An area of particular concern today is safety on the Internet.   Sending emails and instant messages along with surfing the web and participating on social media sites such as MySpace, have been a way of life for many children and teenagers.  Unfortunately, children are subject to the lure of Internet predators and are at great risk of falling into their trap.

Internet safety is a concern that is new to this day and age, and one that was non-existent when parents were raising their children 25 or more years ago.  As grandparents raising grandchildren, there are several strategies you can implement to help keep your grandchildren safe from on-line predators:

• Ask your grandchildren quetions about their Internet activity and engage them in conversation about the dangers.  Emphasize that people of whom they cannot see, are not always who they appear to be.
• Keep computers in a location where you can monitor what they are doing.  When computers are visible, children are less likely to access sites they shouldn’t. Follow up by checking your grandchildren’s Internet history.
• Put time limits on their Internet use, just like television. When there are restrictions on time, children are less likely to get involved in conversations with strangers.
• Educate your grandchildren on the importance of never sharing their name, address, phone number, age or even the name of their school.
• Filter your grandchildren’s Internet use and/or invest in child Internet protection software.  These software programs allow you to set time limits on activity, monitor chat lines, filters & blocks websites, and alerts you of potential predators.
• Go to the website Enough is Enough and view statistics on Internet safety and download the document, “Rules ‘N Tools Checklist” for an in-depth list of Internet safety guidelines.

Next Wednesday, January 20th at 1pm Eastern, I invite you to my radio talk show program on TalkShoe where I will be interviewing Kindergarten Teacher, Adrianna Kruse.  Adrianna is the author of Little Red Hoodie, which is a different take on the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, that teaches children about Internet safety.  Please mark your calendars!

Until then, Have a Grand Day!

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

As we are in the midst of the holiday season, traditions often come to mind as we think of celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S. and Christmas all over the world. As our children were growing up, we had many traditions; however, when they grew up and moved away to start their own families, we broke some of the traditions we had due to distance.  My husband and I began a few of our own.

Now that we are back in Arizona with our family and our grandson is living with us now, we are thinking about traditions that we can begin with him as well as our other grandchildren.  However, traditions don’t have to be limited to just the end of the year holidays.

The word tradition means to hand over, hand down or transfer.  Traditions can be inherited through social or family customs, stories that have been handed down from generations to generations, religious practices, customs or holidays. Even though traditions are most commonly associated with religious and regional holidays, traditions can be any time of year, in any part of the world, and around any event.

Starting traditions is a great way to connect with your grandchildren by creating an event of which they can look forward and remember for many years to come. Here is a list of possible traditions that you can start with your grandchildren.

• Weekly Family Events
  • Special Sunday dinner together as a family
  • Going to church
  • Friday rent a movie and make popcorn at home night
  • Saturday Picnic
• Regional or Cultural Events
  • Fairs
  • Festivals
• Holidays
  • Decorating
  • Making Crafts
  • Cooking Recipes
  • Singing Songs
  • Family Gatherings
• Social Events
• Parades
• Seasonal (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer)
• School Activities
  • Sporting Events
  • Picture Day
  • Concerts
  • Clubs
  • Fundraisers
• Family Vacations
• Household Activities (Yes, even these can be traditional)
  • Cleaning
  • Organizing
  • Yard Sales
  • Decorating and Maintenance

Traditions can be created from any idea, event or activity that is repeated over time.  You can find that almost every day in the year has some type of tradition that has been carried down as a result of an event in history, somewhere in the world. For a list of unusual holidays that have been created out of traditions, go to http://www.holidayinsights.com/.  This website contains a very thorough list of unusual days, major holidays and holidays from around the world.   (Today, by the way, is Eat a Cranberry Day and National Cashew Day.)  You may be able to use this list to create your own traditions with your grandchildren.

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”

The countdown to Halloween is over now; and the costume is hanging up for another day when our grandson wants to play Star Wars in his Clone Trooper outfit.  The main focus of Halloween (aside from the children’s dreams of getting the mother lode of candy), is pretending to be someone they can’t be on any other given day.  But, does it have to be that way?

Growing up as a child, I remember how much fun it was to dress up in my Mom’s clothes and shoes.  She had a pair of white patent leather high heel shoes that I loved to wear with her dresses.  She also had a few wigs that she stopped wearing and some jewelry that added to my attire.

My kindergarten teacher, who was highly imaginative, staged an entire presentation around Holland.  We made costumes (with the help of our parents) out of crepe paper and wore wooden shoes.  We sang and danced, what may have been a kindergarten version of the Clog Dance.  It was one of my fondest memories in my early years in school.

Imaginative play is so important in children’s development, and can be used to teach a number of skill sets.  Costumes can be used to act out literature such as classic poetry, novels and plays, as done in the movies.  When performing in front of family members, children can begin learning the art of speaking in public, which is regarded as one of the biggest fears of many adults.

Dressing up can also be used to reenact a period in history, which is demonstrated at Gettysburg and at Shakespeare and Renaissance Festivals.  And of course, what would Disneyland be like without Mickey Mouse and Snow White.  This is where dreams come true.

Although we tend to only scramble around for costumes at Halloween, children should frequently be given the opportunity to dress up and experience imaginative play.

So, what do you have in your closet?  Please share your thoughts and stories.

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana

Now that we are well into the first month of school (hard to believe), it is time to start the after school activities.  Our grandson has decided that he would like to start playing soccer.  Lucky for us, practice is on Saturday, so this weekend he’ll be starting a new sport.

Sports are excellent ways to help your grandchildren develop good social skills, physical fitness and teambuilding skills.  Activities such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Camp Fire USA help children build healthy relationships, self-esteem and leadership skills.  They also learn a lot about useful survival skills and philanthropy, to name a few.

Junior Achievement is a worldwide organization that helps children learn about workforce readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.  JA programs begin in kindergarten and continue through high school.

Let’s not forget about art, dance and music, which allow children to develop their artistic talents and creative expression.  These are also very important activities in which children can participate.

Depending on your location, you may be limited to the number of programs available in your area, but check with your grandchildren’s schools, or search in the newspaper or online for specific programs that may be of interest to your grandchildren.

So what do they all have in?  They all lead to physical, social and emotional development, and provide opportunities to learn life-long skills.

What programs listed might your grandchildren find interesting or appealing?  Do they provide programs in your geographic location? If not, in what other programs can they participate?

If you have any comments or suggestion for other activities, please post them below.  I’d love to hear from you!

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana, C.C., M.A.Ed.
“The Grandcoach”