influence their behavior negatively. Parents can regulate the information or site that can be accessed by their kids by using tools like the Familoop – Parental Control Software. This digital parenting software provides comprehensive protection for kids while using the internet. The parental control by Familoop allows guardians to block inappropriate content or websites. Parents can also regulate the YouTube videos that their kids can view through the YouTube parental control. One great feature of this internet filtering software is the Smart Protection Rules which makes use of age-based rules in web filtering.

The social media has become a popular tool for kids in expressing themselves. However, incidents of cyber bullying and the presence of cyber predators are things to worry about. The safety of your child should be important to you, especially as pretty much anyone can have access to the internet. With this being said, doing some research into something similar to Broadband Search cyber bullying stats could help you prevent your child from becoming a victim of cyber bullying. Even if they are safe online, this is something worth knowing just in case.

Social media can be dangerous for children, which is why some parents feel that they have to play a key part in monitoring their interactions with other online users to ensure that their child is talking to people they know. Some parents have apparently downloaded an igdm desktop application to allow them to see their children’s messages from their Instagram account. This way, parents can be sure that their child is using the internet safely. Parents should also be aware that criminal charges can be brought against cyberbullies. A common misconception is that because this happens online, nothing can be done to stop it. However, with the help of digital Forensic Investigators, it is possible to collect evidence against a cyberbully and take legal action against them.

Familoop Safeguard takes care of this concern through its parental control feature that gives them access to all social media, internet and mobile activities of their kids. Parents can look into profiles of people that interact with their kids and check for suspicious behaviors. This way, parents can nip the trouble in the bud and lessen the risk of their children getting hurt or violated online. However, it is important to know that parenting issues in the digital world are as sensitive as those of the real world. Familoop’s dashboard can be of help in this aspect as it provides a guide for potential issues and appropriate parenting advice.

Familoop Safeguard offers a comprehensive package of internet filtering, parental control, child locator, social network protection, and digital parenting advice. It is a great option for ensuring internet safety for kids. Opt-in early and get as much as 60% discount when the product is made available on Sept 2015. If you’re willing to shell out hundreds of dollars just to provide your children with the latest gadget, you must also be willing to shell out some funds for their protection online so do get the best one you can afford.

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Filed Under: Mommy Talk, Products We Love, Resources Tagged With:

4 Tips For Busy Mums

June 23, 2015 by
Image by Marin / FreeDigitalImages.Net

Image by Marin / FreeDigitalImages.Net

There’s no question that motherhood is an incredibly demanding role. Between raising the kids, running a household and career pressures, the strain of modern family life can feel all consuming at times. But don’t despair, there are many ways you can ease the stress. You can start by following these four tips for busy mums.

1. Slow down

Trying to do too many things at once can lead to chaos and confusion. Even if you consider yourself a master of multi-tasking, there’s only so much a busy mum can get done while trying to run a household. To avoid feeling as though you’re constantly trying to play catch-up each morning, take a moment to think of every single task you’d ideally like to complete that day and then list them in order of importance. By slowing down and setting yourself a clear set of objectives, you are far more likely to avoid distractions and be productive.

2. Develop a routine

Creating a consistent and realistic routine can help to take the stress out of motherhood. Studies have shown that young children thrive when their lives are structured around a daily schedule, providing them with a sense of security and comfort. Raising a family can be an unpredictable business, and there are sure to be ups and downs along the way. By establishing a routine, you can ease some of the pressure that comes with being a busy mum. The routine doesn’t have to be set in stone: try drawing up a schedule on a whiteboard, with a routine for each day of the week. Try and have your kids eat their meals and go to bed at roughly the same time every day to get the most out of your routine.

