Headphones and Hearing Loss in Teens

Blaring music is a standard teenage behavior, but chances are, your son or daughter doesn’t realize the potential damage they’re doing to their hearing. 81% of teens listen to music with earphones, but only 8% of adolescents believe that hearing loss is a major health concern.

And in fact, rates of hearing loss among teens today are about 30% higher than in the 1980s and 1990s. Also, 46% of teens show potential signs of hearing loss with occasional ringing, roaring, buzzing, or pain in their ears, and one in six teens report that they experience hearing loss symptoms some or all of the time.

Often, teens don’t realize the dangers of hearing loss because they fail to realize we only have a set number of hair cells in our ears. When sound travels into our ear and vibrates through various passageways, it ripples hair-like cells in our inner ear. Excessive noise kills the hair cells, and when enough of these hair cells die, we experience hearing loss.

Remind your teen that at full volume, digital music devices can make as much noise as a live rock concert, and it only takes eight minutes of listening to music at a very high volume to cause hearing loss. You should be able to hear someone speak to you at a conversational level from about three feet away; if you can’t, your headphones are too loud. You can also recommend the 60/60 rule to your teenager: listen to music for no more than 60 minutes at a time and at no more than 60% volume. Finally, caution your teenager against buying ear buds, which are closer to the ear drum and can cause more hearing loss when used.

As a parent, it’s your job to make sure that your teenager isn’t hurting himself. Make sure that your teenager is well-aware of the dangers of headphones so that they don’t run the risk of hearing loss, and who knows? Maybe hearing loss is the reason they haven’t been listening to you!

The Struggle of Putting a Child to Bed

If you are a parent, you have probably experienced on more than one occasion the epic battle that is trying to get your little ones to bed.

Research has shown that children who fail to get enough sleep on a night are more likely to be restless, agitated and less motivated. In addition, your child’s lack of sleep can have a knock on effect on you too, leaving you feeling tired and with little time to complete essential tasks that you would have done while they were sleeping.

If the regular bedtime battles are getting too much for you to handle, follow these top tips and regulate your routine…

Remove distractions

Most of the time when children are refusing to go to sleep, it is because they do not want to miss what is going on around them. It can be especially difficult to get your child to sleep if they have an older sibling who is allowed to stay up later than them.

If your child has an older sibling, you should clearly explain to them that the reason their brother or sister is allowed to stay up later is because they are older, and that when they reach that age, they will be able to as well.

In order to try and get your child to bed at a reasonable hour, you should remove all distractions from their bedrooms. Televisions, electronic toys and other gadgets, can be simply too tempting for your child when they should be sleeping.

Try to have a quiet house when you put them to bed. Keep distracting noise, like the television or radio, to a minimum to keep them from hearing and wanting to know what’s going on.

Use their own bed

For some children, the reason why they don’t want to go to bed is because they don’t want to be separated from their parents in their own room. As tempting as it is to give in and let your child sleep in your bed, this will only produce a routine where your child’s bed is constantly empty.

If your child attempts to get into your bed during the night, keep returning them to their own bed until they realise it is a pointless activity. You may experience a few sleepless nights using this technique, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Decorate their bedroom in a way that makes it seem more appealing to sleep in. Go for bedding with their favourite characters on, and remove any toys that could produce any scary shadows at night. If your child is scared of the dark, a nightlight is a great addition that will ensure your child’s peace of mind and confidence in sleeping.

Ensure their comfort

Another factor that may affect your child’s sleeping is how comfortable their bed is. Just like with adults, an uncomfortable mattress can produce a hellish night sleep. Mattresses should be replaced every 5 to 7 years, so if your child’s mattress is a bit on the old side you should consider investing in a new one.

If your little ones wriggle about and lie in odd positions in their sleep, it may be worth buying a memory foam mattress. This special technology works to adjust to your body shape, providing the upmost comfort and support.

A good set of pillows and fluffy quilt will finish off your child’s bed, providing them with everything they need for an excellent night’s sleep.   

Give these tips a try, and give you and your child the perfect rest you need.

