Category: Juvenile Protection and Safety

As the nation deals with yet another school shooting, many parents may be struggling about how to talk about violence with their children. Parents can no longer just keep the TV news off and assume their kids won’t see or hear much about an event, as the latest shooting had students sharing videos and pictures … Continue reading Talking to Kids About Violence

Today’s post is taken in part from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), highlighting their latest warning about laundry pods. You might have heard the recent reports of an online challenge for teens which is dangerous and can be deadly. The challenge shows teenagers filming themselves while ingesting laundry pods. Already in 2018, … Continue reading Eating Laundry Pods Really is a Thing Kids are Doing

Today’s guest post comes from Ready.gov, the government’s preparedness website and covers how to be prepared for snowstorms and extreme cold. This page explains what actions to take when you receive a winter weather storm alert from the National Weather Service for your local area and what to do before, during, and after a snowstorm … Continue reading Be Prepared for Winter Weather

Today’s post is courtesy of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The information is also available as a PDF infographic that you can share. Driver inattention is the number one cause of motor vehicle crashes. Drivers are distracted about 10% of the time they are behind the wheel. Distracting … Continue reading What Parents Should Know About Distracted Driving

Next week, September 17-23, is Child Passenger Safety Week, with September 23 being National Seat Check Saturday. Here’s some information on how to keep your child safe in the car and what PTAs can do to support child car safety. Did You Know? Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 … Continue reading Keeping Kids Safe in the Car

Technology and the internet are integral to our daily lives these days, and just like we teach our children to be careful and good citizens in the real world, we need to teach them to do the same in the online world. For adults who are less tech-savvy than their kids, that can be a … Continue reading Be Internet Awesome Teaches Kids to Be Safe Online

Social media “challenges” can spread quickly. Some, like the Ice Bucket Challenge, are relatively harmless and can make a difference in the world. Others, like the Cinnamon Challenge, can have serious consequences. Illinois PTA works to keep families informed about these activities that children are often engaging in without adults’ knowledge, such as with the … Continue reading The Eraser Challenge Returns—What Families Need to Know

Social media is one of the great parenting challenges since most of us grew up well before social media and always connected devices were common. Teaching your child how to be responsible online will continue to be a struggle as new social media platforms create new challenges. National PTA’s The Smart Talk, created in partnership … Continue reading Parenting Your Teen in an Age of Social Media

Cyberbullying—bullying behavior committed through social media, apps, and other online activities—is increasingly common. According to several research studies, over half of teens say they have been victims of cyberbullying. Illinois PTA has provided information for families on cyberbullying and how to identify the warning signs of cyberbullying. Because of its online nature, it’s easy to … Continue reading Cyberbullying is Not a Technology Issue