The Truth Bar

Baby highchairs are not necessary for your child if s/he is under six months of age. Although some companies make them so they recline for infants, they are not necessary until your child is able to sit up. The choice is yours.

Highchairs currently come with all kinds of features that are really more for the parent or caregiver than the child. Although the nicely padded seat covers make the seats comfortable. Some highchairs have wheels to make them easier to move however this is not necessary. Some are now coming with height adjustable mechanisms to accommodate your child’s growth and to be able bring the baby closer to the table. There are also adjustable foot rests to accommodate your child’s growth as well.
Most now fold for easy storage.

Highchairs now can be converted into play tables. Some of them have an insert that fits over the tray to give you baby a place to play. The feeding tray on many models come with an inset cup/bottle holder and some models have extra large feeding trays.

The base of the highchair should be broad and stable to help prevent the highchair from tipping. If your child leans over the side the chair could tip and injure your child. It is best then to teach your child to sit up all the time. Many highchairs are now foldable for easy storage.

When looking at highchairs some people express opinions about what the
highchair is made of. There are all wood chairs that tend to not be adjustable in height. There are metal framed highchairs with plastic trays and their are highchairs that are plastic.

There are things you can do to make the highchair safe place to be. Never leave your child unattended to go grab a bib, food, or answer the phone. It only takes a second for your baby to have an accident. You should have everything ready before putting your child in the chair.

Your child should always be strapped into the highchair without exception. The feeding tray will not prevent your baby from slipping under it and falling to the floor and possibly incurring an injury. If an older child slips under the tray they could get stuck and be injured.

If your high chair folds be sure that when you open it, that it locks in open position. If the chair collapses your baby could be hurt. This can be prevented with periodic checks of all parts of the chair.

Do not place the highchair near any place that the baby could push off from and possibly have an accident. Also do not place your baby’s chair near any wires that can be pulled on. All cords should be out of reach anyway.

When putting the feeding tray in place be sure to watch your child’s fingers. They could be pinched or severely cut. Also be sure the lock catches by tugging on the tray gently. It will not hold your child in place but if it is loose or doesn’t catch, your child if not strapped in could fall and get hurt.

Wear of the high chair can be hazardous. If the vinyl cover over foam is torn the baby could ingest small pieces of foam. Worn locking mechanisms could prevent the tray from staying in place. All belts and clasps should be checked for fraying or tears. The clasps for missing pieces or cracks. Cracked or chipped trays could cause injury or harbor germs. This type of check should be done before purchasing a second hand chair as well.

About the Author

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of
Baby Crib Bedding
and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

Big Foot Relay. Have the children take 2 shoeboxes with them. Magnetic Tape the hats onto the boxes, then cut a one-inch-wide and four-inch long slit in to each one top. Have the contestants slip their feet into the slits in the boxes and race.

Name-It Ball. Have players form a circle. Grant one player a rubber ball. That player selects a class, such as “candy bars.” He or she then bounces the ball to another player in the circle, who must catch the ball, submit an item from the category, such as “Snickers,” and keep the ball traveling to the next player. If the player can’t name an item, holds the ball too long, or repeats an item, he or she is out.

Cross Step. Draw a ten-by-ten grid on the sidewalk or patio with chalk. Have each player stand on a different square. One at a time, each player must move to a new square after crossing out the square she or he was once standing in. The magic is that players cannot step into a square that is populated or crossed out. If a player cannot move to a fresh square, he or she is out. The game continues until one player is left.

Blind Snakes. Set up a amount of sprinklers in between a starting line and a finish line. Have the tikes try to run from one end to the other without getting sprayed. Have one of the kids control the faucet, turning it on and off at random. Present ribbons to the nippers who play the most forehanded without getting wet.

Traveling anywhere with a Toddler is always an adventure. These are things that I have discovered over time are useful for dad to have with him. I don’t always have them, but I try to make an effort to have most of them with me when traveling with my three year old daughter. Especially if I am alone with her.

1. Bag of Animal Crackers

Take a simple Ziploc back full of animal crackers. If the plastic Ziploc causes you concern find a small plastic cup. I can’t tell you how many times having a simple snack has helped occupy my daughter or ended the crying. Other things like the fish crackers, or granola bars work just as well.

