A post from NYC Private Schools Blog reports on a family that was granted political asylum based on the fact that their home country didn't allow home schooling. In fact, because the parents wanted to home their children, the authorities removed the children and forced them to attend regular school. The home country - where do you think it was? China, Iraq, or perhaps Iran? No, it was Germany and the year was 2008. It seems not all 'western' countries believe in educational choice.

It is a situation that is unusual for another reason. The US is fairly strict on their interpretation when it comes to political asylum. Generally speaking, it is only granted if the refugee can prove they were persecuted on the basis of race, political opinion, nationality, religion, or membership of a social group. The judge rules in this case that the family was persecuted because of their membership of a social group, that is, a group of parents wanting to home school their children.

Another story that caught my attention relates to dental health and how it may be connected to sleep apnea in some people. I can understand this to some extent. It seems if your jaw doesn't line up correctly it can fall back thus restricting the throat and your breathing. One of the more successful snoring devices is a mouth guard that actually pushes the top jaw forward. I can now see the connection between the two.

I have also heard that yoga and meditation can be good for easing the problems associated with snoring. They are both relaxation techniques and both do, to some extent, work on controlling breathing. I probably need both the meditation and the mouth guard, and, according to my family, a sound proof room as well.

It's back to school week here in our home and we are all ready - and waiting. I think the girls have been waiting since school broke up for the year. They love school. I wonder if they will say the same when they get to high school? I also wonder how relevant it will be to their future.

The Evolving Language In Our Classrooms is a concern to me. I know learning a language can be interesting, and for a very few, a good career move. I say very few because the languages taught are not always relevant, nor are they taught at the right stage in school. Young children adapt to languages very well. In fact they will pick up languages faster than mathematics principles. There is a reason for this, our brains were designed with communication being the most important learning curve when young. Logic (which is what mathematics is) is a more advanced stage of learning. The second area I dispute is the type of languages taught. We live in an area surrounded by China, Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia. It seems to me that learning to communicate with this region is far more important than learning French, German or Italian. It's back to school tomorrow kids - good luck to you all - and hooray. BTW - these pics are part of the save the planet series - I think they are pretty special.

Over the holiday season I know a lot of people relocate. It's a tough time. I know we moved house last year and endured a lot of problems. Just getting internet access again seemed to take for ever. The weeks prior to moving were spent on the telephone trying to organize different Types of Moving Estimates. We finally elected for a self pack they transport. I am glad we did. It's my recommendation to anyone moving. The girls were at school but we still needed to have some things close to hand. By packing yourself you can ensure the essentials are always on top with the lesser used on the bottom. Sure makes life easier.

With the girls back at school we will have a little extra space to get things done. I am looking at several franchise options while my other half is busy having dental work done. She has had her top wisdom teeth removed - strange, she doesn't seem to have lost any wisdom - or does having them removed mean you gain some? She also had some bonding done to a slightly chipped tooth. What is Dental Bonding? It's like a filling without the drilling.

As for franchising, if you are looking for Low Cost Franchises Directory Assistance then just do a Google search. There are quite a few. My recommendation, find one that specializes in your region.

Today's Australia Day. Tomorrow it's back to school. Come Thursday, hopefully, life will have returned to normal and we can get on with it. To all my fellow Australians - happy Australia Day.

I enjoy taking time off to tour the blog world and read what others are saying, particular blogs written by dads. It seems to me there are not enough dads around writing their stories, in fact, I don't do enough myself. The problem is, once I start reading I suddenly find a the mornings gone and I haven't done any writing at all myself. At the risk of having these writers catch your attention for half the morning, here are some of the interesting posts I have come across.

One of my favourite blogs has to be Tales from the Dad Side. It is written well and almost always engrosses me. I can relate to his post on Opportunities and Change. What would you do if you were offered a job with better pay but perhaps inferior conditions if it meant your partner could remain as a stay at home parent? It's tricky. What is best for your family in that situation, especially if the inferior conditions had you away from your family for days at a time. Tough choice, one partner away for a few days or both parents working. Glad I no longer have to make those choices.

Being a father with major dental problems, I am trying hard to ensure my kids don't suffer the same sort of problems (although I have read it could be an inherited condition). Posts about dental health always interest me, so an article on How to Take Care of Your Child’s Teeth is always going to catch my eye.

We have had the school holidays (thank heavens they are nearly over) and one blog has been a real blessing. DIY Father has a lot of activities that you can sit down and do with the kids. My kids loved "foamy the snowman", a one minute DIY project. There are many more activities - if you check out the categories section, there are 176 activity related posts. Enough to keep anyone happy for hours.

