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Is anxious the new normal?

Majority of Generation Z admit to feeling anxious about something in their daily lives and often don’t seek advice to help them cope with it Kaspersky Lab partners with The Mix to launch #AndOwningIt campaign and help young people embrace their insecurities and realise that they are not barriers to achieving happiness. A new Kaspersky Lab report has shown that Generation Z is the most anxious to date, with the vast majority of young people admitting they are worried about something in their lives, and the majority do not seek professional advice to help them cope with it. In line with its global commitment to turn insecurity into security, Kaspersky Lab has joined forces with digital youth charity The Mix to help young people from around the world embrace their own insecurities and show that they are not barriers to achieve happiness, through a new campaign – #AndOwningIt. With their world dominated by online news and social media, nearly half of Generation Z (young people aged between 13 and 23) said they feel more anxious about their appearance than about their career prospects, money, terrorism and being bullied. The study revealed that these anxious feelings, or worries, can impact young people’s behaviour, including how they approach social media. For example, it is quite common for Generation Z to create a more manufactured, or perfect, perception of how they look. Most young people also spend up to half an hour editing their images or videos ahead of posting them on social media platforms, in order to create a flawless image. One more important finding is that girls are more insecure than boys, as they feel much more anxious about their appearance than their male counterparts. Nearly double the number of female Gen Z-ers, when compared to male Gen Z-ers, also admit to changing their eating habits (such as overeating or refraining from eating) because of appearance related anxieties. Body improvement and fitness content on social media makes young women feel worse than young men, and females have admitted to skipping a social event in the past year due to social anxiety. What’s more important is that Generation Z does not seek help on what to do when they are feeling anxious. The majority of young people do not visit a doctor for advice on how to cope with their anxieties. So, while many young people are struggling, they are not sure about how to deal with their feelings. In order to tackle this, Kaspersky Lab has joined forces with The Mix, a digital youth charity supporting people under the age of 25, to launch a new campaign to help turn Generation Z insecurities into securities. This new campaign – #AndOwningIt – aims to help young people lead happier lives by empowering them to embrace the very things that make them feel insecure and allowing them to realise these insecurities are not barriers to happiness. Why? Because the first step to turning an insecurity into a strength is owning it. The campaign will be supported by custom t-shirts, featuring the most common insecurities young people have, encouraging them to accept their insecurities and start a conversation. All of the profits from selling the t-shirts will go to The Mix. Chris Martin, CEO at The Mix said: “Across the world there are global issues which all Gen Z citizens face but there is still a stigma surrounding how they share their feelings and talking openly about mental health. Feeling anxious or worried can become very isolating for young people – but the truth is that there are many who struggle with how they feel, and things do get better. Our new campaign will help young people show others that they are not held back by any of their insecurities and the often hostile atmosphere of social media does not have to impact them. We are delighted to join forces with Kaspersky Lab and continue our important work of helping Generation Z open up about their mental health and empowering them to flourish. We’re calling for everyone to own the aspect of their lives that others may criticise, or they are worried about, to prove there are no boundaries in becoming confident and successful.” Kaspersky Lab and The Mix are urging Generation Z, along with their friends, to join the conversation across social media with the #AndOwningIt hashtag, as well as purchasing a t-shirt to show their support. Ilijana Vavan, Managing Director, Europe, at Kaspersky Lab said: “For many years, Kaspersky Lab has helped families and businesses fight online insecurity and remain protected from cyberthreats. Now we want to help young people around the globe turn their insecurities into securities and overcome their real-life anxieties, as they try to prosper in a digital age that no other generation has faced before. They fear they won’t be able to be successful and happy due to circumstances that are both in and out of their control. This campaign is to help Generation Z realise they only create these barriers inside themselves and it’s in their own hands to get past these insecurities and own them.” As part of its study, Kaspersky Lab surveyed 1,003 13 to 23-year-olds in the UK to discover more about their insecurities and what they feel anxious about. To find out more and read the report findings, head to the Kaspersky Lab website. For specific help in continuing to tackle anxiety or other mental health challenges, reach out to The Mix – the information and support they offer is universal and can be accessed internationally.

January 9, 2019

8 Best apps for parents to monitor their children

Monitoring the activities of the children has become a huge challenge for the parents in the modern days. Mobile phones and children can be a dangerous duo. You are always fearful about their mobile activities. Kids nowadays tend to use their elders’ mobile phones or their own mobile phones at a little age. This poses a great threat to their parents as they fail to monitor their kids’ mobile use. However, there are a variety of apps that enable you to monitor your kids and limit their mobile activities. Following are a few most significant apps for controlling your kids: mSpy mSpy is the most widely used parental control app for the smartphones. It enables the parents to monitor the calls, location, Whatsapp, Snap chat, and text messages of the children. This app has plenty of useful features. It specifically allows you to limit the social media usage by the kids. You can control your kids’ Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and even photos and videos. The use of mSpy is pretty easier. You just need to purchase the mSpy or subscribe. Then you need to install the app,and your tracking process is initiated. The parents have most satisfied with this app. They offer 24/7 multi-language customer support. In addition, mSpy is one of the cheapest child phone tracker applications. Footprints Using the Footprints app, you can always acknowledge the location of your child. It allows you to use the GPS in real time for knowing where your child is. This app assists you in keeping track of your kid or automatically locate him. It keeps you aware of where your goes with his phone. In case he is traveling alone, you can confirm whether he is meeting up with friends or has arrived at a particular location. The information regarding his location is only shared with the authorized person. No other person can access his location. The data can also be saved for later review. Dinner Time There are a few apps that limit the mobile use of your child. Dinner Time is one of the apps that restrict the use of the mobile device during bedtime, study time, and dinnertime. This app enables you to unlock and lock your child’s mobile device instantly. You can do this by your own mobile device. Therefore, you can enjoy a better time with your family and make your kid focus on sleep and school work. However, it is a necessity of this app that the device of the child must be android. The device of parents can be Android, iPhone or any other. This app does not work if the child’s mobile device is not android. Overall, it is a wonderful app which offers three modes including Bed Time, Take a Break and Dinner Time. All these modes limit the use of the mobile device by your child. Family Time Family Time is an app that does almost everything. It allows you to customize the control options for behavior and content that you need to prevent. The app offers you tools for setting bedtime and homework. You can restrict the time that your children spend on their smartphones. It also offers a geo fencing option. This alerts you when the phone enters a prohibited area. It also enables you to control or block any applications, keep an eye on their contact lists, and monitor their calls and text messages. This child phone tracker app may trouble parents at the start. Hence, you need some time for learning how to use this app. It isn’t one of the simplest to use applications. Q studio Q studio is an excellent, efficient, and use the friendly app for the parents who don’t have enough time. It provides a dashboard which expresses all the recent mobile activities on any device. It even determines the time spent on different services such as Twitter and Instagram. It allows you to set restrictions on time, track the calls and texts, filter out the racy sites, and set restrictions on the different apps and games. It is one of the top control software for limiting the children’s mobile activities and usage. ESET Parental Control ESET is another leading parental control app specifically for Android devices. ESET has several useful features that permit for more delicate control than many other child security applications. It allows website and app locks. A key feature is that you can select age-based features that can be switched as the children grow up. It gives you an opportunity to allow more number of websites in the future while keeping them protected. There is an additional feature of parent message which delivers a message that kids need to respond to prior to continuing using their smartphone. ESET also allows the kids to request additional time, but parents can set the limits on the device use. Pumpic Pumpic is an app that can be used on both iOS and Android devices. Its clean interface assists the parents to deal with the lengthy list of the tools that usually come up with the app. It allows you to tracks messages and calls and limit and blocks them as required. You can also monitor the websites visited by your child along with his activities on social media. There is also an option for tracking the location of the device and the history of the locations where the device has been. In addition, you can wipe and lock down the mobile device. Our Pact Specifically designed for iOS devices, this app is a cheap option for mobile control of your kid. It is a streamlined app that provides fundamental parental control services. It does not make you get complicated. Instead, it is an easy to use app. It offers one of the most affordable plans for utilizing the parental control services. Using this app, you can block the internet access of your child. You can also develop different time schedules and pose limits on the access of specific apps and websites. It