BOB Books Giveaway

The first time I heard about BOB Books was when I was with my old best friend and we at the open house for the little preschool program for her son which was in our high school. She asked our former teacher about books for her son that he could use to begin to learn to read. I was listening to the conversation, while tending to a 6 month old Noah. I remember that she said they were kind of like Dick and Jane books. I made a mental note and filed it away.

I had the opportunity to check out some BOB Books. From the #1 bestselling learn-to-read program come two brand-new sets focused on learning and practicing Sight Words..Sight Words are words that are recognized by sight rather than sounded out, in order to achieve reading fluency. They are the most frequently used words in the English language, and are often unable to be read phonetically (“was”, “are”, and “out” are examples). Bob Books Sight Words feature the top Sight Words in two sets – one for kindergarten and one for first grade – in order to allow parents and children to read, learn, and practice easily and enjoyably. Each Sight Words box includes 10 original books, 30 flashcards, and a parent guide.

I am a parent who is always teaching my child something, even if it is just life skills or how to have manners. I believe there are so many moments to learn things in daily life. I remember that I taught my four year old neighbor how to read when I was younger. I just think that maybe she looked at the picture now. Who knows really.

BOB Books are really cool because they come in a box for easy storage, short books that are not too big or small for a child’s hands. They come in different lessons for different aged kids or grades. I definitely think Noah will be a BOB Books kid. He loves to look at the pictures even at age three. He is all about wanting to read books himself. I encourage him to try. There is no right or wrong, because sometimes the story will change depending on who is telling it.

For more information Please visit The BOB Books website.

Thank you to Scholastic and BOB Books for providing me with a couple samples of BOB Books and providing the giveaway prizes.

I have a giveaway for you:

Two lucky winners will each win
A Bob Books lunchbox
Copy of Bob Books Sight Words: Kindergarten
Copy of Bob Books Sight Words: First Grade

Mandatory Entry:
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This giveaway will end on September 4, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.

The giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only – international readers can enter if they have a friend in the U.S. who can accept their prize.

WAT-AAH Review and Giveaway

I had the opportunity to try all four types of Wat-aah. What is Wat-aah? It is water that has an extra boost to it. What is the boost? It’s NOT sugar, it’s not flavoring, and it’s not color. It is NURTIENTS! If your child is anything like mine, he loves sugar. It is all about cookies, candy and cupcakes for him. Of course he doesn’t get those things very often but it doesn’t stop him from asking for them. Thankfully he is too young for soda so I don’t have to fight that battle yet. In all reality Noah eats pretty healthy. I keep his junk food to a minimum and I try and give him stuff that he likes that is healthy.

So I bet you are wondering what kinds of nutrients are in Wat-aah. There are four varieties. All four varieties are made with Ultra pure water and none of them contain any sugar!

• Brain which contains electrolytes that helps with keeping your child extra hydrated

• Bones which contains magnesium for strong healthy bones

• Body which is just ultra pure spring water

• Energy which contains oxygen for extra energy

Wat-ahh was created when a group of women got together that were all wondering. Why won’t kids drink more water? They decided that it needed an extreme makeover water edition. So they thought we should change its name. They decided Wat-aah sounded like a great name. To me it sounds like Tarzan yelling. Tarzan is still cool right? Then they thought the bottle needed a new look something hip and exciting. They decided on neon letters and a goofy little face for the new label. They all decided that it needed something extra. Something to make it different and extra healthy. Being the clever women they are they decided to add extra nutrients. They used their kids as their own research and development team and Volia! Wat-aah was born.

I received a package of all four Wat-aah types. We also got assortment of stickers and tattoos. Noah has recently gotten in to temporary tattoos and he has always loved stickers. The Wat-aah was really refreshing and tasted great. Noah loves it. He kept asking for more Wat-aah. It felt good knowing I was giving him something healthy and fun to drink.

Thank you Wat-aah for the chance to try all four varieties.




I have a Wat-aah prize pack to give away to one of my lovely readers.
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This giveaway will end September 28, 2009 at 11:59 pm EDT
I will email the winner and they will have 48 hours to respond with their information

This giveaway is open to US residents ONLY!
Good Luck Everyone