3. Find balance

Trying to create a stable work/life balance is one of the greatest challenges facing modern mums. Dividing time between your family and a demanding career can be stressful and exhausting, leading to feelings of frustration and unnecessary guilt. If you ever feel as though your job is taking up too much of your precious family time, consider opening your own business. There are plenty of resources available to busy mums looking to start a business. For example, you could think of starting a supplements drop shipping business, where you wouldn’t need a huge capital to set up a store or maintain inventory. All you would need is a good website! What’s even better is that you will be able to plan your work schedule around your personal life. Opening a small business can help you to earn money whilst working in a schedule that benefits you. Maybe one day when your children are older, you can expand this business and design online rosters for your staff so that they can also balance their work and personal life by working at times that suit them better. In the meantime though, starting a business in your home could be the way forward. A good example of a business structure with built-in support is a telecommunications business. By partnering with a wholesale provider such as Telcoinabox, busy mums can start their own telecommunications company from the comfort of their own home.

4. Make time for yourself

If you never make time for yourself, the stress of being a busy mum can start to take its toll. Whether you schedule a set time each day to unwind, or simply seize the opportunity on a whim, never underestimate the power of relaxation. Going for a calming walk, catching up with friends or even stopping for a ten-minute meditation session can help to relieve stress. Even taking a relaxing bubble bath could help you relax after a long day. In your bath, you might want to consider using some wholesale cbd bath bombs. That could help you to relax even more, improving your general mood and wellbeing afterward. CBD has a lot of health benefits, so it could be beneficial to use those bath bombs. If you’ve heard about CBD, you may find that this could be an ingredient worth incorporating into your relaxation routine. Click here to find out more about how you may be able to destress with CBD bath bombs. For anything you are not familiar with, be sure to do some research.

If you are constantly on the go from the second your alarm goes off in the morning, try getting up fifteen minutes earlier than you usually would. Allowing yourself a moment to gather your thoughts and prepare for the day ahead can make a huge difference to your stress levels.

Image by Marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

Image by Marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

Being a mum will always involve a certain amount of chaos and stress, but, by implementing just a few simple lifestyle changes, you can make the experience much less of a struggle for both you and your family. Do you have any tips for busy mums? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Filed Under: Business Savvy Moms, Mom's Corner, Mommy Talk Tagged With:

Three Strategies For People With Marital Struggles

February 27, 2015 by

At some point in their lives, most married couples will experience challenges in their romantic relationships. When this time comes, it’s important that you have systems and strategies in place that will help you and your partner continue operating as a successful unit. With that idea in mind, consider the following three strategies when you’re experiencing significant marital struggles:

1. Communicate

Communication is key at any point of a relationship, but it is especially important when you’re experiencing a problem. In order to devise a viable solution, your partner needs to understand exactly how you feel about the issue. If you mask your true feelings or simply don’t talk about the issue, you’ll just perpetuate the problem and further exacerbate the tension that is already present in the relationship. In recognizing this reality, be sure that you’re keeping the lines of communication open. Even if the relationship breaks down, communication is still important especially if you have children. While it does make sense to involve solicitors when discussing custody of children, being able to openly communicate can make this process easier for everyone.

Image by Archipoch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by Archipoch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2. Consider Counseling

Yet another strategy you should try when experiencing a marital problem is counseling. In many cases, people do not have or develop the life skills necessary to make their marriage function successfully. And even if you have strong life skills that are relevant to the marriage realm, it’s often a good idea to get perspective and opinions from a third party who can offer you and your partner a more objective analysis of the relationship. For these reasons, seeking professional counseling services from an individual who is trained in helping people with troubled marriages is oftentimes the key to helping you and your partner move forward together.