January 9, 2019

How to keep the kids entertained on a long car trip

Long car trips are part of the activity of modern families today. Many are investing their time and money in buying cars with higher mileage per gallon so they can go wherever they want. Families take long car trips once in a while because it gives them the opportunity to explore the world outside of their homes. With on long car trips, parents can get a chance to teach their children the things they only see in their books or gadgets. Also, it gives the families an opportunity to commune with nature. Parents and kids get a chance to breathe fresh air, refresh their eyes, and have some exercise. Long car trips can release the stress that family members feel from long days of work. It is an excellent opportunity to take a break from the routine you have at home or office. Lastly, long car trips enable one to bond with the family, especially for parents who spend the majority of their time at work. Indeed, family car journeys are fantastic. However, it can make your kids go wild, irritated, and bored. For sure, you don’t like it when your kids have tantrums because it will only make the adventures turn into chaos. We will discuss the tips on how to keep the kids entertained in this article, especially on a long car trip. Play Their Favorite Movies One tip to prevent your kids from getting bored is to play their favorite films in the car. Some cars today are pre-installed with a television screen, and you can opt for this one. You can also bring a portable DVD player or laptop with you and always make sure that you have backup power in case your gadgets drain its batteries. Also, bring Bluetooth enabled speakers so everyone can hear audibly the movie they’re watching. Carry Sweet Treats Always Sweet treats is a must-have on every trip! Surely, your kids will feel pampered during the ride while eating their favorite food. Bring with you your kids’ favorite delights such as the following: Chocolate bars Gummy bears Cupcakes Wafers Marshmallows Chocolate/ Milk drinks Chips and other snacks Listen To Audiobook Stories Tired of telling stories to your kids? Don’t worry; you can play audiobooks instead. You can download various audiobooks available on the internet today and save it on your gadget. Then, you can just plug your device into the car’s sound system and make your kids listen to the stories. Audiobooks will make your kids’ imagination run wild. Engage In Digital Games Bring with you your iPads or smartphones and install it with offline games which your children can play. There are various offline games that are available in App Store or Play Store. Capture An Image With A Polaroid To develop your kid’s full potential in photography, you can give them your instant camera or any other available cameras with you. Let them take pictures of anything they see during the trip, and you can soon compile it and post in a scrapbook. Bring Their Favorite Toys If your kids get tired of playing with e-games, let them enjoy their toys. Some of it is loom bands, stuffed toys, doll house, balls, robots, and others. Let Them Draw Invite your kids to practice their handwriting or drawing by giving them a whiteboard or coloring books, colored pens, and eraser. For example, you can ask them to draw your face or their siblings’ faces. Sing A Song Bring a guitar with you and play your kids’ favorite song. Better yet, you can just play a song using the car’s sound system or sing in acapella. Invite your kids to join so they’ll feel at ease during the trip. Play Various Games Lastly, devise multiple games for your kids and be as creative as you can be. Here are some of the games that you can try: The License plate game – Each time your kids spot a car, check its plate number and ask them to give a meaning for it. For example, OEF means ‘Onion Eating Fanatic.’ Map the destination – Print a map of your destination and hand it to your kids. Let them mark the cities you’ve passed by so you let them have something to do in the backseat. Animal spotting – Ask your kids to spot and name animals on the road. Conclusion In sum, it is essential to make your kids safe and calm during the entire trip so you as a parent can have peace of mind too. Meanwhile, it is recommended to supervise your kids in whatever activities you let them do during the trip. After all, we want them to learn and have fun after the stress and hassles of the real world. Oftentimes, the road can become very unsafe especially when you have kids travelling with you. If you and your kids are involved in car accidents and have incurred personal injuries, you can check this website to learn more on what you should and should not do during this kind of situation. About The Author Annie Gray writes topics on law subjects that can help the common reader understand them better. She keeps herself fit and healthy by jogging during her free time.

November 15, 2018

What to do if your parents don’t agree with your study choices

Many Matrics considering their study options for next year are finding themselves in the difficult position of being at odds with their parents or guardians about their preferred direction. While this conundrum has always been around, it is even more pronounced today, given that there are a myriad qualifications and careers that didn’t exist even a few years ago. “Parents often have expectations of the potential careers they see their children pursuing, and it can be hard for them and their children to get on the same page when the parents are in favour of the more traditional qualifications, while the child would prefer to pursue a qualification the parents don’t know much about,” says Nola Payne, Head of Faculty: Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education institution. She says it is important for families to have a respectful dialogue based on facts and research when they find themselves in this position. “If you are the young adult who would like to pursue a career in, for instance, digital marketing or game design and development, but your parents would rather you do a BCom at a public university, there are ways to get them to see your side of things,” she says. “And if you are the concerned parent, worried that your child’s preferred qualification is lightyears away from what you think they should be doing, there are also a few ways you can set your mind at ease,” says Payne. She says it can be helpful for parents and future students finding themselves at loggerheads to approach the situation as follows: DO THE RESEARCH AND UNDERSTAND THE OPTIONS There are many more study options today than in the past. The range of qualifications on offer has grown exponentially, while the institutions offering them have also multiplied. All registered and accredited higher education institutions – whether they be public universities or private – are registered by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). They are only registered if they have been accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and registered by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Looking up a qualification on the NQF is as easy as going to the SAQA website and typing in a few words. An institution should also be able to give you the SAQA identity number immediately. This means that prospective students and their parents can be confident about the bona fides of any qualification they want to pursue, provided that the institution is recognised by DHET and the programme is listed on the NQF which can be found on the SAQA website. FACE REALITY The world of work looks a lot different today than it did a decade ago, with numerous new and emerging careers on offer, such as brand management, big data analysis, app development, and digital design, to name a few. The traditional, generic 3-year degree is no longer a golden ticket to landing a job. Prospective students would do well to pursue a career-focused qualification which fits well with their talents and interests, and which will prepare them to step into the workplace with confidence. Career-focused qualifications will often also include work-integrated learning, which allows students to build a portfolio of work throughout their time at varsity. This puts them in a much stronger position after graduation when applying for a position. UNDERSTAND THE MARKETPLACE What can you do with your qualification after graduation? That is an important question to ask before committing to a programme. A great way to determine the demand for a qualification and your future earning potential, is to look at career sites and job ads, to see how much demand there is in marketplace. Speaking to an advisor at a higher education institution’s career centre can also go a long way to clarifying your prospects post-graduation. UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION FOR STUDYING Pursuing a degree requires a substantial investment of time and money. And handling the demands of higher education and young adulthood is not a walk in the park. The dropout rate among first years is very high, in part because the reason for heading to university wasn’t sound. So if the motivation for further study is for the sake of status rather than to lay the foundations for a specific and successful career, or if a student is only studying to fulfil the wishes of their parents, it would be better to wait, investigate all the options, and only apply when they have found something that gets them really excited about your future. “Parents need to understand that the best approach now is to study and prepare for a world that’s changing, and that the traditional way and ‘safe’ careers may not be the best course of action,” says Payne. “And prospective students need to understand that while the difference in opinion may be frustrating, it is up to them to present their case calmly, clearly and respectfully, with the research to back up the viability and prospects of their choice.”

