Easy Net Access Spells More Risks for Children
By: Rajeshwary Menon
Easy access to 3G mobile connections, cybercafés and WiFi hotspots means children have more opportunity to go online unsupervised, leaving them vulnerable to internet predators.
Speaking at a Cyber Security Awareness for Everyone (CyberSafe) forum last week, DSP Mahfuz Abdul Majid from the Cyber and Multimedia Investigation Division in Bukit Aman warned of the dangers posed by the internet, especially to children who easily fall prey to cyberstalking, cyberbullying and indentity theft.
The internet has become such a convenient place for cheating – anymore can cheat anyone and there are so many potential victims. Criminals use technology to cheat, harass and disseminate false information and children especially, are vulnerable.
The forum, themed Protecting Children Online: Are we doing enough? and organised by CyberSecurity Malaysia, was attended by 100 participants comprising parents, educators, counselors and lawyers.
It covered topics and issues related to protecting children online such as the current trends in abuses of technology, role of parents, educators and the community in preventing the exploitation of children online and the cyber laws available to people who have been victimised online.
Tan Wei Ming, senior manager of Symantec - an IT company specializing in anti-virus software – spoke on the creative ways in which cyber criminals could mislead children and even adults through information gleaned from social networking sites.
They can profile you through social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace. Even if they only have your name and e-mail address, they can learn about your weak points. Children can easily fall victims.
He also touched on the importance of keeping computer anti-virus and malware detection software up to date, as cybercriminals use viruses to steal personal information, and even banking details.
Nowadays, malevolent viruses are also embedded in websites, the address of which is sent to you through a link. If you click on the link, your computer becomes infected and your personal details would be compromised.
Freddy Tan, the chief security adviser of Microsoft, spoke about dangers of internet addiction and shared tips on what could be done to keep children safe online.
Parents should start by setting boundaries and telling them to be safe and responsible online. They should teach children about what they should or should not share online.
He said policymakers could include internet safety education in schools, fund research on online risks and behavior and support community internet safety events.
Source: theSun, December 21,2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Parenting Tips
Parenting Tips
Here are some useful pointers for first-time mothers as well as mothers with a new addition to the family.
Power it down
Some children bite or push and act like a bully. If your child does this, don’t reward him by letting him see the other child crying or by picking him up and talking to him. Instead, let him know what he did was wrong, remove him from the scene and concentrate on the other child.
Teach them to apologise
Usually, by the age of two, children can make the connection between being naughty and the consequences of their action. Encourage children to say sorry to whoever they’ve hurt, and even give a kiss or hug if both of them are comfortable with that.
Don’t take sides
When toddlers fight or disagree, it’s often difficult to ascertain who the aggressor is. Make sure your child gets the message that some behaviour is never appropriate – like biting – but he can take action to protect himself if attacked.
Make work play
Young children don’t distinguish between ‘work’ and ‘play’ the way adults do. To them, anything can be a game and they can have great fun helping you, even with jobs you find tedious – such as sweeping, vacuuming, dusting and washing-up.
Plan and schedule chores
If you find chores and jobs around the house continually get in the way of spending time with your child, try drawing up a timetable for yourself so you can keep playtime and chore time separate during the day. That way, your child will understand the boundaries better, too.
Establish house rules
Make simple rules for children and be consistent. Start with a few things that they can do and should not do so they don’t become overwhelmed with too many regulations. Avoid having too many don’ts and always explain to the children that the rules were set up for their safety and benefit.
Clamp down on climbing
Many toddlers love to climb but they do not understand the consequence of their action. Often, they do not know how to get down and may even hurt themselves. Try to keep climbing opportunities to a minimum and don’t keep tempting things – like toys or sweets – on high shelves.
Make your home child-safe
Once your toddler learns to walk, it’s time to think about safeguarding his bedroom from accidents. Bookcases and chests of drawers should be fixed to the wall whenever possible, plugs removed from basins, windows locked and electrical sockets covered.
