The following information comes from United Way of the River Cities.

12 messages for raising a healthy child.

The first years last forever.

Wiring a brain is like wiring a house—it works better if you start from the beginning.

Love & affection cannot spoil a baby.

Crying means something. Be warm, loving & pick up your child to see what they need. Use their sounds, movements & expressions as cues.

Talk, read, & sing to your child.

You are your child's first teacher.

Have a regular schedule.

Children find comfort in the same routine every day.

Play is the work of the young child.

Encourage safe exploration & play.

Pay attention to your child.

Be aware of how, where & with whom your child spends time. Choose TV, videos & internet carefully.

Take care of yourself.

You cannot take care of your child, if your basic needs are not also being met.

Discipline to teach not punish.

Use discipline as an opportunity to teach appropriate behavior. Never hit or shake a child.

Choose child care carefully & stay involved.

For local information on approved childcare sites call LINK @ 1-800-894-9540.

Children develop at different rates.

Celebrate each child.

Give your child a childhood.

Children need unstructured time. More is not always better.

Your child needs to know she matters.

Show your child she is loved for who she is.

The following information comes from MediaWise.org

Effects Of Video Game Playing On Children

Positives

Video game playing introduces children to computer technology.

Games can give practice in following directions.

Some games provide practice in problem solving and logic.

Games can provide practice in use of fine motor and spatial skills.

Games can provide occasions for parent and child to play together.

Players are introduced to information technology.

Some games have therapeutic applications with patients.

Games are entertaining and fun.

Facts

The U.S. video game market reached nearly $10.5 billion in sales in 2005. with the projected world-wide market expected to grow to $46.5 billion by 2010 (BusinessWeek Online, 2006).

A recent report showed that 45% of heavy video game players and nearly a third of avid gamers are in the 6 to 17 year old age group (NPD Group Inc., 2006).

The Federal Trade Commission reported that 69% of unaccompanied 13-16 year-olds were able to purchase

M" rated video games from retailers (Federal Trade Commission, 2004).

Of computer and video game purchase in 2005, as reported by the NPD Group, 49% were "E" rated games, 4% were "E10+", 32% were "T" rated games, and 15% were "M" rated games (Entertainment Software Association, 2006).

A study of over 2,000 8 to 18 year-olds (3rd through 12th graders) found the 83% of them have at least one video game player in their home, 31% have 3 or more video game players in their home, and 49% have video game players in their bedrooms (Roberts, Foeher, and Rideout, 2005).

In the same study only 21% of kids reported that their parents set rules about which video games they can play, 17% reported their parents check warning labels or ratings on video games, and 12% reported they play video games they know their parents don't want them playing (Roberts, Foeher, and Rideout, 2005).

Negatives

Over-dependence on video games could foster social isolation, as they are often played alone.

Practicing violent acts may contribute more to aggressive behavior than passive television watching. Studies do find a relationship between violent television watching and behavior.

Women are often portrayed as weaker characters that are helpless or sexually provocative.

Game environments are often based on plots of violence, aggression and gender bias.

Many games only offer an arena of weapons, killings, kicking, stabbing and shooting.

Playing violent video games may be related to aggressive behavior (Anderson & Dill, 2000; Gentile, Lynch & Walsh, 2004). Questions have been raised about early exposure to violent video games.

Many games do not offer action that requires independent thought or creativity.

Games can confuse reality and fantasy.

In many violent games, players must become more violent to win. In "1st person" violent video games the player may be more affected because he or she controls the game and experiences the action through the eyes of his or her character.

Academic achievement may be negatively related to over-all time spent playing video games. (Anderson & Dill, 2000; Gentile, Lynch & Walsh, 2004)

Questions to ask: Is the violence rewarded or punished? What are the consequences? How graphic is the violence? Is the violence against humans or inanimate objects? Is the violence sexual?

Reasons children give for playing video games:

It's fun

Like to feel in control

Releases tension

Relieves boredom

Develops gaming skills

Feel a sense of mastery

Bottom line

Many video games are fun and appropriate.

Violent video games may be linked to an increase in aggressive behavior.

There are many questions about the cumulative effect of video games, computers, and television.

Parents are urged to monitor video game play the same way they need to monitor television.

What to look for in choosing a game

Be aware of advertising and marketing to children. Advertising pressure contributes to impulse buying.

Check the age ratings video game descriptors found on the box. Read other reviews (check Kidscore). Become familiar with the game.