October 25, 2018

Millennial parents understand the need for life insurance

Let’s be honest, millennials continue to and already have changed the world for the better. Those born between roughly around 1981 to 1996 are brilliant, savvy and hard-working people who encourage and challenge and force change for the better at a level that past generations could never do. They are more connected, grew up with easy access to information and care more about social justice. They invest their money into the environment, women’s rights, charity and everything else that they want to help. And they do all of this in contradiction to the spend, spend, spend of older generations that transitioned into higher debt & higher costs of living. But where does life insurance fit in? Because millennials are more connected, care more about world and other social issues and injustices than previous generations, life insurance is the perfect product for this generation. They are perfectly positioned to understand that this is quite literally the most selfless and smart thing they can do. Think of it this way. Your house or your investment portfolio isn’t really your biggest asset. Your brain and what you can do with it to earn a living, is. If anything happens to you, those who depend on you need to be taken care of. When you take out a policy on your life, you’re protecting your family who need your ability to earn a living to look after them after you’re not there. It’s not exactly something we’d chat about casually. But it should be as it is a reality everyone on this planet faces. But here’s the challenging part. Access to information in the age of the internet has become fast, simple and painless. Just look at the ease of access to information (good or bad quality) on Facebook and Instagram. Or how easy it is to get services as provided by Uber for lifts and AirBnB for accommodation. However, the life insurance industry hasn’t kept up with the times at all as is still being perceived as this dinosaur service with no place in this digital world. And because of this, most people don’t really understand life insurance and have HUGE misconceptions about it. But the truth is also that the quality of much of the life insurance content available on the internet is disorganized, fragmented and let’s face it, not sexy at all. Millennial parents feel obligated to speak with a professional to get their basics in place as there are so many nuances in life insurance offerings that it’s really daunting to expect to educate yourself online. And personally, I’d rather spend time researching the latest camping gear or travel specials than trying to understand life insurance. The amount and type of life insurance you need for your unique family set-up isn’t going to present itself to you out of the blue. You either need to put some elbow-grease in it yourself or ask a professional (which in most cases is paid commission and therefore don’t trust to give us the right information for our unique set-up). And that’s another problem. Millennials are used to teaching themselves everything they need to know about stuff they’re going to buy. They don’t want to be cold-called or emailed. NO CALL CENTRES PLEASE! Seriously: try selling a millennial anything second hand. Forget about it. They’ve already spent hours doing their homework on the internet and speaking to friends and family. But because education on life insurance has lagged behind so much, most millennials can’t access or learn about life insurance fast enough. Or the topic is just not interesting enough. And we at Hero Life get it! If millennial parents can’t educate themselves, they know they’re going to have to trust professionals. Unfortunately, full transparency hasn’t always been the norm in the life insurance industry. It’s not unfair to say that some members of this professional industry charged higher than necessary fees on the products they were selling or may have sold products that gave the professional the best commission instead of the product that best suited the need of their client. Inevitably, mistrust built up quickly. Unsurprisingly, it usually takes us more than a quick chat to convince clients that we are not taking advantage of them and that we are truly passionate about helping young parents to help themselves. And that we are there to help them do something amazing for their family and to protect their loved ones’ future. There is still a huge need for young people to have insurance. And especially if they have kids. Your family need to be taken care of if anything were to happen to you. And even cover provided by your employer is not always enough.. The good news is that more millennial parents are becoming more responsible and therefore more life insurance-conscious. One study claims that more young people are beginning to say that life insurance benefits are somewhat or very important (85%). This could be because more millennials are now hitting their 30s and starting families. According to the study, interest in long-term care insurance, in particular, has grown among millennials. It’s not that complicated or scary for millenial parents once they start talking with the right people and when they can get the right educational content in front of them. This is why we are excited about Hero Life. We believe we are tailor-made for millennial parents who want to understand the financial basics they need to put in place. We are passionate about empowering young parents as we offer a free online Will, help you to start saving for your kids’ education and offer life insurance. Visit us at Hero Life and chat with us on Whatsapp by clicking this link. Hero Life is an MMI Group initiative, and underwritten by Guardrisk Life Limited (Reg no 1999/013922/06), an authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP license number 76).

October 24, 2018

Kaspersky Safe Kids helps track missing teen!

Cyber predators, child trafficking, cyber bullies, children running away – the list of worst nightmare situations parents face is not easy to digest. In fact, it is estimated that a child goes missing every five hours in South Africa. So, what happens if your worst nightmare scenario comes true? And more importantly, what proactive measures have you taken now to ensure you have mitigated as many risks as possible? Northern Gauteng mother, Lida Erasmus, experienced her worst nightmare recently when her teenage daughter went missing, leaving her and her family worried sick especially as they were not able to reach her. “A few weekends ago, our daughter ran away with an unknown young male. Being completely out of her character and as her mobile phone was switched off, as any parent can imagine, I was going out of my mind, thinking the worst and feeling absolutely helpless. I really didn’t know what to do,” said Erasmus. However, being a parent in the digital age, Lida has always taken appropriate security measures when it comes to her family’s mobile devices and had installed the Kaspersky Safe Kids app onto her daughter’s mobile phone when she first received it. Remembering the installed app, Lida would be able to see if and when her daughter’s phone becomes active, and fortunately, the following morning, for a reason unbeknownst to the family, the man who had Lida’s daughter had switched her device back on. As soon as Lida saw that the device was once again active, using the location tracking feature of the app, she was able to find her daughter’s location within 5 minutes. Continued Erasmus; “Parenting in the digital age requires one to think seriously about protecting their children in this new digital world, and no words can express how grateful we are for this app as without it I am not sure what may have happened! The app allowed us to get the police to our daughter’s exact location, free her from this potentially harmful situation and bring her back home safely into our care.” “While certainly we were lucky that her phone was switched back on, this situation points to the very real need for parents to not only install kids safety based apps for the purposes of being able to have control over what their children can do on mobile devices and in the digital world, but also very importantly, to be able to track their children’s whereabouts if ever needed. Surprisingly however, according to the Kaspersky Consumer Survey 2017, only 30.7% of respondents in South Africa have installed parental control software on their children’s devices, and more worryingly, only 15% install software that allows them to know their child’s location when the child is away from home. Riaan Badenhorst, General Manager, Kaspersky Lab Africa commented on the recent events: “Having children myself, I cannot even begin to imagine what Lida went through – the worry and sheer exhaustion from stress. We were so grateful to Lida for sharing her story and feedback with us and certainly the happy ending that ensued. We need to face the reality of our children being exposed to potentially harmful situations, just like this, and furthermore, to pressures they may be feeling as they grow up in a connected world – a world we as parents never had to navigate growing up. This reality is what drives us to develop software solutions like Kaspersky Safe Kids, that specifically focuses on guarding from online threats or risks, helps parents to manage device usage time and lets parents know the location of their child.” Kaspersky Safe Kids is a simple way for parents to provide much-needed online protection for children. It clearly shows you your children’s locations – on a real-time map – as well as lets you as parents/guardians define a ‘safe area’ radius that kids are expected to stay within (such as from home to school or after school activities). If any of your children leave the defined safe area, you’ll automatically receive an alert on your mobile phone. For more information, visit https://www.kaspersky.co.za/safe-kids. For more educational tips for parents, please visit https://kids.kaspersky.com/ For more educational tips aimed at kids, please visit https://kids.kaspersky.com/kids/

October 18, 2018

Getting your Gen Z child through the stresses of Matric

As parents, we often think that because we once wrote Matric exams ourselves, we are perfectly capable of supporting our child through the biggest trial of their education so far. The trick however, is to be mindful of the vast generational gap that exists between our children and ourselves. Our kids are going to experience the upcoming Matric exams quite differently from the way we did. And if we’re going to be able to help them, we need to understand their generation as well as we possibly can. The ABCs of Gen Z Gen Z refers to those children/teenagers born between 1995 and 2009 and as with all other generations, this cohort has distinct strengths and weaknesses. In broad strokes: the positive traits that Gen Z have on their side include higher IQs than Baby Boomers, greater ambition than Millennials and a well-developed sense of responsibility. Gen Z are also the first generation to be been entirely digitally immersed and are often referred to as ‘Digital Natives’. They simply can’t imagine a world without smartphones, Google and WiFi (a kid with a device permanently in hand is something every Gen Z parent can relate to). Gen Z’ers prefer almost everything that is digitally presented and are highly adept at discovering and learning on their own. A different kind of learning For most parents, learning means sitting diligently at a desk poring over textbooks. However, your Gen Z child will most probably prefer to do a lot of studying for their Matric exams sprawled on the couch and watching videos of their favourite YouTube teachers. Gen Z’ers also have a tendency towards social learning and can readily turn an online chat with friends into a peer-learning classroom. “Parents of the current Matric cohort need a real understanding of how their child learns best,” says Lauren Martin, Counselling Psychologist and Head of Teaching and Learning at SACAP (The South African College of Applied Psychology). “You don’t want to make the mistake of shutting down or getting in the way of what is highly effective learning for them because you have misinterpreted what they might be doing on YouTube or on FaceTime. Gen Z learns differently from other generations, and they need different parental awareness and support. If a parent is helping or monitoring their child’s study plan, they need to support space in the timetable for digital and social learning.” Digital multi-taskers Another generational anomaly (and potential minefield) is Gen Z’s uncanny ability to digitally multi-task. They can watch TV, quickly post on Instagram while having a WhatsApp conversation with five friends, Google something on their laptop and make long-hand notes simultaneously. It’s the kind of multi-tasking that brings on anxiety and despair for other generations, but Gen Z – with their short attention spans and tech-savviness – take it in their cyber stride. The upshot is that parents, who for the most part view multitasking as a negative, try to curb their teen’s many-at-once habits. “During the Matric exams, parents typically want to limit distractions to sharpen the focus on studying,” says Martin. “This is a challenge for Gen Z students who have a different perception of what constitutes a ‘distraction’. It’s important for parents to have a clear view of their child’s real competencies and allow them to plan for their Matric study time in the ways that work best for them. You can’t forget that they will most likely prepare best by doing some things very differently to the way you did them.” The weak spots to watch Gen Z reports higher levels of anxiety and depression. This is a generation shaped by being born into a perilous world of economic recession, rising terrorism and major global environmental threats. They are predisposed to worry and feeling chronically unsafe. Mental health issues amongst Gen Z are prevalent. “Helping to manage stress might well be the greatest thing a parent can do support their child through this Matric year,” says Jogini Packery, Counselling Psychologist and Head of Student Services at SACAP. “This starts with managing their own stress so that they can model dealing well with strong emotions and a tense life circumstance. Maintaining balance and facilitating effective stress relief will go a long way to soothe high anxiety. Often Gen Z does not get out enough. All of their screen time means less time on the beach or going for a run, cycle or a walk with the dogs. Physical activity stimulates the endorphins that help to keep anxiety and depression in check. If a parent is giving input on a study plan they should check out the downtime and see where they can encourage and share in healthy physical activities that deliver important stress relief.” For any matriculant who is interested in the field of psychology, counselling or Human Resource Management, SACAP offers a wide range of qualifications (including Higher Certificate, Diploma, BAppSocSci (Majoring in Psychology and counselling), BAppSocSci (Majoring in Psychology and Human Resource Management) BPsych, BSocSci Honours and BPsych Equivalent) and a one-of-a-kind approach to learning: academic rigour and applied skills. Graduating confident skilled practitioners is key, which is why SACAP combines an academically rigorous curriculum with a strong emphasis on the ability to apply knowledge through the training of relevant skills. Registration for 2019 term one, closes at the end of January 2019. For further information, visit: https://www.sacap.edu.za/matric-campaign/