Another blog I frequent regularly and one that I often mention here is NYC Private Schools. Okay, so I don't live in NYC. That doesn't matter. While they are giving advice to those that do, a lot of it can be used generically anywhere in the world. Their latest post, Teaching Your Older Student Real Lessons, is a case in point. Although they are talking about older students here, the thought processes can be applied to any age, particularly if they are having problems with a teacher at school.

If you want a laugh then Metro Dad is also worth visiting. The posts are not too frequent but they are worth reading. His latest post is one I can relate to as well. I have been told my mouth is my biggest enemy. In fact, in my younger days I was also told that I was smart, sexy, funny, caring and interesting. Now, let's see. Smart - too smart, sexy - pass, funny - sarcastic, caring - guilty, interesting - to a select few. The problem is, if I keep my mouth shut, how will anyone know I am smart, sexy, funny, caring and interesting - sorry, let me rephrase that, too smart, no longer sexy, sarcastic, caring and sometimes interesting. Hmm - I think I will keep my mouth shut.

Finally for today, I kinda get a little tired of hearing that we are getting to fat especially when the next item out of someones mouth is that our models are setting bad examples by being too skinny. Come on - which is it, are we too fat or too skinny. I like the approach of former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins - I am who I am - yes, I work out to try and keep my figure, but sometimes gravity and life have other ideas. Nice to see an approach that isn't pretentious like some models. If you have a fuller figure - celebrate and be who you are. I notice there is a big market now for those with fuller figures. If this is you and you want to feel proud about your body, check out the Plus Size Clothing Blog - they know how to Dress Up Your Plus Sized Figure - let's face it moms, as we get older, we get broader, dads included.

Do you have any favourite blogs you like to read, particularly father blogs. If so, leave a link in the comments so I can add them to my daily reading list.

The new school year is almost upon us. For many parents, it's just a waiting game - they know which school they are going to, the books, bags and even school clothing is already. The kids are probably ready as well. For other parents, it's a different waiting game. They are still waiting to see which school their child has been accepted at. NYC Private Schools aptly describes the wait in their post NYC Private School January Waits - a waiting time that has many on edge.

For other parents, just getting your teen to go back to school can be a problem. I guess this could be one solution. I like the Queensland governments current requirements for young teens - Earn or Learn. If you are not in gainful employment then you have to be at school. It makes sense, keeps these teens out of shopping centers and other problem areas and keeps them occupied. You know what they say about people who are bored - they look for mischief to excite their lives.

In most Australian schools we have free dental treatment for school age children. In Queensland they have a mobile dental van that travels to each of the schools for periodic check ups. They are great idea since they not only check on the health of the teeth, they also teach children on how to perform Daily Care for Your Teeth - something which many parents fail to do for their kids.

With children returning to school, some mothers (and some fathers) will be wondering what to do with themselves. Returning to the workplace can be a scary time if you have been a stay at home parent for many years. Working from home is one option that many would love to do. It provides the flexibility of still being an active parent, even in school events, while providing meaningful employment. There are several options one of which is medical transcription. You can find out what is involved in medical transcription through this article - What You Need to Become a Medical Transcriptionist - at Transcription Jobs From Home. You can live almost anywhere in the world and still work at this profession.

You could also try your hand at affiliate marketing if your brave enough. It is hard work initially but you can work from home at your own pace. You can also start of small and as you build in confidence, grow your business. If you want to know what sort of money you can earn then check out what FeedFlare has been doing over the last 12 months. He started with nothing except a desire to succeed - and he is succeeding. It's not for everyone, but if you have a good knowledge of computers and the internet, you can make a decent living through affiliate marketing. In the meantime - let's get these kids back to school and get some free time :)

Do you like to make videos that you display on your website or blog? Do you store them on YouTube? You may want to consider starting your own channel. Having your own channel means you can "You set the programming, time of production, and frequency of material." Build up a network of regular viewers and you can almost treat it like a mailing list. Target the occasional marketing video at this group and you may be able to generate a decent income. It is a slow process but there are plenty of reasons Why You Should Consider Your Own YouTube Channel.

I would certainly be a little reluctant to reveal too much information on my Facebook pages. It seems to me that every week we hear of another leak of personal information. I don't know if you are aware, but you can get SMS updates of your Facebook account. If someone leaves you a message or writes on your wall, Facebook will send you an SMS. The problem is, with Facebook leaking personal information like a sieve, do you want you cell phone or home phone number listed on your account? The latest incident reversed this issue. Someone tried to access their Facebook account using a cell phone - instead they had access to everyone's personal information. Not smart.