Source: theSun, Tue, 15 Dec 2009
Here are some useful pointers for first-time mothers as well as mothers with a new addition to the family.
Power it down
Some children bite or push and act like a bully. If your child does this, don’t reward him by letting him see the other child crying or by picking him up and talking to him. Instead, let him know what he did was wrong, remove him from the scene and concentrate on the other child.
Teach them to apologise
Usually, by the age of two, children can make the connection between being naughty and the consequences of their action. Encourage children to say sorry to whoever they’ve hurt, and even give a kiss or hug if both of them are comfortable with that.
Don’t take sides
When toddlers fight or disagree, it’s often difficult to ascertain who the aggressor is. Make sure your child gets the message that some behaviour is never appropriate – like biting – but he can take action to protect himself if attacked.
Make work play
Young children don’t distinguish between ‘work’ and ‘play’ the way adults do. To them, anything can be a game and they can have great fun helping you, even with jobs you find tedious – such as sweeping, vacuuming, dusting and washing-up.
Plan and schedule chores
If you find chores and jobs around the house continually get in the way of spending time with your child, try drawing up a timetable for yourself so you can keep playtime and chore time separate during the day. That way, your child will understand the boundaries better, too.
Establish house rules
Make simple rules for children and be consistent. Start with a few things that they can do and should not do so they don’t become overwhelmed with too many regulations. Avoid having too many don’ts and always explain to the children that the rules were set up for their safety and benefit.
Clamp down on climbing
Many toddlers love to climb but they do not understand the consequence of their action. Often, they do not know how to get down and may even hurt themselves. Try to keep climbing opportunities to a minimum and don’t keep tempting things – like toys or sweets – on high shelves.
Make your home child-safe
Once your toddler learns to walk, it’s time to think about safeguarding his bedroom from accidents. Bookcases and chests of drawers should be fixed to the wall whenever possible, plugs removed from basins, windows locked and electrical sockets covered.
Source: theSun, Tue, 15 Dec 2009
Starting on Solid Food
Starting on Solid Food
by Rachel Goodchild
The do’s and don’ts of introducing baby to new fare
When should you start your baby on solids? It really depends on the individual child but it should be sometime between four and six months. At six months, he will have depleted the store of iron he was born with.
Some medical personnel will insist you wait until the six-month mark but you know your own baby better.
If he is getting hungry between feeds, chewing on his fingers and generally feeling very out of sorts, he is ready!
Your baby needs to start with plain food so don’t go adding sugar, honey or salt to his meal. You should always start with baby rice as it is the least likely to spark an allergic reaction.
The best time to introduce solids is after the mid-morning feed. You only start with very small quantities. Your child won’t suddenly eat a bowl of rice.
The first time, he may only have one spoon and that is completely normal. If he appears to gag on the rice, he may not yet be ready, so wait a couple of days before trying again.
Assuming your child tolerates the plain rice, try adding some pureed fruit or vegetables. You need to introduce one new solid at a time so that if there is a reaction, you will know what is the cause.
Your baby will still only be eating spoonfuls at each meal so why not save yourself some time. Puree the fruit and freeze in ice cube trays. For each meal, you only need to defrost as much as your little one will eat.
Just make sure that you use it within 24 hours and never reheat leftovers for a baby. They are very susceptible to food poisoning.
The trick is to gradually expand the foods you introduce. As he gets a little older, you can educate his palate to the delights of lentils and chicken.
You will still need to puree everything as he cannot yet cope with solids. At around seven months of age, you will be able to mash up his food instead as his mouth should have developed sufficiently to cope with small lumps.
During this time, milk is still his main food source so don’t be worried if it appears your infant is not "eating" enough.
Try introducing some finger foods when he is seven to eight months and sitting upright comfortably.
Lightly cooked vegetables such as carrot and courgette fingers are good. You can give him some humus as a dip. He will be delighted getting messy but may actually eat some as well!