October 12, 2018

Sensory Diet

As a parent you are very aware of giving your toddler a balanced diet. Five fresh fruit and vegetables a day are what we are aiming at. How many of us even consider that we need to give them a varied sensory diet as well? Creating a sensory rich environment for your toddler will help them strengthen their bodies and their brains. Mature thinking and learning are based on neural pathways that develop as a child masters physical coordination, balance and skilled movement. Yet many parents view “child play” as an outdated activity. We live in a digital age- let them master computers, electronic games so they may conquer the universe! How wrong they are! We need to get our children back to the games we played, back to exploring a three dimensional world where they get full of mud and run and jump in puddles. Let’s look at Emily, a four year old. She is a bossy little girl who tells her parents what to do. She is a fussy eater that would eat yoghurt all day if she could, refuses to dress herself and does not play well with other children. If they brush against her, she pushes and shoves. If she shows affection she hugs too tightly. Dad thinks she needs stronger boundaries from Mom. Mom feels she is just expressing a strong will. At school Emily never likes to play with blocks or draw. When she does use the crayon it is with hard strokes which often break the crayon frustrating her even more. When Emily runs, it is with a clumsy gait and she often falls. At the end of the day she is tired and irritable. Is Emily just being naughty or is there more to this behaviour? Research done with children showing similar patterns indicate that this may be a sensory processing disorder. This is a common but very misunderstood problem that affects behaviour, influences the way children learn, move and relate to others and feel about themselves. Emily needs to learn how to modulate her senses in order to cope with day to day life. She exhibits this bad behaviour when she can’t cope with what’s happening around her, when she feels overwhelmed. So how do we help Emily and all the little ones like her? What we need to do as parents is to focus on developing and maintaining a balanced sensory diet for our children. As they develop and grow we need to relax and think about incorporating sensory experiences in to their day to day life. Let’s begin by looking at tactile stimulation. A child can be hyper or hypo sensitive to touch. In both cases it will affect learning and the way we interact with people. Emily might be hypo sensitive, hence she pushes or hugs too hard. Not everyone realises that we have internal senses as well, called the near senses. These play a vital role in our development especially in the early years. Movement is the only way to stimulate this internal sense. Emily needs more movement to help with her balance. Smell and taste are interlinked. Expose them to different smells and let them explore different tastes, even ones they don’t like. Emily is sensitive to the textures of her food and that could be the reason that she is a fussy eater. The eyes and ears are the senses that can give us the most problems later. If we don’t process what we see and hear we have auditory or visual processing problems which lead to learning difficulties at school. Emily finds the noise of the classroom too much and prefers to be on her own. For this week don’t just think five fresh fruit and vegetables think five sensory activities to enrich their learning experience.

October 4, 2018

How to help your child overcome peer pressure

Merriam-Webster defines peer pressure as: “A feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one’s age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them.” Children of all ages experience peer pressure. Most people think peer pressure is a bad thing (stealing, smoking, taking drugs, drinking alcohol); however, some peer pressure can be good. Your child wants to be liked and to do the right thing. As a parent, you can help your child deal with peer pressure and make good choices at every age and stage. Welcome positive peer pressure. If another child is pushing your child toward something better, that is a good thing. It might help your child socially or academically. For example, it might encourage your child to participate in the school talent show or rugby trials. Understand negative peer pressure. Your child wants to fit in, doesn’t want to feel rejected or teased, and isn’t sure how to get out of a bad situation. Start early by preparing your young child for peer pressure. When they are in preschool, tell them not to copy silly or bad behaviour. For example, if a friend or classmate pressures them to take something that doesn’t belong to them, teach them how to say “no” and walk away. As your child goes through preparatory school, talk with them about smoking, drugs, and alcohol. Peers pressure kids to sneak out of the house, bunk school, drive without a license (or ride with an underage driver), steal, vandalise property, and cheat, too. Give your child ideas of what to say when pressured. Practice this “role playing” often. This helps your child get out of a bad situation. Tell your child they can blame you if they need to get out of a bad situation. Give your child a special code word to say or text you if they can’t get out of a situation on their own. This will signal that they need help. Share your family values. It’s important to let your child know how you feel about stealing, cheating, bullying, and more. When a child knows something is wrong, they will think twice before agreeing to do it. Encourage your child to feel good about him or herself. Celebrate their achievements and praise them when they make good choices. Children who feel good about themselves are more likely to resist negative peer pressure. The same is true with friendships. Children who have friends whose families share your values are more likely to resist negative peer pressure. Monitor your child’s friendships (in-person and online). There may be a day when your child makes a bad choice because peer pressure. When this happens, remain calm. It’s a good opportunity to teach your child about choices and having the courage to say no. Negative peer pressure can have a downward spiral effect. This means that pressure to commit small wrongs can lead to more serious bad behaviour. For example, if your child is easily pressured to take things that don’t belong to him, he or she might one day agree to experiment with shoplifting. Don’t forget that the media and internet are forms of peer pressure. What your children hear and see on TV and online can influence your child’s choices. Monitor these influences by: Limiting your child’s exposure to TV and the internet. Consider your child’s age and other responsibilities (homework, job, family time) to decide on how much time he or she should be allowed to watch TV or explore the internet. Monitoring what your child watches or views on the internet. You can see your child’s internet search history on a computer. You also can check your child’s phone to see what apps he or she has downloaded. Require your child to provide his or her passwords in return for the privilege of accessing TV and digital media. Learning more about the music your child listens to. Some song lyrics can send powerful, negative messages. Watching TV or searching the internet together. This gives you an opportunity reinforce your family values. It also gives you an opportunity to sort out fact from fiction on certain things (drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, etc.). Securing your home’s TV and online devices. Most cable, internet, and cell phone providers have parent control settings that restrict inappropriate material from children. Monitoring your child’s electronic use at their friend’s homes or when friends bring electronic devices to your home (laptops, tablets, phones). Tell your child what is and what is not allowed. written by Ria van Niekerk – Deputy Principal Trinityhouse Preparatory Randpark Ridge

