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A House is Not a
Home
By David Tait
Children are
strongly influenced by the home in which they are brought up. It
determines much of what will lie ahead for them for the rest of their
lives. For most of us, ìhomeî is where our families live. It is
not the bricks and mortar that make the home but the connected
individuals who live within it.
According to a Threshold
Magazine article, a 1998 poll identified that 39 per cent of
unmarried men would prefer to be married, while only 29 per cent of
unmarried women would. More recent research is highlighting that this
gap between men and women is widening further.
There are many
indications that, contrary to popular belief, men have an even more
romantic vision of the quintessential home and family life than their
female partners. Yet many young men are reluctant to acknowledge this,
even to themselves. As with so many needs and feelings, men keep
things hidden behind bravado, anger and depression.
If we donít
openly acknowledge our real needs and what we truly value, we are
unlikely to succeed in maintaining the intimacy and compassion that a
home requires. For children to experience the warmth and security they
require, we must all be constantly engaged in maintaining compassion
for ourselves and every one else in the home.
It is the most important thing that we will ever do.
Choosing
computer equipment for your child
Children in this
modern era are well provided for with toys for their general
enjoyment, which also serve to enhance their early childhood
development. Although a computer or a laptop is not what we can
classify as a toy, it can serve the purpose of entertaining and
educating children from a very young age through the various
affordable educational programs.
When choosing the
necessary computer equipment and peripherals for a young child, a
parent should be aware of the type of suitable monitor, mouse and
keyboard which can reduce various adverse effects on the childís
vision and posture. For example, an LCD monitor is preferred to the
old CRT monitor for its flat display and its reduced radiation. If a
laptop (notebook) is chosen, one with a larger display (15î or
above) is preferred.
Children as young
as two can start on a computer. The size of the mouse is an important
factor as most of the early childhood computer programs do not require
children of the young age to use the keyboard for typing, but would
encourage them to use the mouse to click. There are many types of
affordable mini mouse in the market which would fit children of all
ages. The touch pad on the laptop is also a good way to introduce the
concept of pointing and clicking to a child who is too young to have
control over manoeuvring a mouse.
For any question on
the suitable computer products for your childís early computer
education, please ring Netway Computers at 9332 0888, or visit their
store at Shop 35/36, Southlands Shopping Centre, Burrendah Blvd,
Willetton. Other stores are located at Kardinya Park Shopping Centre,
Whitford City Shopping Centre, Warnbro Fair Shopping Centre, and
Livingston Market Place Shopping Centre.
Behaviour
Tonics - practical solutions to problem behaviours.
Parenting
and educating children today is a difficult assignment. Advice on what
to do and when to do it is often confusing, expensive or hard to find.
Brad
Williams, head of Behaviour Tonics, has spent the past nine years
working specifically with children who have emotional, social and
behavioural difficulties. Behaviour Tonics was established three years
ago with the aim of providing affordable and practical services to
assist parents and schools in managing and correcting challenging
behaviours.
Techniques
and programmes used are simple to understand and produce positive
results. They are aimed at empowering adults and teaching children to
accept responsibility for their actions, while encouraging their
personal growth and social development.
One
such programme is the very
practical ë1-2-3 Magic - Effective Discipline for Children aged
2-12í by Thomas W Phelan Ph.D., a humorous look at parenting and a
serious look at discipline. Behaviour Tonics has implemented this
programme with the ìnaughtiestî of children and taught it to
hundreds of parents, carers, teachers and health professionals. It
really works!
Workshops
are held regularly, with participants entitled to free
and ongoing support via email and monthly gatherings. Customised
individual or group workshops are also offered (they can come to you).
The next ë1-2-3 Magicí workshop will be held in Leederville over
two mornings on 3 and 10 December, with crËche available. For details
or to book a workshop, call Brad on 9201 1250 or visit
www.behaviourtonics.com.au
Working
with Children Checks
The new Working
with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004
introduces compulsory criminal record checking of people who work with
children.
Under
the legislation, people working in certain types of child-related
employment or volunteer work must have a national criminal record
check. This will include people in businesses, such as tutoring in
music and other educational and sporting activities.
Working
with Children Checks for particular groups will start from 1 January
2006, and will be rolled-out for all others over five years.
The
new law aims to help protect WA children by:
* deterring people with criminal records that indicate they may harm
children; and
* preventing people with such records from gaining positions of trust
in certain paid and voluntary work.
A
Working with Children Check will
not confirm that a person is suitable to work with
children or for a particular job.
Criminal record checks are only one of the strategies that responsible
employers put in place to ensure that people who work with children
are suitable to do so. Employers need to adopt good recruitment,
selection, and supervision and training practices for staff and
volunteers.
Itís
important for parents to know that the people working with their
children will apply for a Working with Children Check as required
after 1 January, 2006. Please visit www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au
for more information.
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