2. Child scissors

If you carry scissor as part of a pocket knife, or finger nail clippers, or even pocket knife with just a blade, you are pretty much prepared for this one. I recommend child scissors for anyone else because your child will want to hold the scissors after you use them. On what? Straws. You want to be able to cut the straw down to a shorter size to make it easier to handle with the smaller cups that come with your childs drinks. Watching a child drink from a straw that is too long makes the need for this one obvious. You can often avoid picking up and holding the drink if the straw is shorter.

3. Handkerchief or Receiving blanket

This is true for toddlers as even more true for even younger children. You need something to wipe the noses, clean up the spills, and otherwise wipe away the tears that inevitably come with your adventures with your toddler.

4. Tiny flashlight

This can be a small flashlight or even a pen light. It is useful for entertainment for your toddler as well has helpful in finding what ever object has been dropped behind or under the back seat of the car.

5. 2 pieces of hard candy

My wife says I am cheating with I use this one, but if it works, then dad should use it. I try to have two pieces of candy with me for those moments that you need to stop the crying, persuade, or bribe your child into doing what daddy wants. Of course you can’t give candy to your children all the time, or as often as they would like, but there are moments when you are in a hurry that it works wonders. If you get to the point that your child is asking you for candy all the time, you are definitely doing this too often.

6. Picture of your child

This is as much for bragging rights as serving any useful purpose. I have discovered as a proud father that I can talk to anyone about my children. Pictures are always good. Just keep in mind that you may have to look at their pictures as well.

7. Moist Towlet (individual wet wipe)

What works best is those individual moist towlets like the ones you get at your BBQ restaurant. I think you can also find them at some gas stations. Either way, while having wet wipes with you is always a must, sometime you don’t have them available and having a single moist towlet tucked away can be a life saver. Especially after you used the candy and now your child is all sticky.

8. Extra Pair of sun glasses

If you don’t want your toddler reaching or wanting to play with your sun glasses, then you need an extra “cheap pair” or sun glasses for your toddler that actually fit them. There is nothing cooler than when my daughter want to wear her sun glasses to be like daddy.

9. Camera

My wife carries a digital camera in her purse. A disposable camera works as well. They even sell disposable digital cameras. No matter what you have, there are those moments when you are with your children that you wish you had a camera. Not to mention, if you ever are in a car accident, or witness one, a camera can be really important to have then as well.

10 Extra Emergency Diaper Bag

Take a gym bag and back if full of the same stuff as in the diaper bag. Include the wet wipes, diapers, a change of clothes etc. Keep it in your vehicle. If you have more than one vehicle, make one for each vehicle. When you forget the diaper bag or run out of something, you will be the hero for having thought ahead. If you are along with the children and realize you don’t have the diaper bag, you will be thankful for the emergency diaper bag.

Written by William E. Petersen, author of the blog called DaddyTalk at http://www.daddytalk.blogspot.com William is a father of two children, Angelina who is three and Carlos who is one. He lives with his wife and children in San Antonio, Texas. He can be reached at DaddyTalk@publicist.com

When throwing a shower for your expectant moms think about using the Baby Shower Nursery Rhyme Theme Party. We all know the familiar lyrics from the Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes and guests will find the theme based on the rhymes cute and entertaining.

Use your creativity in coming with activities geared towards these Nursery Rhyme parties. For fun have guests split into teams of two or three and have them draw a nursery rhyme written on a slip of paper from a hat. They then have to coordinate and act out the rhyme for the other guests. The guests have to guess, of course, which rhyme is being acted out.

Food can be lots of fun at these parties. Have you thought about making some of the foods mentioned in nursery rhymes? Not everyone will be partial to ‘Curds and Whey’ from the Little Miss Muffet story, but you can certainly make up Jack and the Beanstalk Beans or Little Gingerbread Men. For a centerpiece you could even create a candy and gingerbread house like the one from the story about Hans and Gretel.

