Focus on the Candidates – Chris Christie

This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in 2016. This blog focuses on Chris Christie. Chris Christie is the 55th Governor of New Jersey. He was first elected in 2009. He won re-election in 2013. Health Care According to his official website, Chris Christie proposes expanding the existing sliding scale for Medicare premiums for higher-income seniors. “If you can afford to pay more for your health benefits you will, and if you can’t you won’t”. He proposes giving each state a set amount of Medicaid funds … Continue reading

Focus on the Candidates – Marco Rubio

This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in the 2016 election. This blog focuses on Marco Rubio. Marco Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants. He started out as a City Commissioner for West Miami. In 2000, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. In 2006, he became the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Marco Rubio became a United States Senator in 2011. Health Care According to his official website Marco Rubio believes “that Obamacare cannot be fixed and must be fully … Continue reading

Focus on the Candidates – Carly Fiorina

This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in the 2016 election. This blog focuses on Carly Fiorina. According to her official website, Carly Fiorina earned a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. In 1999, she was recruited to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard (1999 – 2005). She was the first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. In 2010, Carly Fiorina ran unsuccessfully for United States Senate in California against … Continue reading

Focus on the Candidates – Donald Trump

This blog is part of a series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in the 2016 election. This blog focuses on Donald Trump. According to his official website, Donald J. Trump is a graduate of Wharton School of Finance. He is the author a popular business book called The Art of the Deal. You might recognize his name from Trump Tower, the Trump International Hotel, or his “Celebrity Apprentice” TV series. Unlike the other Republican candidates, Donald Trump does not have any background in politics. He has never held an elected position. … Continue reading

How to Unplug Your Kids And Encourage Family Communication

Want to have a better relationship with your kids and teens? Do you find it hard to get their attention when they are staring at a screen? Here are some tips for parents who want to unplug their kids and encourage communication. Limit Screen Time The goal is to place limits on when and where your child or teen can use their computer, tablet, or smartphone. The goal is not to remove those devices from your kids forever. A reasonable amount of screen time can be stimulating and sometimes even educational. Parents need to pick their battles with this one. … Continue reading

How to Help Your Kids Fall Asleep

Sleep is important. We all know what it feels like to have to get up and start the day after not having enough sleep. Before parents can turn in for the night they need to make sure their children are asleep. What can you do if your child is resisting bedtime or getting up at night? Here are some ideas that could help your kids to fall asleep. How much sleep do kids really need? The National Sleep Foundation has some recommendations that are based upon the age of the person. Adults need less sleep than children and babies do. … Continue reading

Ways to Prevent Your Baby Monitor from Being Hacked

We are entering the very beginning of “the internet of things”. The simplest explanation of what that means is that there are now several appliances and electronics that are constantly connected to the internet through Wi-Fi. The purpose is to make life more convenient. Unfortunately, sometimes this interconnectedness can cause security issues. A family discovered this in a very unpleasant way when their nanny noticed that someone had hacked their baby monitor. A stranger was able to talk to, and see, the room the baby was in, the baby, and the nanny who was caring for the infant. How did … Continue reading

Your Tween May be Posting Personal Information on Instagram

Instagram is a popular social media website that is primarily about photos. People post selfies, photos of what they had for dinner, vacation photos, and whatever else they want to share online. What many parents don’t realize is that teens and tweens are sharing a lot more than photos on Instagram! The terms of service at Instagram state: “You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service”. It is possible for a teenager to simply make their own Instagram account without asking their parent for permission to do so first. Some parents will make an Instagram account … Continue reading

Some Parents are Following their Teens to College

Students who graduate from high school are eligible to continue their education by going to college. These students are eighteen years of age (or older) and are adults. For whatever reason, there are now some parents who choose to follow their son or daughter to college. We have all heard of the phrase “helicopter parenting”. While some will argue that this parenting style provides certain benefits, many others continue to view it as less than ideal. A helicopter parent is one that swoops in and solves his or her child’s problems for them. That’s a great thing to do if … Continue reading

Positive Parenting Might be your Style

Parents today have a plethora of parenting styles to choose from. Have you figured out what your parenting style is yet? If not, then perhaps Positive Parenting might be your style. Positive Parenting is a style that is intended to lessen stress and form healthier relationships between parents and their children. It is not an authoritarian parenting style. Other phrases that have been used to describe Positive Parenting include: positive discipline, gentle guidance, or loving guidance. Physical punishment, such as spanking, is absolutely not a part of Positive Parenting. It isn’t about “teaching your child a lesson”. Instead, this parenting … Continue reading