If there are violence and sexual themes in the title and cover picture, you can assume these themes are also in the game.

Look for games involving multiple players to encourage group play.

Pick games that require the player to come up with strategies, and make decisions in a game environment that is more complex than punch, steal, and kill.

AVOID the "first person shooter", killing-machine games.

Ratings

Video game ratings carry one of seven logos showing age recommendations:

Titles rated EC (Early Childhood) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 3 and older.

Titles in this category contain no material that parents would find inappropriate.

Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.

Titles rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal suggestive themes.

Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.

Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons 17 years and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.

Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

Title listed as RP (Rating Pending) has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.)

The games will also list content descriptors describing the violence, language, tobacco, drug, and alcohol use, and sexual themes and sexual violence in the game.

Tips for Parents

LIMIT game playing time.

CHECK the age game ratings and descriptors on the box.

USE other content sources and reviews to help you choose a game.

CHECK KidScore for parent generated game reviews.

AVOID the "first person shooter", killing-machine games.

REQUIRE that homework and chores be done before game playing.

DO NOT PUT video game consoles or computers in children's bedrooms.

PLAY AND ENJOY a game with your child; check in as your child moves into deeper levels in the game.

TALK about the content of the games. Ask your child what's going on in the game.

EXPLAIN to your children why you object to certain games.

ASK your local retailer or rental store to implement policies preventing the sale or rental of M-rated (Mature) games to children or youth.

Finally, ENCOURAGE your child to play with friends, or other activities away from the video game set.

“No” and tantrums are likely to occur in 2-year-olds because their limited language and maturity makes it difficult for them to express their feelings, such as anger or frustration, in acceptable ways. Here are some suggestions:

• Young children can be easily distracted, so when you sense he is getting “worked up,” re-direct that energy into a different activity. It’ll work best if you involve yourself along with him. For example, ask him to chase you as you run from him or suggest you see who can get to front door first. An active game or activity is always appealing to a 2-year-old!
• Behavior you pay attention to will increase, so ignore her and start doing something interesting, like getting out some play-dough, or paper and crayons, or putting on music and dancing; or if you know she’s safe, move away from her or to another room…or if necessary, move her elsewhere.
• Keep your distance, but try to talk about the problem. Allow her to calm down and to explain why she’s angry so you can help her. Even if she isn’t able to talk about it now, you’re showing her what she’ll need to do as she gets older.
• Assess her needs, as she may be hungry or tired and therefore unable to control herself any longer. If so, try soothing her by letting her know you’re going to help her feel better because you know she’s hungry...tired...or just wanting to be in a different place. Meet her needs as quickly as possible.
• Give her the words she needs, and then as she tries to use them, reward her with a hug, a kiss, a smile, and a verbal “thanks for using words.”
• Respond with patience, NOT with spanking, threats, or yelling. These kinds of actions won’t help her learn the behavior you want. Instead they build anger and resentment and teach her that hitting is the way to solve problems.

Babies begin to learn the difference between day and night around 4 months of age, but usually need help from their parents to learn how to sleep through the night. Here are some hints for getting baby to bed:

• Remember, they’re babies: It’s generally 4-6 months before they can begin to make it through a night without being fed. Until then, they will likely need nourishment every 2-6 hours.
• Keep it routine: It’s never too early to begin a bedtime routine that is comforting, loving, and relaxing. This means doing the same thing every time. It may be a bath, a story, and then gently into the crib. It may be a story followed by rocking to soft music that continues playing after baby is placed in the crib. Whatever you do, be consistent with it!
• Read the signs: Look for your baby’s way of telling you: “I’m tired!” It may be yawning, rubbing eyes, getting restless, needing a “lovey” for comfort.
• Bed while sleepy, but awake: Allow your baby to learn to soothe herself to sleep by laying her in the crib before she’s completely asleep. This is an important skill she will use throughout life.
• Avoid the TV: TV is noisy, stimulating, sometimes scary and violent, and this can make separating from you even more difficult for your baby. It may also distract you from the one-on-one attention and relaxing activities your child needs at bedtime.
• Have a Plan; Be Patient: Plan the bedtime routine and be consistent so your baby will know what to expect. Plan how you’ll handle yourself with baby’s protests or cries so that you don’t sabotage the process: What will you do if baby cries? How will you quietly check if you need reassurance that baby is okay? And be patient because parents will have to wait and stay calm while their children are learning this important skill.