The colors used in a Nursery Rhyme party would be similar to any other Baby Shower. Think light blues and pinks, pale yellows and greens against a white or off white background. You could make the Baby Shower into a costume party and invite guests to come dressed as their favorite nursery character. To help make permanent memories of the event you can set up a traditional fairy tale landscape in one corner and take Polaroid’s of the guests as they arrive in costume. For party favors you can set these Polaroid’s into pre-made frames decorated with Nursery Rhyme words and colors. Just make sure that you take two Polaroid’s of each guest so that you can collect the extra Polaroid’s into a Baby Shower album for the expectant mother.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Free Baby Shower Games to help complete your event.

Abstract: This fun science experience integrates writing, math, and science in a four-stage process. Students work in teams of two or three learners using peer interaction and writing to understand the concept.

Keywords: freshwater, saltwater, groundwater, water distribution, water conservation, water supply, glacier water consumption, direct water consumption

Lesson Plan Grade Level: fifth through ninth grade

Total Time Required for Lesson: 60 minutes

To the Teacher: This activity is a simulation of earth’s water distribution. Students will see the amount of fresh water compared to saltwater. This activity should follow a background lesson on water conservation or water supply and distribution for your local area.

Four-Stage Process:

1- Background Activity- completed prior to doing the activity

2- PreLab: questions to answer before doing the activity

3- InLab: completing the activity

4- PostLab: writing a lab report to promote scientific reasoning

Suggested Links for background activities:
The Groundwater Foundation Kids Corner.
http://www.groundwater.org/kc/kc.html

NASA earth observatory, “The Water Cycle.”
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Water/

USGS, “The water cycle: Water storage in ice and snow.”
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleice.html

Sustainable Forestry, “Earth Water Distribution and Water Consumption.”
http://sftrc.cas.psu.edu/LessonPlans/Water/earthWater.html

United Nations Environmental Programme, “Freshwater issues.”
http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Issues/Freshwater.asp#index

_________________________________________________________________________

Water Distribution Activity

_________________________________________________________________________

Stage One: Background

Background Concepts:
Water is the only known substance that exists naturally as a solid, liquid and gas on the earth’s surface. Almost 97% of the earth’s water is too salty to drink. Most of the fresh water is in glaciers and ice caps. Less than 1% of the earth’s water is available for our use. We must conserve the water available to us.

Ground water flows underground through the soil and rocks. Ground water supplies wells and springs.

Surface water is above ground in lakes, swamps, rivers and ground ice.

EARTH’S WATER

Saltwater:
Oceans, seas, and bays 96.5%
Freshwater: 3.5%
Icecaps, glaciers and permanent snow 1.74%
Ground water 1.7 0%
Lakes 0.013%
Swamp water and rivers 0.001%
Soil moisture and atmosphere 0.002%
Ground Ice 0.022%
Other 0.022%

_________________________________________________________________________

Stage Two: PreLab
Answer questions before completing the activity

1. Carefully read the directions for the activity. Read everything. Don’t just skim it.

2. Write at least one question you have about the activity.

3. Brainstorm everything that you know about water distribution. Write as much as you can. Don’t be concerned about spelling or editing.

4. What is the overall purpose of the activity? Write one sentence describing how what you are being asked to do today will help you learn about water distribution. What will completing this activity teach you about water supply and distribution?

_________________________________________________________________________

Stage Three: InLab
Complete during the activity

Materials:
1000 mL beaker
100 mL graduated cylinder
6 small jars
Food coloring
Eyedropper
Seven 3 X 5 cards

Procedure: Check off each step after you complete it.

____ 1. Fill the 1000 mL beaker with tap water. The full beaker represents all of earth’s water.

____ 2. Pour 35 mL of water from the beaker into the 100 mL graduated cylinder. The 35 mL represents all of earth’s fresh water. The 965 mL left in the beaker represents the saltwater in the oceans.