October 3, 2018

Making sense of the world

A toddler’s day to day job is to play and not to be learning the ABC’s and doing math. Many parents today lose sight of the goal of being a child. That goal is to explore the world around them and make sense of it. Creating a sensory rich environment for your toddler will help them strengthen their bodies and their brains. Mature thinking and learning are based on neural pathways that develop as a child masters physical coordination, balance and skilled movement. Yet many parents view “child play” as an outdated activity. We live in a digital age – let them master computers, electronic games so they may conquer the universe! How wrong they are! We learn by taking in information via our senses, process through that information and then act on the information that we have received in. The most important aspect of the learning process is the ability to store the information that we have learned and retrieve it when necessary. This is referred to as memory. As a child learns new things through his sensory system, a connection is made in the brain. When these sensory experiences are repeated over and over again, the connections in the brain become stronger until they are imprinted in the child’s memory. Experience is learning in a child. The more he is exposed to and allowed to discover, the more “brain power” he is developing. Therefore it is imperative to enrich a child’s brain with as much experience as possible during the developmental stages. We need to feed our children’s brains. Talking, singing and interacting with our children is important in building connections in the brain that a child needs to develop their communication skills. Hugging and showing love and affection helps to develop emotions. Touch floods the brain with feel good hormones which enable the child to develop feelings of love and empathy towards others. Continual movement and interactive play time helps make their little bodies strong, so that muscle strength, coordination and balance develops and strengthens. Movement is important in developing the senses which the brain relies upon to increase its power. The more a child moves, the more neural connections are made within the brain and the cleverer the child becomes. Every child needs exposure to different stimuli in order to grow and develop physically and mentally in a healthy way. What we need to do as parents is to focus on developing and maintaining a balanced sensory diet for our children. As they develop and grow we need to think about incorporating sensory experiences in to their day to day life. We need to get our children back to the games we played, back to exploring a three dimensional world where they get full of mud and run and jump in puddles. Have you taken the time to see the scientist come alive in your toddler? Watch the botanist, the entomologist and the geologist in your child as he explores the garden on a sunny day. At the beach he becomes an oceanographer watching and learning. This natural instinct to discover and go on adventures often doesn’t last past the toddler years. Once formal education begins the hands on approach is often replaced by hands off. So how do we keep the scientist in your toddler motivated to keep on discovering new and wonderful things? Start at home with simple things. Teach them to classify. How are things the same? How are they different? Look at everyday items with new eyes. Look at the fruit bowl. Which fruit can I eat just like this and which ones do I have to peel? Collect leaves and look at them closely. Some are big and some are small. Some have many veins and some only a few. If you have earthworms in the garden dig some up and have a closer look at them. Plant a small vegetable patch or herb garden. You only need a very small patch for your toddler to keep control of. If using herbs involve him in cutting them when you need them for cooking. Collect some balls and have your child sort them from smallest to largest. Once he has the hang of this let him sort other items around the home from largest to smallest. Look at heavy and light. Let him experience heavy by filling a soft drink bottle with water. Have one that’s empty so he can experience the feeling of lightness. Fill and empty containers, collect things that sink and float. Make ice together and watch it melt on a sunny day. Get into the habit of looking through the window every morning and comment on the weather. Become weather savvy – it will help your toddler become more sensible when dressing and it’s something that’s done every day at preschool. Remember that free unstructured play is important for your child’s development. Don’t always gravitate to electronic media, we have a world out there waiting to be discovered.

October 2, 2018

Should toddlers be exposed to technology?

By Anne-Marie Reed Watching your two-year-old princess swiping effortlessly through the apps on your iPad does not necessarily imply that she’s ready to be exposed to technology. That said, it is natural for toddlers in their explorative phase to prefer playing with tech toys over traditional toys and games. Traditional toys and games all have one feature in common – the child needs to engage with them in order to give them any entertainment value. Engagement implies that the child has to make them work, they don’t just provide entertainment by pressing a button. In addition, traditional games require a fair amount of creativity and personalisation, whereas most digital games are pre-set; creativity lies in the hands of the programmers. A comparison between a lifeless box of wooden puzzle pieces and Candy Crush on your phone should explain this point sufficiently. The “good” stuff always requires more effort. We know this from all sectors of our lives: health, fitness, relationships, etc. But does this mean that we should keep those tiny, inquisitive hands off our digital devices? Research reveals that parents mainly use technology, including television, as a babysitter when the going gets tough. As a parent myself, with vivid memories of those incredibly rewarding (and exhausting) times with two toddlers, I understand this completely. The question, however, remains: is it damaging for children between the ages of one and six years old to be exposed to technology? Dr Michelle Ponti, a paediatrician and chair of the Digital Health task force at the CPS, reported that, based on recent research in Canada, children under two years old should not be getting any screen time at all, while children between the ages of two and five should be limited to a maximum of two hours a day – and that includes television time. Once you start searching for research reports on this topic, you realise that the question is not necessarily whether young children should be exposed to technology, but rather, why you would want to share your tech gadgets with your toddler. So, before exposing your toddler to technology, consider the following: Children should have a screen time limit, based on age. A maximum of two hours screen time per day is a good general guideline for toddlers. Technology steals the time your child should be using to explore, create, craft, or for imaginary play. You cannot replace this time at a later stage – if your child missed out on these activities as a toddler, it cannot be caught up when he or she is older. Screen time can be divided between education and entertainment. However, to do this successfully, you must ask yourself why you want your child to sit in front of the television instead of playing with his toys. Is it to learn something? Or is it to keep him entertained without breaking anything or hurting himself? Incorporating educational digital content, such as interactive digital storybooks, where the child can hear the correct pronunciation of certain words, can be very advantageous. Another good example of a locally developed digital program for kids from the age of four, is the CAMI Perceptual Skills Builder. This program addresses basic perceptual skills such as colour, shape, spatial orientation, retention and quantity in both English and Afrikaans. Technology can be a useful tool to actively spend family time together as it serves as a platform for parents to play age appropriate games with their children while actually having fun themselves. We know that the best time spent with children is when you enter their arena, not when you invite them into yours. Exposing toddlers to technology before the age of two is not recommended. As they get older, however, the true value of technology for toddlers lies in shared experiences with parents, whether that is to read an interactive book or build a shelter in Minecraft together! When in doubt about allowing technology in your toddler’s life, keep in mind that the playful learning and cognitive development that happens when a little girl dresses her doll before they visit the queen for a tea party, cannot be regained at a later stage.

September 25, 2018

The juggle is real : 4 powerful tips to help you get the work/life balance you deserve

Working moms have a lot of balls in the air. We juggle work and home at such a frenzied pace that we feel we’re not able to do either very well. Balance is a dream that seems far out of reach. “We crave three minutes to ourselves. But we feel too guilty to take them” comments Janice Windt, a time management coach who specialises in taking working mothers from stress, anxiety, and guilt to feeling present and in control. “I want moms to be able to thrive both at work and at home” she continues. Windt is a speaker at the inaugural The Baby Show and #Meetup sponsored by Pampers, taking place at Kyalami International Convention Centre in September. Nicole Muller, mom of two and Show Director for The Baby Show said “We’ve invited Letshego Zulu to get involved with the show. She’s an outstanding example of how to expertly juggle pursuing business whilst caring for a child as a single parent. We’re proud to welcome her as the host to our main stage”. Here, Windt alongside Zulu, share their tips and insight in to how to successfully juggle being a working Mom Identify your 20% and create a mind-map for it In the late 1800s, Vilfredo Pareto observed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. While gardening, he also observed that 20% of the pods he had planted yielded 80% of the peas. Thus the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, was born. As interesting as Pareto’s gardening findings are, what value do they add to the life of an incredibly busy working mother? “It’s simple” comments Windt. “If you can focus on your priority tasks, you will find that 20% of what you need to do will yield 80% of the benefits you seek. You need to ask yourself what is your 20%?” she asks. “I then suggest you ditch your to-do-list for a mind map” comments Windt. “I find to-do lists are long and often don’t get completed”. Windt points out that a mind maps is set out in exactly the same way as your brain thinks: a central topic with main topics added around it. “New information is then added under the appropriate topic. Eventually you have a complete picture of the key information about the main subject: the demands on your time” commets Windt. Figure out when you’re most productive, and create a daily ritual to get the hard stuff done with pleasure When is your most creative time of the day? What changes do you need to make in order to manage your energy better and make the most of that effective time? “I’m a night owl” sayd Windt. “I’m programmed to peak in my focus and creativity once the rest of the house is in bed” she comments. “I can focus when our home is quiet and I know I will have a lovely long stretch of uninterrupted time to focus on my high priority tasks, so I schedule this time in” she advises. “I then suggest you identify a daily ritual to do during this time, as this will help you get your priorities get done almost effortlessly”. Windt once interviewed the Regional Head of Business and International Communications for the African region of an international bank. She worked full time with international travel and had two sons aged two and four at the time. In order to get her focused work time in, she would wake up at 4am and light candles around her computer (particularly in winter) in order to feel that the time she had was closer to self-care, than self-preservation. Master the 5 second rule It’s easy to get up once, go to the gym, come home aching, and hit the snooze button for the next three mornings thereafter. That’s easy. That’s normal. But it doesn’t help you get the work-life balance you so desperately crave. “There is a solution” advises Windt. “The Mel Robbins ‘five second rule’. You simply count backwards from five every time you choose to do something you don’t instinctively want to do, but you know you should” she continues. “Before you hit one, you need to be physically up and engaging in your priority activity. This way you will override your croc (primitive) brain before it stops you.” Try it. It works. Visit melrobbins.com for more info Make time to play “There are many ways to set aside time for play. You may choose to have a family pyjama day every other week. Play board games, braai, roast marshmallows and build lego” advises Windt. “Leave the house exactly as it is and warn visitors to stay away!” she continues. “It’s beautiful just to have that unstructured time together” To hear Janice live, visit babyshow.co.za to book you tickets to the #MeetUp on Saturday 29 September. For more information on Janice, visit janicewindt.com

September 24, 2018

Is technology destroying our humanness?