With Youtube, Facebook and Myspace playing dominant roles in the lives of our youth, getting them motivated enough to attend school can be difficult. Getting them motivated enough to consider career choices is becoming harder. Trades are really suffering these days particularly some of the construction trades. Getting young energetic and keen truck drivers is also becoming difficult with reports that Truck Driving No Longer A Popular Career Choice For Our Youth. The truck cab can't be driven by keyboard, mouse or joystick so our you are not interested in joining the industry. I wonder, if we turned the front windscreen into a giant monitor, changed the steering wheel into a joystick, and including the occasional space alien flying across the screen, do you think we can get them interested?

What our kids are great at is texting and would you believe that texting alone has now raised over US$10 million to help the Haiti earthquake victims. That's a lot of texting and a lot of money. It is being hailed as "being hailed as an unprecedented mobile response to a natural disaster." and as a " mobile giving record". Texting finally has some uses.

While texting, Youtube and Facebook are popular with out youth, what isn't popular is having a dress code. Whether it is at home, at school or at work, our youth really don't like conforming do they. I have never been a big fan of school uniforms as such. As soon as you call it a uniform, the price to buy it seems to quadruple. Dress codes I am in favour of however. Now, is Dress Code Receiving National Attention in the US I wonder? Wearing the same clothes I think leads to a sheep mentality. Having a dress code that limits what kids can wear while still giving them the freedom to be individuals is a good idea. Marring the two ideals together is always going to be difficult I think.

Of course, let the kids wear what they want. Put it all on tape and save it to your new Youtube channel - and your Facebook account as well - they will either dress sillier to show their friends - or they may just start to conform a little.

Dental health is one of those areas which many people tend to overlook. Of course, it can be expensive as well. While poor dental hygiene can affect our health with heart disease just one of the issues, the reverse is also true. According to a report on the Wayzata Dental blog, stress can be a factor that leads to dental problems. They ask the question - Can Stress Really Affect Your Dental Health? - their answer - yes it can.

Looking after our teeth should start at an early age. In fact, you can start before your child has even started teething. It's all about educating them and getting them into a routine that, hopefully, will last a life time. Education is a strange beast on its own. There is a report out that discusses older children, like those in their teens, who are requesting a change of school.

In the past, teens hated private schools. They didn't like the regimentation that often accompanied them and they longed for the freedom of the public system. I think it was a little of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence type belief. Now, teens are wanting to enter the private system instead. The NYC Private Schools blog discusses this issues in their post - Older Students Switching to Private School - It's a strange phenomenon - but then, out youth are strange at times anyway.

I said teens were strange, what about 8th graders. Have you heard that as many as 6 percent of Oregon eighth-graders have tried the deadly blackout game. These youngsters are either choking themselves, or one another to reach that blackout point - for kicks. Of course, go just one step to far and it's a permanent blackout. I hope our schools are stamping down on the practice.

On the subject of education, there are many adults returning to study now. Working from home is becoming popular along with either setting up a new business or buying into a franchise. Franchises have a lot to offer when compared to starting a business from scratch. For parents wanting a change in lifestyle, there are many franchise opportunities available. Finding Low Budget Alternatives for Franchise Costs can be difficult however, when looking to cut costs, don't cut out any training. When it comes to a franchise, those who have gone before you know the pitfalls so any training they provide can be a real benefit. The little extra you spend now could save you thousands down the track.

Working from home is the same. There are a lot of opportunities for people, moms and dads, to work from home. Getting the right training is important to start with. Take medical transcription - one of the fastest growing home business options available these days. Before jumping in, and certainly before paying for any training, I ask a simple questions - What Do You Know About the Medical Transcription Profession? - if you don't know a lot, find out about it first. It can be demanding - but it can be rewarding.

As parents it can be hard to know where to look when it comes to information. Sometimes it's information overload, at other times we miss out on important information because of that overload. Here are some of the important issues to parents along with some not so important but never-the-less interesting items.

We know that breast feeding is good for baby. It's also good for mother as well. Research is now showing that babies that are breastfed for more than six months have better mental (read less mental health issues) than those not breastfed or breastfed for less than six months. According to the story:

"The researchers said breastfeeding for six months or longer remained positively associated with the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents even after adjustments for social, economic and psychological factors as well as early life events."

