Latest news with #kids
CBS News
2 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
The risks of smartphone use for kids under 13
New research published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities suggests kids who get smartphones before age 13 face significantly higher risks of mental health problems. On a summer day in Champlin, many kids are busy running, playing and swinging in the park. "I think it's important for them to just still grow up without the constant electronics," said Milaniya Oayenyagra, a mother of three from Rogers. Countless others are at home absorbed in their smartphones and social media. Almost two-thirds of kids say they were 10 or younger when they got their first smartphone. "We see anxiety increasing, negative body image increasing, we see thoughts to hurt self," said Dr. Joshua Stein, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical director at PrairieCare. Stein admits it's a tricky world for parents to navigate. "Even as parents, we're just trying to catch up and understand our own use and our own patterns, and I think it's a really good chance to start that conversation now wherever you're at, even if you have to claw back some of these privileges." Stein says if you feel like what you've already done isn't working for your child or your family, make changes, like adding parental controls, setting time limits and eliminating use close to bedtime. He also adds there are red flags to look for that may indicate a problem online. "If all of the sudden when they come off their phones, they're irritable, they're agitated or if they start to just all of the sudden not use their phone at all," he said. "Sometimes it can be that they're being bullied, sometimes it can be that they're frustrated, but other times it can be that they're being preyed upon." Regular check-ins, where you ask if there is anything online that makes your child feel sad or uncomfortable, can help you gauge their mental health and open the door to suggest tech-free activities. "Parents need to make sure they're providing their young kids that opportunity to make play, that it's OK for them to be bored and it's OK for your older teenagers to be bored, too, and to figure out how to connect and have fun with one another," he said. Stein suggests families use the free Family Media Plan provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It helps keep track of social media usage and set family priorities.
CBC
3 hours ago
- General
- CBC
New emergency shelter for women and kids coming to Summerside
Summerside will soon have more shelter options for women and their kids. Last year, LifeHouse had to turn away about 80 women because the shelter was full. Now, city council has voted unanimously to allow the service to expand. CBC's Tony Davis reports.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cutest Back-to-School Handprint Craft You'll Want to Save Forever
This back-to-school handprint printable is the perfect keepsake craft for kids! A fun way to celebrate the new school year and get kids excited for the big day. Handprint crafts are always a fun idea! Since the school year is starting or may have already started, now is the time to start this fun art project! The kids will love making something like this — and being able to use their hands as well! Messy play is always a great way to keep their attention and keep them involved. Not only will they use their hands as the stem of the apple, but they'll also have a forever keepsake to remember their first day of school! This is the perfect activity that is also a great keepsake for them to have as they get older! What is a fun way to use this Handprint Art Back to School Printable? This would be super cute to have the kids hold up for their first day at school picture. Every parent makes the kids pose and smile on their first day, so holding this printable just seems like a great idea! Handprint Art Back to School Printable — Supplies Back to School Apple Printable Green paint Paintbrush How long does it take the paint to dry? Since you're not putting a heavy coating of paint on the paper, it shouldn't take long at all. Just touch it lightly with your finger — and if it's wet, give it more time to dry. Make sure that it's dried all the way before having the kids hold it for the picture or putting it in a frame. Instructions Start by printing out the back-to-school PDF template. Paint your child's hand green and then put it on top of the apple to make the stem! Final Thoughts This apple handprint craft is such a fun way to kick off the school year. It's simple, meaningful, and makes a cute keepsake you'll cherish for years. Happy crafting and happy back-to-school season!
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
My family of 4 moved from a big city to a quiet mountain town. We love it here, but wish we lived closer to my kids' grandparents.
In 2017, my family moved to a small mountain town. It was a big change, and we love living there. However, relocating meant moving hours away from our kids' grandparents. We've had to get creative to stay connected. Almost eight years ago, in the fall of 2017, my wife and I packed up our lives and moved to Nelson, British Columbia. You've likely never heard of this hidden gem. It's a quirky, secluded mountain town nestled deep in the West Kootenays in central British Columbia. After years of living in big cities, we were craving something different. We wanted our kids (at the time, we had a 2-year-old and a newborn) to grow up with space to roam, clean air to breathe, and a strong sense of community. We dreamed of a slower pace, afternoon bike rides to the lake, and winters spent skiing instead of commuting. And in many ways, that dream came true. But what we didn't fully grasp was what we'd be giving up, which was the consistent presence of grandparents and the reliable network of support that only close family can provide. We underestimated the emotional weight of raising kids without our parents nearby and how much they would miss being part of our children's daily lives. The lifestyle trade-off felt worth it at first Moving to Nelson from a major city was a major lifestyle upgrade. The lake views are stunning, there are hiking trails minutes from our front door, and we have a tight-knit, creative community that rallies around its kids. Our children have the kind of freedom I was fortunate enough to have as a suburban kid, such as riding bikes to school, building forts in the woods, and learning to ski on weekends. Not to mention, we're more active, more present, and more connected to nature than we ever were in the city. We've cultivated a sense of spaciousness and calmness in our days that's hard to describe until you've lived it. However, the decision to move here wasn't made lightly. We considered the lengthy drive to see family, the lack of direct flights, and the fact that winter travel in the mountains can be perilous at the best of times. But we told ourselves we'd visit often. We assumed the bond between our kids and their grandparents would remain strong, even with the miles between us. The absence of family ran deeper than we expected Long-distance grandparenting is hard for everyone involved, including my partner and me. We miss the impromptu dinners, the free babysitting, the help when one of the kids is sick, and we both have pressing deadlines. But more than anything, we miss the presence of people who love our children as much as we do. That kind of love is