____ 3. Add a few drops of food coloring to both beakers. Make saltwater and fresh water different colors.

____ 4. Divide the 35 mL of fresh water by pouring it into the smaller jars.

____A. Pour 174 mL into the first jar. This represents the fresh water in glaciers and icecaps.

____B. Pour 170 mL into the second jar to represent groundwater.

____C. Pour 13 mL into the third jar to represent water in lakes.

____D. Place 1 drops into the fourth jar to represent water in rivers and swamps.

____E. Place 2 drops into the fifth jar to represent the water in the atmosphere and soil.

____F. Pour 22 mL into the sixth jar to represent ground ice.

____ 5. Label a 3 x 5 card with:
A. glaciers and icecaps
B. underground
C. lakes
D. rivers and swamps
E. atmosphere and soil
F. ground ice
G. saltwater

____ 6. Place each 3 x 5 card you made in front of the jar or beaker it goes with. Draw a picture of your jars and beaker under observations.

____ 7. Use your results to answer these questions.

1. Where is most of earth’s water?

2. Where is most of earth’s fresh water?

_________________________________________________________________________

Stage Four: PostLab
Write a lab report
You will begin by describing in writing the materials and methods you used and then your results. You will write a summarizing paragraph.

Section One
Materials and Methods: Describing the procedure

Write one paragraph describing the procedure you followed during this activity. Make sure to use enough detail about your materials and methods that someone else could repeat your procedure.

Hint: Refer to your PreLab, this handout, background materials, the textbook and any notes you took during the activity.

Section Two

Results: Making sense of your data for yourself and others

Step 1: Review all the data from your experiment. Summarize the main finding of the activity in one sentence.

Step 2: Conclusions
Answer the questions in complete sentences.
1. Should cities near the ocean use the water from the ocean for household and industry? Explain your answer.

2. Should saltwater be treated to remove the salt and then used as fresh water?

3. Is water in icecaps and glaciers accessible to humans? Why or why not?

4. How can we conserve our fresh water?

Section Three
Discussion: Interpreting the results

Step 1: Write a one-sentence statement of your conclusion(s) about the results.

Step 2: Write a paragraph stating how the data from your activity should influence future decisions about water conservation, use and supply?

Note: This activity incorporates the premise of the college LabWrite program developed by North Carolina State University: http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/

I am a freelance writer and editor who gave up a career as a successful middle school teacher to write full time. I started the Storm of Thought Writing Center and am currently working on a thriller novel, several short stories and a children’s novel. My publications include Dana Literary Society, and Thunder Sandwich. My articles about teaching, curricular materials and presentations have appeared in educational magazines such as Science Scope.

To learn more about my writing or the Storm of Thought Writing Center, visit http://www.trinaallen.com or http://spaces.msn.com/members/stormofthought/

It is most unfortunate that many wonderful parents feel that they lack competence in dealing with their autistic child. It can be strange and depressing to feel like your normal maternal or fatherly instincts can be wrong when it comes with interacting with your own child.

But parents usually go too far in the opposite direction and stop having any natural parent child interaction worrying that if they resort to normal parental behavior and maybe just fool around and talk nonsensically with their child, they will lose precious moments of intervention time.

Because children with autism don’t recieve pleasure from simple games such as hiding go seek, peek a boo, or follow the leader and since they probably won’t come running to you when you call out to them, parents need a whole new set of parenting skills which if they are not careful, can add more stress to their already emotional lives.

Your child may have areas that need intervention but every child also has special areas of strength. Believe it or not, focusing on his or her areas of strength can be used to improve areas of weakness. For example let’s say your child like books but does not engage in any kind of play. Rather than force him to play with a toy he doesn’t like, start using books for imaginary play. Pretend to do what the characters in the book are doing. Use the books to work on social conversation and academic skills.

Remember to celebrate improvements, no matter how small they may be. And be sure to share the joy of your child’s progress with the people who love him.

Finally don’t forget every child wants and needs to feel loved by his parents. Any activity that you and your child enjoy together is precious whether its watching TV together or sharing and ice cream cone. Yes it’s necessary to alter some of the ways of interacting with your child to facilitate his learning, it’s equally necessary to maintain the basic loving relationship of parent and child and if you only think yourself as his therapist, then you need to find your way back to being a loving parent again.

autism symptoms tutorial

As we pack our K-12 kids up and get them ready for another school year, we need to be constantly thinking about their safety. This applies both to their travel to and from school and their safety while on school grounds.