The world is spinning with new technologies and we, the human inhabitants, are the willing prey! Cindy Glass, Director and Co-founder of Step Up Education Centres says “With ever-increasing time spent on smartphones, iPads and in front of live-streamed TV, we are in danger of losing our humanness. Teeny toddlers, vulnerable teens, exhausted parents and even bored grandparents can be seen, heads-down, shoulders bent and disengaged from the real world as they spend endless hours scrolling through their devices. Losing a smartphone is a big deal and people often feel a loss which is akin to losing a much-prized body part!” Cindy highlights the following negative effects of too much screen time and says that they are serious enough for us, as parents, to STOP and take note! • It affects cognitive development in young children as it literally effects the way in which our children’s brains develop! • Too much screen time stifles creativity, imagination and playfulness which are essential to the wholesome development of children. • Concentration, critical thinking, memory and other learning skills are effected as children focus mindlessly on information (whether real or not) as it just pours effortlessly into their subconscious! • It affects mental and physical health as people become increasingly inactive and detached from the real world. • It will harm your relationship with your children. With parents and children spending too much time on their devices, they run the risk of losing the positive human connections that are key to happy relationships! Children feel unacknowledged, unheard and unnoticed and this leads to negative behaviours, anxiety, stress and depression. Cindy goes on to explain “We cannot ignore the dangers of too much exposure to the non-real world that the internet offers. We cannot afford to lose the beauty of life because we did not take a stand against the media (in all its forms)!” Consider the following tips in reducing the amount of screen time that you allow for yourself and your children: 1. You have to set the example. Your children are more likely to do what you do, rather than what you say. You cannot expect your children to reduce their screen time if you do not do the same! 2. Have dedicated no-go-zones for devices. Family activities, mealtimes and even when driving in a car can be cell phone free zones. 3. Get outside! Plan activities that involve getting into nature- it is great for the soul and it will increase all the happy-hormones in your bodies! 4. Encourage your children to get involved in activities beyond the school environment-sport, drama, music and art are great examples. 5. Very young children need to play with their hands and bodies, not on a device. Cindy closes by reiterating “Remember, as parents, we must set the example. REAL people, real love, real joy, real honesty and integrity cannot be experienced through the internet!”

September 10, 2018

What is the correct age to give a child a cellphone?

The modern-day child is being thrust into a rapidly expanding digital and cyber world, whether they are ready for it or not. The question that was posed to me was, “At what age should a child receive their first cell phone?” If only it were that simple and if only society had written rules on how to govern social media and its appropriate etiquette. Sadly, too many children and parents find themselves in a situation way over their heads when it is too late to reverse the precedent that has already been set. As parents, we should aim to be pro-active. In an ideal world, if parents could agree on unwritten regulations, then we could minimise the added cyber peer pressure that our children are experiencing. I find myself in the advantageous position of being a parent to a tween (pre-teen) as well as a high school teacher for twenty years, teaching Life Orientation, Social Sciences and English. Thus, I have made it a priority to try to best equip myself and to empower my own children and pupils. At the beginning of the year, I assigned a task to my grade 7 pupils to interview various age groups regarding cellphone usage. Based on their findings, they had to formulate their own cell phone etiquette policy. Their findings were astonishing. Many tweens had already encountered cyber bullying or inappropriate usage of social media. When conducting my own research amongst pupils, teachers, psychologists and parents, one thing became clear: Cellphones are unfortunately a necessary evil. While we do not have the choice to ignore the necessity of our children having a cell phone, we should be intentional in our navigation and set our own “terms and conditions”. When our children learn to drive, they first need a learner’s license and adult supervision. Why then, can we not create a similar platform with cell phones, before we just toss them the metaphorical keys and expect them to know how to drive? Cell phones are intriguing and as exciting as getting your first car. The sense of independence and freedom combine to make the user want immediate access and license. However, we never grant a child a license before they learn how to drive and pass the test. Receiving your first cell phone should be a significant rite of passage and an exciting phase in your teenager’s life. It could be likened to getting your first bicycle. Accompanied with the thrill, is the need to learn how to ride the bicycle as well. Most Parents and teachers agree that thirteen is an acceptable age to receive a cell phone, provided that the child is mature enough to abide by rules set at home and at school. The determining factor should not be a matter of convenience only, whereby parents simply hand down their old phones to their children in order to satisfy a desire and keep them occupied. Did you know that Facebook has an age restriction of 13? WhatsApp has now changed its age restriction in the European Union from 13 to 16 years of age. One can assume these age restrictions have been put in place for a good reason. Larian Botha, Teacher and Parent – Southdowns College

September 4, 2018

What to consider when searching for a school

By Yandiswa Xhakaza Choosing a school is no small feat. Parents often undertake this task under enormous pressure and in a hurry to find a school on their way to or from work. However, I would urge parents to invest more time in finding the right school for their child because, while convenience is often the driving force, it’s important to remember that your child is potentially going to be in that space for up to 12 hours nearly every day. As such, the environment must be conducive for your child to feel secure, to be happy and to thrive. Below are a few practical things that all parents should look for when in search of a good school. While these are biased towards pre-school and primary school, many of these considerations can also be applied to high school. The school environment and general aura of fun, excitement and vibrancy. Look for colour, flowers, trees, jungle gyms and outdoor play equipment. You should get a sense of security, love and warmth. Classroom design and layout is a big indicator of whether the school offers a forward-thinking, 21st century approach. Look for learning stations with different learning activities in each station, as well as the availability of appropriate educational toys that incorporate sensorial skills, fine and gross motor skills, etc. In a pre-school environment, look for the dramatic play area, big wooden blocks, a reading corner etc. Classrooms that still force all children to strictly sit at a desk for more than 8 hours a day are concerning, so look for beanbags, couches, benches, comfortable carpets, balance balls etc. This not provides variety, it also allows children to learn in the ways/positions that they are most comfortable in. Wi-fi powered schools are no longer those with a computer room and designated computer classes once or twice a week. Schools that are innovative and digitally advanced are easy to spot. Look for visible gadgets inside the classroom, including laptops/tablets, headphones, white boards, projectors etc. Digital learning shouldn’t happen in isolation, it should be infused with day-to-day learning. Child happiness is the most genuine measure, so listen for the buzz of laughter and look for happy smiles. Well mannered and polite children who greet and make way for you to pass is symbolic of the school culture. A great set of extra-curricular activities that children can choose from speaks directly to whole child development. Consider how the school harnesses all aspects of the child, not just academic ability. Effective teacher-parent communication that happens on a regular basis regarding the work being covered at school that week, fun activities that took place in class, occasional photos of the children, classroom messages etc. Find out how parents are engaged so that they feel like they are part of the learning experience. A diverse team of dynamic and passionate teachers always makes for a great school. The school can have state of the art facilities and resources, but without amazing teachers who inspire children and make them feel like they are doing an incredible job, then it’s all for nothing. Teachers can make or break a school, so be sure to meet the educators.

August 14, 2018

Matrics: use the calm before the storm to get your study options sorted

With the holidays almost over and preliminary exams on the horizon, Grade 12s are on the cusp of entering one of the most stressful periods in their school careers. The relatively calm few weeks they still have ahead of them should therefore be used to plan their post-school options, which will free up their physical and emotional energy so that they can wholly focus on doing their best in their final exams. “Deciding what to study and where to study can be hugely stressful, particularly when you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to do with your life, which is the case for many thousands of learners,” says Natasha Madhav, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider. “It is therefore important that learners don’t add this burden of anxiety when trying to prepare for exams. This can be avoided by taking the time right now to investigate their options and, ideally, already submitting their applications for the qualifications and institutions of their choice,” she says. She says the most important advice she has for prospective students, given the difficult economic climate and associated challenges of finding suitable employment after graduation, is to look at qualifications and institutions that will prepare them for a specific career and the world of work. Additionally, they should ideally line up at least one or two additional options, as they may find their circumstances and preferences having changed by the end of the year. “The worst courses of action, are to sign up for an arbitrary qualification with no real understanding of how you can leverage it post-graduation, spending valuable time and money on something that may not lead to a career, or following your friends’ lead because you are not clear on your own aspirations,” she says. Madhav says learners who don’t know what to study, should consider what kind of work they would find interesting, and then work backwards to determine a suitable qualification. “It is also worth remembering that there are literally new fields and careers opening up every year – things that your teachers, parents and friends may not even have heard about,” she says. “So don’t settle on a university and then only investigate what they offer in terms of qualifications. Do it the other way around – determine what you would like to do, determine what qualification would enable you to do that, and then find out which institutions offer that.” If, for instance, a learner is interested in Game Design, it makes sense to find an institution that offers that qualification rather than doing a generic 3-year degree and then attempting to break into the industry thereafter. Or if they are interested in brand management, to determine the best place where they can study this, rather than doing a general business undergraduate degree. The same principle goes for a host of other career-focused fields, such as copywriting and communications, digital design and marketing, IT and networking qualifications, and business qualifications. “The world of work is rapidly evolving, and to be competitive in the job market, candidates must try and match their qualification as closely as possible to the work they would want to do one day,” says Madhav. “Making that determination takes time and clarity of thought in the face of all the options out there, which is why Matrics should make the best of the few weeks of grace they have left and get their future plans sorted now.”