This is interesting since a report out of Chicago suggest that our youth now have more mental health issues than their predecessors. The report stated:

"Overall, an average of five times as many students in 2007 surpassed thresholds in one or more mental health categories, compared with those who did so in 1938. A few individual categories increased at an even greater rate — with six times as many scoring high in two areas:

• "hypomania," a measure of anxiety and unrealistic optimism (from 5 percent of students in 1938 to 31 percent in 2007)

• and depression (from 1 percent to 6 percent)."

Are we placing to much pressure on our children - or is it society in general with television, video and computers stirring the waters.

It doesn't help when our youth received mixed messaged about how they look. One minute they are accused of being anorexic, the next we are told they are overweight. A report claims that psychotherapy may help our teen girls avoid obesity. Note it says avoid - not help to fix any problems that are current. They noted that:

"A psychotherapy program may work better than traditional health classes in preventing teenage girls at risk of obesity from becoming excessively fatter, researchers report."

No wonder our kids are so confused. On a more serious note. Diabetes is on the increase in society in both adults and children. Another study has found that children that receive less than 8 hours sleep at night could be more susceptible to suffering from diabetes. If they are over weight the risk is even higher. But then sleep helps everyone when it comes to general health, the report noted.

"These findings hint that, similar to adults, adequate sleep may help kids, maintain a healthy body weight and an optimal (blood sugar) level,"

That's the latest - give your kids plenty of sleep. Breast feed them beyond six months and send your girls to psychotherapy to avoid obesity. Most of all - just love them for who they are.

Quick tips 1,2 and 3 have all dealt with different ways to deal with a toddler who is throwing a tantrum. Quick tip number four takes a further - and can be a lot of too - especially when they get a little older, like 18.

No it's photo's but you're close - it's the video camera. Once your little one decides things aren't going their way and throws a tantrum, switch the video on and tape them. Make it obvious too. Tape about five minutes worth, then, if they are still carrying on - play the tape back on the TV. If you didn't get their attention taping them, you will certainly get it playing the tape back.

Every time they start to throw another tantrum, put the video on - at the same time, grab the video camera and start recording again. You will be surprised at how many toddlers suddenly become camera shy and stop the tantrums.

I hope you had a great Christmas and hopefully the 2010 will be a happy, safe and profitable year for everyone.

Thanks for visiting
Les

In my last quick tip I suggested that as a parent, if all else fails, you put yourself in time out. It can work but like life itself, every toddler is different and even that sort of tactic wont work for some. There are other tactics and over time I will add them to the list. If nothing else, they will make you laugh. I know today's will.

So, quick tip number 2 for handling toddler tantrums. Have you heard the saying, "if you can't beat them, join them" because that is today's quick tip. I your child is sitting in the middle of the floor howling, screaming or even banging the head on the floor - join in. Mimic them (just don't hit your head to hard).

You will be surprised at how quickly they stop and stare in amazement. Once everyone has calmed down a bit, tell them that's what they look like when they throw a tantrum. I have heard of several parents who were brave enough to copy their child's tantrum in the supermarket. The child quickly calmed down. This works wonder for school age children that throw a tantrum whilst out shopping. They don't want the embarrassment of mom or dad throwing a tantrum in public - they soon learn to stop.

Copy your child's tantrum and they will quickly decide it's not worth the effort - and believe it or not, it's a great way for you to relieve any pent up tension.

Toddler tantrums are the bane of any parent. The problem is, sometimes the tantrum goes on for so long that we, the parents, become as much th problem as the child with the tantrum is. Why, we become frustrated, we may yell, smack or perhaps remove toys - often all to no avail.

Here is a tip that is reported to be quite successful if you can pull it off. When a child is naughty, particularly throwing a tantrum, the recommendation is to send them for a short time out. The recommendation has been a minute for each year of their life so a three year old would get a three minute time out. What do you do when the child just refuses to budge - refuses to take that time out.

A simple solution - announce to the child that if they are not going to take a time out - you will instead. And do it. Stop what you are doing - sit down and switch off. If you were making lunch, morning tea or a drink - stop. The child will complain - 'what about lunch' - you're taking a time out. Again - you take a minute for each minute of the child's life.

Explain to them afterwards what you are doing and let them know that if they will not take the time out - you will which means everything comes to a stop. They soon get the hint. In fact, you will be surprised how many times they will start to laugh at you - don't join in - this is serious business. During the time out - there is no talking from you. If they keep talking - just look at them. They will soon get the message.