It is also useful to introduce some carbohydrates at this stage as well.
Please don’t hover over your baby with the cleaning cloth. He needs to learn how to feed himself and the sooner you accept the mess, the better for both of you. You can get plastic coverings for the floor to make cleaning up easier.Or if it is warm enough, you could feed your baby while he is wearing just his nappy as he will be easier to clean.
He will soon learn good table manners but for now let him have fun as he learns about this whole new world.
In the middle of weaning your child, he will probably start teething. Some babies may have their first tooh as young as three months old. Often babies will feel pain, may have a fever, bleeding gums, red cheeks and generally be out of form. Sometimes they will also get nappy rash.
If he appears to be in pain, try rubbing some gel on his gums to help numb the pain. Or put his teething ring in the fridge as the cold helps to numb the pain. If your baby is old enough, try giving him a piece of hard cold fruit to nibble on.
This will be a very busy time for you and baby as you both discover this new world together. Enjoy it as it will be over before you know it.
Source: theSun, Tue, 15 Dec 2009
by Rachel Goodchild
The do’s and don’ts of introducing baby to new fare
When should you start your baby on solids? It really depends on the individual child but it should be sometime between four and six months. At six months, he will have depleted the store of iron he was born with.
Some medical personnel will insist you wait until the six-month mark but you know your own baby better.
If he is getting hungry between feeds, chewing on his fingers and generally feeling very out of sorts, he is ready!
Your baby needs to start with plain food so don’t go adding sugar, honey or salt to his meal. You should always start with baby rice as it is the least likely to spark an allergic reaction.
The best time to introduce solids is after the mid-morning feed. You only start with very small quantities. Your child won’t suddenly eat a bowl of rice.
The first time, he may only have one spoon and that is completely normal. If he appears to gag on the rice, he may not yet be ready, so wait a couple of days before trying again.
Assuming your child tolerates the plain rice, try adding some pureed fruit or vegetables. You need to introduce one new solid at a time so that if there is a reaction, you will know what is the cause.
Your baby will still only be eating spoonfuls at each meal so why not save yourself some time. Puree the fruit and freeze in ice cube trays. For each meal, you only need to defrost as much as your little one will eat.
Just make sure that you use it within 24 hours and never reheat leftovers for a baby. They are very susceptible to food poisoning.
The trick is to gradually expand the foods you introduce. As he gets a little older, you can educate his palate to the delights of lentils and chicken.
You will still need to puree everything as he cannot yet cope with solids. At around seven months of age, you will be able to mash up his food instead as his mouth should have developed sufficiently to cope with small lumps.
During this time, milk is still his main food source so don’t be worried if it appears your infant is not "eating" enough.
Try introducing some finger foods when he is seven to eight months and sitting upright comfortably.
Lightly cooked vegetables such as carrot and courgette fingers are good. You can give him some humus as a dip. He will be delighted getting messy but may actually eat some as well!
It is also useful to introduce some carbohydrates at this stage as well.
Please don’t hover over your baby with the cleaning cloth. He needs to learn how to feed himself and the sooner you accept the mess, the better for both of you. You can get plastic coverings for the floor to make cleaning up easier.Or if it is warm enough, you could feed your baby while he is wearing just his nappy as he will be easier to clean.
He will soon learn good table manners but for now let him have fun as he learns about this whole new world.
In the middle of weaning your child, he will probably start teething. Some babies may have their first tooh as young as three months old. Often babies will feel pain, may have a fever, bleeding gums, red cheeks and generally be out of form. Sometimes they will also get nappy rash.
If he appears to be in pain, try rubbing some gel on his gums to help numb the pain. Or put his teething ring in the fridge as the cold helps to numb the pain. If your baby is old enough, try giving him a piece of hard cold fruit to nibble on.
This will be a very busy time for you and baby as you both discover this new world together. Enjoy it as it will be over before you know it.
Source: theSun, Tue, 15 Dec 2009
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