Parent drivers must remain watchful. Children dart unexpectedly into traffic, often from between parked cars. And young pedestrians face a variety of dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

• Mind all traffic signals and the crossing guard.

• Walk your bike through intersections.
• Walk with a buddy.

• Wear reflective material. It makes you more visible to street traffic.

The US Dep’t. of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests the following safe bicycling practices:

• Always wear a helmet.

• Always ride on the right side of the road. Never ride against traffic.
• Ride single file. When passing other bikers or pedestrians, let them know your position by shouting out something like, “On your left!”
• Always check behind you before changing lanes.

• Watch out for dangerous things in the roadway. Litter, potholes, gravel and storm drains all can cause you to lose control.

• Stop at all stop signs and at all traffic lights. Be extra careful at crossroads.

• Always signal before making a left or right turn.
• Maintain control of your bike. Don’t swerve or make sudden turns.
• Use caution when riding next to parked cars to avoid injury from someone suddenly opening a car door in front of you.

• Listen for cars approaching from the side or behind you.

• Don’t follow a car too closely. You may be in the blind spot, where the driver cannot see you, and you may be unable to stop if the car comes to a sudden halt.

• Know your road signs and obey them.

• Always be prepared to stop.

• Wear brightly colored clothing.
• Don’t wear headphones, loose clothing or inappropriate shoes.

Remember these safety tips for entering and exiting the school bus:

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.

• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop.

• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten steps away from the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are away from the bus.

• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.

• Be aware of street traffic. Drivers are required to follow the rules of the road concerning school buses, but not all do. Protect yourself and watch out.

You may think that riding in a car is completely safe. But there are still rules you must follow to avoid accidents when riding in a car:

• Don’t forget that most traffic crashes occur close to home.

• Safety belts are the best form of protection in the event of a crash. Everyone needs to be buckled up properly: older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and toddlers in child safety seats.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has a “Back to School Safety Checklist” with tips on making schools, child care facilities and playgrounds safer. Hidden hazards from the checklist include the following:

Playgrounds — Check the surfaces around equipment. There should be a 12-inch depth of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel, or there should be mats made of safety-tested rubber or fiber material to prevent head injury when a child falls.

Drawstrings on jackets and sweatshirts — Remove them from around the neck. They can cause strangulation by catching on things. Cut drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets to three inches.

Window blind cords — If the windows in your home, childcare centers or schools have blinds, cut the loop and attach separate tassels to prevent entanglement.

Recalled Products — You can get up-to-date recall and product safety information by checking out CPSC’s web site on your home or school computer. Sign up to get free recall notices by fax, e-mail or regular mailing by calling CPSC’s hotline or writing to CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207.

The information in this article was compiled from the National Safety Council website at http://www.nsc.org, CPSC’s website at http://www.cpsc.gov, and an article on Back to School Safety on the AT&T website at http://www.att.com.

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Studies have made the news again regarding television and our children. What are they saying? Too much television is not good for our kids. The very presence of a television in your child’s room can be a determining factor in how well your kids do academically. Kids today are continuing to be “plugged in.”

What is the solution? Limit television viewing. Move the TV out of you kids’ rooms. Be involved in what they are watching.

Okay. We move the television into a common and give our kids time limits. Now what? A comment I hear often when people ask me about the Tokens for TV program is what do my kids do now? Our kids are so used to being plugged in they don’t know what to do. They’re bored.

It doesn’t matter if your children are 6 or 16, the answer is the same. It’s time to teach our kids how to play again. Having a time for quiet and play are important life skills. How else will their imagination start working on its own again?

Start with the following ideas to help your kids in their unplugged play:

• Play a game. Dig out your board games. Checkers, Chess, Monopoly and Sorry! are all great games.

• Dig out the playing cards. Go Fish, Old Maid, War… There are even other specific card games such as Uno out there. You can also teach your children how to play solitaire.

• Be a bookworm. Go to the library in your home or your community. Scour the thrift shops and yard sales. Be a part of a book exchange. There are also some great audio books available at the library. You can also purchase audio books at thrift stores, department stores and online.

