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Internet Safety

February 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The internet is such an important part of our lives today that we take certain things for granted. We expect that our children understand how to use the internet safely and not wind up getting themselves in some kind of trouble. However, they may not understand exactly what they need to do to remain safe while surfing the web.

Probably the most important lesson you can teach your child is that of privacy. They need to understand that you do not tell people you meet on the internet private things about yourself or your family. This includes your real name, what school you go to, where you live, or any other facts about yourself.

Children who understand this are much less likely to find themselves in a compromising position with someone they meet on the internet. There may be a case where your child does meet a friend on the internet that they want to meet in real life. This is a situation that you need to handle as a family. If you do decide to allow them to meet an online friend you should find a way for you and your child to meet this friend in a public place.

Make sure you meet this other child’s parents too, so that you can all be certain you are on the same page. Just because you meet a friend on the internet doesn’t mean that you can’t one day be “real life” friends too, anyone who does this simply needs to be very careful so they do not wind up in a situation that is not as it may seem.

Your child may be aggravated at you for having rules and guidelines about internet safety but you only have their best interests in mind. When they get a bit older they will certainly understand why you worried and will be very glad that you did.

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What is Sexting?

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

An increasingly more common behavior that many parents find their children engaging in is what is called sexting. This is when teens are sending nude pictures and erotic messages to other teens via text messages.

There have been several major cases where girls sent nude or almost nude pictures of themselves to other students.

This can be more than a moral dilemma, many people have faced child pornography charges because they kept the pictures that were sent to them. There was a case where a teenager spent time in jail after his football coach caught him with nude pictures on his cell phone.

Surveys have found that around 20 percent of teens admit to sexting. This is a dangerous activity not just because of the legal aspects but because it can lead to sexual encounters that the teens may not be ready for.

A picture that is sent to one recipient can quickly spread like wild fire through a school. There have been many cases where a teen only meant the picture to go to one person but soon the entire school has seen them nude.

If you have not had a talk with your teens about this behavior, you should take the time to talk with them about what you expect. If you catch your children engaging in this risky behavior, you should consider taking away their cell phone privileges and make sure that all the offending material is deleted so that it cannot come back and cause problems in the future.

Many teens simply don’t understand the risks that sexting can pose. You need to make it clear that this is not behavior that you approve of, and give them examples of what has happened in many of these cases. This can be a great way to connect with your teen and help them make choices, not just now but for the rest of their lives.

Filed Under: Internet, Security Tagged With: , ,

Tax Season is Near!

January 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There might not be a more stressful season for families than tax season. Parents especially face the season with a feeling that borders on dread if not fear. Helping out working children with their taxes only multiplies the stress for the resident family accountant. Every tax offers its own set of problems. Tax code is impossibly complex and not meant to be understood by causal observers. Thousands of tax court cases get decided every month and governing bodies pass new tax laws nearly every other week. Even though it might seem like a cop-out, filing through a third party tax service might be the best option for tax payers seeking to maximize their tax returns and spare themselves the stress of filing their tax paperwork incorrectly.

Rather than navigate the difficult tax code alone or act as an accountant for an entire family, TurboTax helps clients get organized and provides them with the best possible tax return, while removing the stress of filing. Rather than worry about filling out the paperwork or understanding how to maximize the returns for each member of a family, using a third party service can provide clients with rapid returns that ensure the largest possible refund. Even though hiring a professional to complete tax paperwork costs money, it often costs more to not use a service. Even though the filing service is not free, there are ways to cut back on the costs.

TurboTax coupons are an intelligent and frugal way to maximize a tax return, while saving on a valuable service. It might not seem that there are ways to save on using a service such as TurboTax, but there are many competing services that offer tax payers ways to save while seeking ways to maximize their returns. Getting the best return also means finding the best service.

Filed Under: Internet, Security Tagged With: , ,