Image by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3. Contact A Divorce Lawyer

In some cases, divorce is inevitable. Thus while you may be interested in saving your marriage, it’s important to note that simply letting it go is the most advantageous course of action in some cases. When you’ve realized that your attempts to save your marriage are not working, it’s time to contact a tulsa divorce attorney or a lawyer local to your area. These days, there are a plethora of firms that can help individuals grapple with important legal issues pertaining to property, child custody, money, and much more. One rule of thumb when looking for a divorce lawyer is to make sure that you use one that is in the area you live in as it makes meetings with your lawyers a lot easier. If you are going to use the internet to search for a divorce lawyer you will want to include the name of where you live in your search, for example if you live in Massachusetts then you will want to type in one of the following combinations, MA Divorce lawyers, Divorce Lawyers MA, Massachusetts Divorce Lawyers or even Divorce Lawyers Massachusetts, you don’t have to use the word “in” as most search engines will automatically know what you are trying to search for just by those specifc keywords. Once you’ve typed in your search term hit the enter key and pages of Divorce Lawyers in your area will be displayed giving you plenty of choices to choose from.

If you’ve realized that divorce is unavoidable a good law firm to choose is Cordell & Cordell it’s definitely a firm you should consider. Go here to learn more about how divorce lawyers can assist you.

Image by cuteimage / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image by cuteimage / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Conclusion

If you’re currently experiencing a substantive challenge in your marriage, it’s important to note that there are many ways to resolve your problems. By implementing one or more of the marriage strategies discussed in the previous paragraphs, you will likely find the solution that helps you start leading the healthy, happy life you deserve!

Filed Under: for DAD & MOM, Mom's Corner, Mommy Talk Tagged With: ,

Why Do I Have To Go Through Too Much Pain

February 26, 2015 by

Children never ever run out of questions.  While some are easy to answer, there are those that leave us at a loss for words.

Why does this always happen to me?  Why do I have to go through too much pain?

Just what do you say to a child who asks this question when you yourself feel that a child should never even be asking that question in the first place?  No child should have to go through pain. Period.

photo ER1.jpg

The calm before the storm. Waiting in the ER.

Unfortunately, my daughter had to go through so much physical pain at a very young age.  Several days ago, she was rushed to the emergency room when pain in her abdomen persisted and increased in severity.  All symptoms pointed to appendicitis and surgery was scheduled immediately.

As with all surgeries, this entailed a series of skin tests, blood extractions, and IV insertion.  I know adults who dread these so what more would you expect from a six-year-old.  The first blood extraction took ages with little Jade screaming her lungs out and refusing to extend her arm and to open her tightly closed fists.  After a lengthy talk, the next ones were successfully done much faster and with no screaming.  Still, she was in pain with each prick from the needle.  It was agonizing to see her go through those. 🙁

While in the OR, her surgeon was surprised to see hemorrhage in her abdominal cavity.  The pain she felt was most likely due to that hemorrhage and not to appendicitis which was just at its onset.  Apparently, it was caused by omental torsion so she underwent both an omentectomy and an appendectomy.  Her surgery went well and we were amazed by her quick recovery.  I braced myself for plenty of crying and whining post-surgery but was so surprised to see her with a huge smile on her face while in the recovery room.  A day after surgery, she was already sitting straight and could walk a few steps.  Two days after, she was already standing straight and walking unaided!

photo ER2.jpg

A pretty smile post-surgery! “I was asleep, Mama. Then I woke up and they’ve fixed me already!”

photo ER8.jpg

A day after surgery. Still all smiles!

photo ER7.jpg

Third day. No more IV! Yey! Here with Ate Becca who patiently encouraged her to be brave and to walk properly. <3

Still, when it was just the two of us in the hospital room, she would ask me why she had to go through all the pain.  Why it happened to her? Why she was always sick? (This wasn’t her first surgery. She had bilateral inguinal hernia repair when she was just three months old).

Why does this always happen to me? Why did God let me have this kind of pain? Why did I have to go through all of these?

What did I say to my daughter? This was the only thing I could say to her, “I don’t know why we are allowed to experience pain, but I know that God is always with us when we’re going through it.”