• Hands-on fun. Bring out the clay or play dough. Your teenagers may roll their eyes at this one too, but you would be surprised at how they will sit down and keep themselves entertained with this one. (And you don’t have to go out and buy your dough - have them help you make a batch. A recipe is included below.)

• Build something. LEGO’s, Lincoln Logs and K’nex. How many of our kids still have these in the back of their closet? Don’t have these construction pieces? Try creating structures using toothpicks and connecting them together with green peas. Sounds funny, but it works! As the structures dry they become sturdier and you can keep them around for awhile.

• Go outdoors. Outdoor games like marbles, jacks, hopscotch not only occupy your kids, they will also strengthen coordination skills. Too hot or cold out? The garage, basement and/or kitchen floors will work fine too.

• Become an outdoor artist. Buy a tub of colored chalk from the local discount store and give your kids a theme to create their own masterpieces on your front or back sidewalks. Take pictures of them for your family album.

Are these new ideas? Of course not. But when our kids are given a choice of any of these “offline” activities or the chance to plug in to their TV or games, what are they going to choose? When you unplug your kids, they will learn how to play again simply because they have nothing else to do. They will find other activities to keep themselves entertained.

Be prepared for a little bit of whining or frustration on your kids’ part. It’s normal. It’s so much easier to sit in front of a screen with mindless entertainment. It won’t take long and your kids will be able to find other things to do instead of plugging in and tuning the world out.

* * * * * * *

There are many variations of homemade play dough. The Internet or any kid’s craft book are great resources if you would like more ideas. There are edible versions as well (less clean up!). The following recipe contains items commonly found in most kitchens.

UNCOOKED SALT DOUGH

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

1/4 cup of salt

1 tablespoon of cooking oil

1 cup of water

food coloring (liquid is best)

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl.

2. Add water and oil slowly.

3. Add desired amount of food coloring.

4. Store dough in air tight container.

Add water (a little at a time) if dough is too stiff. If dough is too sticky, add more flour.

Lisa Workman is the author of Tokens for TV: A Sensible Approach to Balancing Television, Video Game and Computer Activities. How much time does your child spend “plugged in” to some sort of electronic device? Get your FREE worksheet at http://www.tvtokens.com

Strength Training is not training to see how much weight one can push around the gym. Simply stated, Strength Training is a method of conditioning that will increase an individual’s ability to handle the physical demands of activity. Strength Training may involve the use of weights or other external resistance (bands, medicine balls, pulleys, etc.), it may involve body weight (push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, etc.,) and it may involve the use of body weight and ground forces (skipping, hopping, jumping, etc.)

There is an interesting trend in the physical activity of today’s youth, a trend that makes the integration of a strength training program more important than ever. Today, kids are specializing in a particular sport at an early age. Kids are picking one sport and playing it year round. Because of this specialization and the fact that kids don’t engage in “free play” the way they used to, young athletes today aren’t developing the fundamental motor skills, and musculoskeletal balance necessary for peak performance and injury prevention.

We all want our young athlete to be as successful on the field as possible. Coaches spend a great deal of time with young athletes on skills and drills. Parents enroll children in speed and agility camps and provide private instruction hoping to develop a better player. While skills and drills and sport specific instruction may make the player more proficient kicking a soccer ball or throwing a baseball, chances are they won’t make them a better overall athlete, and they certainly won’t decrease the chance of sport related injury.

Repetitive training of only specific sport related movements tends not only to limit performance, but sets the stage for faulty movement patterns and overuse injury. In most sports, common sites for overuse injuries include the heel, ankle, and knees. You can add shoulders and elbows to that list for the young baseball, tennis, and volleyball player. Well designed Strength Training programs will not only make muscles stronger but will strengthen other supporting tissues like bone, ligaments and tendons thus decreasing the chance of acute injuries such and sprains and ligament tears.

Health organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), have helped put to rest the long held belief that strength training for children is unsafe and ineffective. These organizations now support the participation of children in appropriately designed and competently supervised strength training programs.

At what age can a child begin a strength training program? If a child has the capacity to follow directions, then the child is old enough to follow a properly designed and supervised age-appropriate strength training program. Protect your young athlete’s future and let them bring their game to the next level.