irreplaceable. It's been especially hard to watch my parents age from a distance. With each visit, I feel the dull ache of time slipping by. I notice subtle changes, like slower movement and more forgetfulness. I think about all the ordinary moments our kids don't get to share with them: baking cookies, reading books, getting picked up from school "just because." My parents try. They video chat, they send cards in the mail, and they make the seven-hour drive a few times a year. But it's not the same as watching your grandkids grow up in real time. We've had to get creative to stay connected To help bridge the gap, we've established some rituals, like Saturday morning FaceTime calls, monthly mail swaps (our kids love sending their drawings), and using those digital photo frames that you can upload photos to from an app. Now that our kids are 8 and 10, we can meet our parents halfway between our homes and have them take the kids for a week or two without my partner and me being there. It's times like these that their bond truly flourishes. These rituals help. But some days, it doesn't feel like enough. I often wonder if we made the right decision moving far away. Did we choose adventure at the expense of closeness? Are we giving our kids a magical childhood, or robbing them of deeper relationships? Maybe the answer is both. What I do know is that we made this move out of love. We wanted to raise our kids in a place that reflects our values of community, nature, and togetherness. But I've learned that "togetherness" isn't just about where you live. It's about who you let in and how you find ways to show up for each other, no matter how far apart you live. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
The "Cool" Neighborhood Feature You'll Never Regret
This article may contain affiliate links that Yahoo and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links. The first time I brought my kids to our neighborhood pool, a mere two days after our interstate move to Knoxville, Tennessee, I had no idea how much this space would impact our lives. We were moving from Tallahassee, Florida, where so many households have their own pools that neighborhood pools aren't necessary. But Knoxville's milder climate means a shorter pool season overall, and fewer homes with private pools. Although our summers in Florida revolved around going to our neighbor's pool every day (sometimes more than once!), I didn't give much thought to the pool situation in our new home. We're now on our fourth summer in Knoxville, and pool season is our favorite. The neighborhood pool I initially took for granted has turned out to be one of the best things about our new place, so much so that, if you're looking for a home in a similar type of area, I'd tell you that a pool needs to be at the top of your must-have list. What My Neighborhood Pool Has Meant to Me A neighborhood pool is great for all the obvious reasons. It keeps my kids busy, it's a great place to invite friends for hangouts, and it's a reliable summer activity. I can take the kids to the pool, sunscreen them up, and relax on a lounger while they play for hours. There are almost always a few kids there that my kids know and play with, and they have since forged meaningful and lasting friendships there, too. Last year, my teen son met several other boys at the pool and they've become a close-knit, year-round group of friends who work out together, run on the cross-country team, buzz and bleach each other's hair, and hangout at each other's houses. These boys have come over for carrot cake, root beer floats, movie nights, and freshly baked cookies; gotten in trouble for playing too loud and waking up my little kids; pranked us with their Halloween bush costumes; and been there with their arms around my son (literally and figuratively) through some adolescent heartache. It's a mother's Leave It to Beaver dream and it wouldn't have happened without the pool. But it's not just my kids who've found connection. With school years that are so busy, many parents (*raises hand*) can hardly come up for air. The summer pool scene offers a low-key, no-planning way to foster connections with other women in the neighborhood. Over time, the repeated contact the pool has allowed has turned these connections into friendships and community that I most definitely do not take for granted. Being able to chat with other moms and get to know new families — without having to find a time that we're all free or host — is invaluable. It staves off loneliness (this isn't talked about enough) and makes me feel woven in with a group of people nearby who I can count on to let me borrow a cup of sugar or bring a package into the house when I'm out of town. Are Neighborhood Pools a Rising Real Estate Trend? I feel like I discovered a special secret with our pool, but I know I'm not the only one who has experienced the impact of these neighborhood gems. I reached out to the Realtor who helped us buy this house, Kelly O'Connor of Wallace Real Estate, to find out more about both the history and current trends of neighborhood pools. Turns out that O'Connor, who grew up in the same town we live in now, has her own fond history with neighborhood pools. 'I spent every summer from sun up to sun down at the pool, which resulted in amazing childhood memories with all of the neighborhood kids,' she says. O'Connor shared that a neighborhood pool was on her list of must-haves during her house search so that her children could experience the same childhood summers she had. But do others feel the same? I asked O'Connor whether neighborhood pools are on the rise or fading away. 'During the pandemic we saw a large uptick in private backyard pools being installed,' she says, 'but neighborhood pools, especially in the South, are certainly not a thing of the past. They bring a great sense of community to subdivisions.' And it's not just about the pool itself. In newer subdivisions, it's all about the amenities surrounding the pool, too, O'Connor adds, such as splash pads, firepits, nice clubhouses, and even pickleball courts. Additionally, O'Connor says that pools themselves are getting modernized — with eco-friendly and lower maintenance options available (saltwater and solar-heated pools) — and current design trends ranging anywhere from plunge pools to resort style pools. Do Neighborhood Pools Impact Home Value? While we find tremendous personal value in our neighborhood pool, I wondered about whether this is a feature that reliably translates to home value. O'Connor weighs in: 'Community pools can absolutely be an added value when it comes to home sales,' she says. However, she suggests a few things to keep in mind when it comes to assessing how much of a value-add a community pool offers. Specifically, she suggests considering how well the pool is maintained, and whether the HOA fees are the end, 'having nice, well-kept amenities in a subdivision will always add value to your home,' O'Connor said. 'We have seen a lot of buyers moving to Tennessee from out of state, so choosing a subdivision with a community pool has been a fantastic way for new owners to meet their neighbors in a laid-back and fun environment.' Further Reading We Used Our New 'Room Plan' Tool to Give This Living Room 3 Distinct Styles — See How, Then Try It Yourself The Design Changemakers to Know in 2025 Create Your Own 3D Room Plan with Our New Tool Sign up for Apartment Therapy's Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox. Solve the daily Crossword