August 13, 2018

6 Simple Practices to Keep Your Child Active and Healthy

No one said that parenting would be easy, but it doesn’t have to be a struggle. Although it’s normal to worry about your kids when they’re heading off to school, you can lower those anxiety levels by preparing for the transition. You also need to accept that your child is growing, and you can’t keep him or her in a protective bubble. In fact, over protective parenting can have far worse consequences for your child, persisting into adulthood. If you’re worried about frequent infections, fatigue or low energy, learning problems, and so on, there are steps that you can take to better prepare your child for the demands and stress of schooling. Before you try to impart good habits and practices to your child, just remember that kids can be quick to call you out on your hypocrisy and double standards, so be a good role model, or learn to cheat smart and not get caught!

July 24, 2018

Pets in the digital age: what we can do to keep those we love safe

Kaspersky Lab, together with the research agency Opeepl, surveyed 7,740 household pet owners from 15 countries around the world* to find out how modern technologies affect pet safety. It turns out that every fifth pet owner uses some type of digital device to monitor or secure their domestic pet, and for 39% the use of such devices, ended up posing a risk to the pet or its owners. At the end of May this year, Kaspersky Lab published a report on vulnerabilities in cat and dog trackers that allow attackers to manipulate information about the pet’s location or even steal its owner’s personal data. In the course of the latest study, it was found that the penetration of technologies and digital devices in the daily life of pets is not limited to just trackers. Among popular tools cited by respondents were web cameras for watching pets, smartphones and tablets with games designed for pets, digital toys, automatic feeders/water dispensers, and much more. However, can there be any guarantee that a malfunctioning temperature controller will not overheat the fish, or an unresponsive auto-feeder will not leave a cat to starve? Such cases can be distressing for both the pets and those who take care of them. According to the survey, for example, half of the devices used for pets have access to the internet, which makes them vulnerable to cyberattacks. 14% of the surveyed pet owners reported that at least one of the digital devices they use for their pets had been hacked. Other problems reported by respondents included that the device stopped working or started malfunctioning. In the vast majority of cases, this resulted in a risk to the pet’s life (32%), its health (32%), its emotional well-being (23%), and even the emotional well-being of its owners (19%). “Technology makes life easier not only for people, but also for our furry friends. With the help of technology, we can protect our pets, take care of them, and provide them with comfort. However, as is the case with any digital equipment, it’s important to remember the risks: any device can break down or be hacked by a cybercriminal. To avoid any unpleasant consequences, it’s important to implement simple security measures in advance, and have a backup plan in the event of device failure or infection. And, of course, you need to choose your digital device carefully, focusing on the most important thing – your pet’s safety,” saysDavid Emm, Principal Security Researcher from Kaspersky Lab. The experts at Kaspersky Lab suggest the following simple rules to ensure the security of your household pets: If you are the proud owner of a smart home, set safety rules for the pets who live there, like this Kaspersky Lab employee has in his pet-friendly smart home (watch the video here); Pay close attention to the security issues of connected devices before purchasing. Information on discovered and patched vulnerabilities is usually available online and is often easy to find. It is likely that the device you are going to purchase has already been examined by security researchers and it should be possible to find out whether the issues found in the device have been patched. The best choice is to buy products that have already undergone several software updates; Before you start using your device, change the default password and set a new strong password; Do not allow access to your device from outside of your local network, unless you specifically need it to use your device; Disable all network services that don’t need to use your device; Regularly update your device’s firmware to the latest version (when such updates are available); To overcome the challenges of smart device cybersecurity, Kaspersky Lab has released a solution for smart homes and the internet of things – Kaspersky IoT Scanner. This free application for the Android platform scans the home Wi-Fi network, informing the user about devices connected to it and their level of security. *Only those pet owners who used at least one smartphone were surveyed. The survey took place online in May-June 2018. Countries included: Singapore, Australia, India, Japan, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, UAE and Russia.

July 12, 2018

Another antibiotic winter looms unless decisive action is taken

The traditional approach to education must be revolutionised in order to ensure the best outcomes for the current generation of school children, who are increasingly being called Generation Alpha, and whose world differs materially from the world in which their Millennial parents grew up, an education expert says. “Generation Alpha represents those children who were born after 2010, who are now at the beginning stages of their school careers,” says Jenny Coetzee, career educator and founding member of the ADvTECH Group’s prestigious Crawford School La Lucia. Coetzee, currently MD of the soon to be opened Crawford International School in Kenya, has in the course of her decades-long career forged an exceptional reputation as a visionary pioneer and leader in the education space. She says each generation – whether they be Generation X, Y or Z – grew up in a world different to that of their parents and the generations before them. Just as each of these generations were exposed to unique circumstances, challenges and opportunities, so are the newest generation, whose labelling as Generation Alpha is fast gaining traction. “These children are the most connected, educated and sophisticated generation ever, so when educating, a school should provide an environment that enhances learning for these digital integrators,” she says. “These children live in an open-book environment – just a few clicks away from any information, they connect in a borderless world – across countries and cultures, and they communicate in a post-literate community where texts and tweets are brief, and where visuals and videos have the greatest impact.” She says schools should be putting special emphasis on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, so that students are equipped to see problems from different angles and formulate their own solutions. “Regardless of the field they choose to enter for their careers, the ability to think, be creative and act quickly is an indispensable tool for the future, particularly in view of increasing automation and the expectation of the workplace of the future, as identified by the World Economic Forum. “It goes without saying that technology must be embraced in today’s schools, but what is of crucial importance, is that it is effectively used to enhance pedagogy and improve learning. In order to achieve this, schools must be equipped with high speed internet and embrace the value of social platforms.” Students must also be exposed to new technologies, such as 3D printing, drones and robotics, and schools should articulate the possibilities these new technologies create. They must also expose students to new fields such as user experience design, and the latest schools of thinking such as design thinking modelsas a scaffold for project work. “Just like Generation Z before them, schools looking after Generation Alpha must cultivate the spirit of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial thinking and leadership are imperative and entrepreneurship courses must form part of the curriculum where collaboration between subject disciplines is encouraged.” Coetzee says it is imperative that schools nurture a global outlook, and that students are able to benefit from strong networks formed with international education bodies. And teachers must be trained in the latest strategies and teaching techniques. “Children come to us naturally curious about their world and wanting to explore it. Their imaginations are vast and untamed, creating endless amounts of practical and impractical things. As teachers we need to continue to nurture them to develop their curiosity and imagination, as well as teach them how to apply them creatively and purposefully using technology as a tool. “We may not know exactly what lies ahead for our students in the future, but we know what skills and tools they will need once they get there: to think critically, to work as a team, but most of all to be curious and excited about learning in this world that is so different from the world in which we were raised.”