Bill Scibetta, RN, NSCA-CPT
Bill is the founder and President of Precision Fitness - Personal Training Centers in the Charlotte, NC area and co-author of the book Play Better Longer! - Peak Performance and Injury Prevention for Golf. Bill is a licensed Registered Nurse as well as a National Strength and Conditioning Association - Certified Personal Trainer. After spending years practicing in the specialty of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Bill has dedicated his career to helping individuals identify and overcome obstacles that stand in the way of optimal wellness and peak physical performance.

Teenage jewelry is an important and lucrative market niche. Today’s 12- to 19-year-old crowd shops for fashions more than any other age group.

Fashion market analysts say that American teens currently spend $33 billion a year on fashion and beauty, with over 90% of them shopping for clothes and accessories at least once a month.

For many teenagers, fashion is an important part of establishing their identity. Jewelry, clothes, shoes, and hairstyles can set young adults apart or make them fit in. In this age group more than any other, what you wear symbolizes what you believe, who you are (or want to be), and what group you belong to. Teens also have fun experimenting with fashion and color as their own personal style evolves.

You may want to consider having at least a small section of your jewelry business cater to the teenage market. A considerable amount of jewelry is bought by and for teenagers - both girls and boys - for four main reasons:

1. This age group is always looking for something new; a typical teenage fashion trend lasts only six to twelve months. In my own experience, it’s very rare for a teen to pass my booth at a show without stopping to look carefully at nearly everything in my display.

2. Jewelry is a popular gift for adults to give to teens. Especially around gift-giving occasions, I often have adult customers asking me, “Do you have any jewelry for teenagers?”

3. Many teens love to shop, and many also have a sizeable amount of spending money. Their income tends to be stable since it comes from multiple sources (parents, part-time jobs, babysitting, gifts) - and most of their income is disposable.

4. The teenage population is growing, and this demographic is expected to continue for several years. That means that spending among this group will most likely increase.

Tips for Designing Jewelry for the Teenage Market:

* The entertainment industry is the most significant influence on teen fashion and beauty trends. Watch what’s being worn by young celebrities, pop stars, alternative bands, etc. Check in on MTV occasionally, and thumb through teen-oriented magazines.

* Ask a few teenagers you know for jewelry ideas and feedback. You may be surprised by their insights.

* Visit a Hot Topic store, if your local mall has one.

* Keep in mind that teenagers generally don’t want to wear anything their parents would wear - so whether *you* would wear a particular piece of jewelry is not the best barometer of its marketability to teenagers (unless you’re a teenager yourself, of course).

* Spirituality is an important issue for teenagers. Young adults are exploring their beliefs and tend to like symbols of philosophies they want to be identified with. Spiritual jewelry tends to appeal to a significant portion of teens.

(Examples of spiritual elements that can be incorporated into teen jewelry include crystals and healing stones, crosses / fish / WWJD, star of David, and other symbols of major religions. And don’t forget about the appeal of alternative spirituality, symbolized by elements such as Buddhas, chakra-rainbow jewelry, ankhs, Quan Yin, etc. You might want to choose just one or two religious directions to represent in your teen jewelry line.)

* Stock some tempting impulse-purchase items. Teens have a low resistance to impulse buys, and a price point of $15 or less can make a tempting piece of jewelry irresistible.

* Body jewelry is hugely popular among teens. Remember it doesn’t always have to be pierced styles - nonpierced body jewelry is widely worn among this deomgraphic. In warm weather, teens will be susceptible to tempting displays of affordable ankle bracelets, toe rings, barefoot sandals, and other styles that can’t be seen under winter clothes.

* Young ladies aren’t the only ones who wear jewelry. Young men are wearing more of it now than ever before. In general, masculine teen jewelry has a rugged look, with materials such as leather, hemp, rubber, pewter or silver, and beads.

* The majority of teenagers shy away from jewelry styles that are too far over the top. Teen designs need to balance “cool” with “wearable”.

Writer and jewelry artist Rena Klingenberg shares thousands of tips for selling your handcrafted jewelry in her http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com website. She also publishes jewelry marketing secrets several times a week in http://www.jewelry-business-blog.com.