Psalm 119:50

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

I don’t know why there is suffering in the world.  I don’t know why children go through pain.  What I do know is that my dear Jade showed so much more courage than I have ever shown in my almost 40 years of life.  That my dear Jade has shown so much more faith in Jesus than I have ever shown.  I do know that prayers are powerful and that miracles do happen.  I do know that Jesus is always with our little Jade.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Filed Under: Mom's Corner, Mommy Talk

Why the 52-Week Savings Challenge Doesn’t Work

January 26, 2015 by

Ever heard of anyone who actually succeeded in doing the 52-week savings challenge? Last January 2014, I’ve read quite a number of blog posts encouraging readers to do this savings challenge. I’ve also seen several versions that transmuted the dollar values to peso with varying increments from 10 to 100 pesos. As 2015 started, I saw once more a host of blog posts about this challenge. However, I have yet to read about someone who has successfully completed the 52-week savings challenge. (In case you do know someone who’s had, please do let me know.)

Why the 52-Week Savings Challenge Doesn’t Work?

The original 52-week savings challenge was in US dollars and if you’re working in the US, it would be quite easy for you to set aside $50/week even on just a $3,000/month income(the median household income in the US). Given that saving $200/month is doable and won’t hurt the budget much, why save only $9 during the first month of the year?

photo Savings Challenge in .png

52-Week Savings Challenge

It’s an entirely different story for those in the Philippines where median household income is roughly 30,000 pesos which is just about $1,000. Setting aside almost 10,000 pesos in 3 consecutive months is near impossible.

photo Savings Challenge 50pesos.png

52-Week Savings Challenge in Philippine Pesos (initial savings of 50 pesos with 50-peso increments)

photo Savings Challenge 10 pesos.png

52-Week Savings Challenge in Philippine Pesos (initial savings of 10 pesos with 10-peso increments)

For me, and many others I believe, this system just doesn’t work. Why? First, Saving should NOT be a challenge. You do not save just because everyone else is doing it or because someone designed a seemingly cool way of doing it. SAVING SHOULD BE A LIFESTYLE. Incorporate it in your daily life and it becomes as natural as breathing, but also requires a little out of the box thinking like considering how you could check up on your mortgage to save money.
Also, consider things like replacement windows which help you to save without even having to think about it.

Second, the 52-week savings challenge is somewhat impractical and inefficient. The original system has one saving $1 on the first week of the year, then $52 on its last week. Bulk of the savings fall on the months when expenditures are highest which makes this system impractical. Inefficient simply because there are simpler ways to save much more than the $1,378 total of the 52-week savings challenge.

An Efficient Way to Save

Have you heard of the Savings Equation? It goes like this:

INCOME – SAVINGS = EXPENSES

This, at least for me, is the best way you can grow your savings and, eventually, increase your investments. By setting aside money right after receiving your salary, you ensure monthly savings. This also disciplines you to live well within your means. How much should you save each month? Ideally, you should set around 20% of your income as savings; or 10% at the least. However, with the average salary of the working class, this may not be feasible.

Always save the maximum amount that you could while still having enough left for your basic needs. It doesn’t matter if it just amounts to 1,000 pesos per month – that would still give you 12,000/year which could double in 5 years time if invested wisely. Whatever amount you choose, the important thing is to set aside a specific amount every payday. Grow your savings by investing in mutual funds – you only need a minimum investment of 5,000 pesos so there’s no excuse not to have one.

photo savings fixed.png

How to Save More

Want to increase your savings while barely noticing it? Use an old fashioned piggy bank or glass jar. When you get home every night, dump all the coins in your pocket and wallet into your piggy bank. If you need coins for transportation fees the next morning, set those aside first, then dump all the rest in the piggy. You’d be surprised how much your little piggy would weigh in just a few months.

photo ID-100283781 Stuart Miles.jpg

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Live simply. Do you really need a new desktop, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone EVERY YEAR? Why buy a 6,000 peso jacket when you can get a good one for a quarter of that price? Live well within your means. And for a little extra help, see how you can increase your income online click to earn money with Clixsense.

Again, let me leave you with this, Saving isn’t a challenge, SAVING IS A LIFESTYLE.

Filed Under: Mom's Corner, Mommy Talk Tagged With: ,
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