July 3, 2018

I-Innovate opens minds to Artificial Intelligence at Cape Town School

STE(A)M educational specialist, I-Innovateis bringing another 21stCentury learning programme to South Africa to open up opportunities in our under-served school communities for learners to develop the talents and skills that are sorely needed in the Digital Age. This month, Grade 3 to 7 learners from Heideveld Primary School and their families can step into the astounding world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when they join a free 3-day initiative, the AI Family Challenge. I-Innovate has partnered with USA developers, Curiosity Machine and local organisation, Sakhikamva Foundation, to bring the AI Family Challengeconcept to South Africa with aim of ultimately reaching 20,000 learners in disadvantaged areas around the world. Learners, teachers and family members get together to explore fascinating facets of AI technologies such as machine learning, speech recognition, prediction models, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality and neural networks. The AI Family Challengecurriculum is experiential and hands-on so that vital Digital Age skills such as computational thinking, electrical engineering, mobile computing and robotics can be developed in a fun, interactive learning environment. As learners understand and apply AI concepts, they are inspired to use them to find solutions to pressing community problems when it comes to food, agriculture, health, transportation and energy. The ‘learn by doing’ approach to mastering the series of design challenges presented by I-Innovate and Curiosity Machine are aimed at igniting creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and innovation. The learning experience fosters a strong and valuable sense of empowerment, confidence and inclusion in the learners. “With these hands-on design challenges, we make complex AI concepts accessible to children and their families,” says I-Innovate CEO, Trisha Crookes. “Learners create their first robots while learning the building blocks of computer science and Artificial Intelligence. Parents and teachers have been inspired by this new way of learning and can see a new level excitement for learning in their children. More importantly, over the course of the challenge, participants develop a learner mindset that gives them a lifelong ability to innovate and problem-solve.” Having previously connected Cape Town schools to the International Space Station through the ExoLab programme, I-Innovate continues to work with partners to bring global thinking and Digital Age experiential learning to South African learners. “The AI Family Challengeis another inspiring and highly relevant way of showing children in underserved communities that they can make giant leaps,” concludes Crookes. This initial 3-day phase of the AI Family Challenge in Cape Town, will be followed by additional events over the next six months. For further information about I-Innovate and their programmes, visit www.i-can-innovate.com

June 26, 2018

The quick and easy financial checklist for new parents

Taking your first steps to put the financial basics in place for your family can be really simple. Here is what a new parent needs to do and why, and how it can be done immediately! When you’re a young parent with a full plate of responsibilities and a host of new baby expenses, getting your financial affairs in order are typically not as big a priority as it should be. But is it worth it to put your family at risk if something does go wrong? A new parent should get at least the following in place: Update your Will to ensure you select the right legal guardians for your kids should anything happen to you and your partner – don’t leave it up to the courts to decide; Get life insurance to protect your child’s future by insuring their education; Start saving for your kid’s university/college education as soon as possible. Your kids will be financially dependent on you for at least the first 20 years of their lives. Most of us will pay for their monthly schooling from our salaries and hopefully there is enough left in the budget to start saving for that university/college fund. It is estimated that parents who send their children to public schools and pay for a three-year university degree, will spend on average about R1.2 million per child in today’s financial terms – and the figure doubles if your child goes to a private school. That is a lot of money that will come from your future salary! And it is why becoming a parent is such an enormous financial decision. Should anything happen to you in the next week, where will your family’s money come from? Very few young parents have enough savings in the bank to ensure that their children have the financial means to finish school and continue their education as needed. How do you protect your children’s future? That’s why it is so critical to have enough life insurance in place right away. It will ensure that your kids can enjoy all the opportunities you want for them, no matter what happens. Many parents already know that things like getting life insurance and a Will is important, but delay or forget about it. Or they just do not know where to start as it is such an intimidating thing to do. Research shows that young parents in South Africa need cover the most and 75%* do not have any at all. Becoming a new parent is an exciting milestone. But by checking these financial items off of your to-do list, you can sleep soundly knowing your family will be well taken care of, no matter what happens. Are you ready to take that important financial first steps? Speak to one of the Hero Life experts and see how easy they have made it. They are passionate about assisting young parents with the basics and and their experts help parents digitally at no additional cost …. so that you can get things done anytime from anywhere. Visit www.herolife.co.za for more info or email [email protected] or [email protected] directly. Or click here to chat on Whatsapp. It’s really that easy.

June 21, 2018

Parental police: Being ‘bad cop’ isn’t shielding kids from online threats

The risks associated with growing up in an online world are not only giving parents a headache, but the time their children are spending online is a real cause for concern. As a result, a third of parents curb the amount of time their children spend on the Internet, to protect them from online dangers. But there are other steps parents can take to minimise the risks and help their children make the most of all the positive things that the digital world can offer. A reliance on Internet interactions by the younger generation is leading to a third (35%) of parents worrying about Internet addiction. This concern is backed up by figures from Kaspersky Lab and B2B International which found that locally, according to their parents, one in ten (11%) under 18-year old’s are addicted to the Internet. Alongside the worry of their children viewing inappropriate or explicit content (45%) and communicating with strangers (40%), the inability of children to distance themselves from the online world is fast becoming a key concern for parents. With half of parents (50%) feeling that the online threats to their kids are increasing, the time they are spending online is a real compounding factor in keeping children safe online. These concerns have prompted 35% of parents locally to enforce restrictions on how long their children can spend on the Internet. However, limiting time spent online doesn’t necessarily make children safe from the dangers. In a 12-month period, 39% of children locally were faced with at least one online threat, with one in ten kids accessing inappropriate content (12%) or coming into contact with malicious software and viruses (9%). Therefore, an alternative option for parents could be to concentrate on supporting their children in other ways, such as through education. 40% of parents locally regularly talk to their kids to teach them about online threats and 36% try to supervise their children when they are online, potentially offering opportunities to highlight any threats that may appear and supplement the education effort. “Parents want to keep their children safe, but simply restricting access to the online world isn’t necessarily the best way to do this. Education and communication both play a huge part in ensuring children use the Internet responsibly and safely,” said Dmitry Aleshin, VP for Product Marketing, Kaspersky Lab. “But it is also imperative to use software to bolster defenses. Limiting time spent online is a key part of the process but won’t work in isolation. Technology can help reduce the risks, enabling children to safely explore all the positive aspects of the Internet and develop their digital skills without having to worry about cyberthreats.” Kaspersky Safe Kids is designed to help parents take a more effective approach to shielding their children from the dangers that lurk online. Through the solution, parents can choose to either block children’s access to certain apps and websites, or to help kids become more aware of the dangers for themselves, by warning them that the sites or apps they are about to access are risky and may contain dangerous content. From imposing time limits through to keeping track of online activities, Safe Kids can provide the additional layer of care that parents need to fully protect their kids against the threats that exist and continue to evolve online. Visit the Kaspersky Lab websiteto find out more about the Free and Premium versions of Kaspersky Safe Kids. Click hereto read the full 2017 Consumer Security Risks Survey report: “Not logging on, but living on.”

June 14, 2018

Schools must adapts approach for education and engaging generation Alpha

June 6, 2018

Understanding the teen years

Raising a teen can be a daunting task. Teenagedom was a very long time ago for some parents, and the thought of raising a teen in todays fast paced, technological age tends to make parents feel overwhelmed straight off the bat. By developing a greater understanding of a teen’s world and compartmentalising it, may make the task a little less stressful for parents. The teenage years are a critical stage on the road to adulthood. These are the years from which well-adjusted adults are moulded. A teen typically operates in three major spheres in their lives; the social, academic and physical spheres. Striking a balance between these three areas can help teenagers to navigate this period more easily, and will set them up for being wholesome adults in the future. What parents may begin to notice is that these three spheres are inextricably linked. Trouble in one area may easily affect another; for example, poor performance in Mathematics over a term, which falls in the academic sphere, could be partly attributed to the loss of a grandparent a few months before, which is the social sphere. Parents can play a pivotal role in helping teens to keep a state of harmony. Although this is the time that teens need to find their independence, they still do require the support of someone to help them through it. Parents can monitor their teen and look for links between behaviour and events in each sphere and intervene where needed. Teens spend most of their time in the academic sphere surrounded by their teachers and friends. As they move further up the grades in school, the academic pressure mounts and the focus on career becomes greater. Many teens get bogged down by the academic pressure, which in turn may affect the other two spheres. Teens of all academic strengths are affected by these pressures and parents may notice things such as social withdrawal or illness creeping in. These are signs that your teen may be under duress and that there is an imbalance. Intervention will be required and the help from professionals, such as teachers, may be required to address the issues. It is imperative for a teen to maintain their physical well-being. Regular exercise and healthy eating habits help to keep a teen aligned. Teens require 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, which can be difficult to get for them due to homework and study routines that may keep them up. Snappiness and irritability could be due to lack of sleep or hunger, for example. The social sphere includes both family and friends. Teens are social beings and enjoy socialising immensely. One major difference between the generations is that teens of today use the digital world to socialise as well. Teens also begin to slowly separate from their parents on a quest to develop greater independence. This period will not come without bumping of heads; however. Parents may need to incorporate new strategies when it comes to communicating with a teen. Allow your teen the time and space to develop their independence in a healthy and safe way. Parents may also notice that their teen gravitates towards their peers more and more over this period. The trick is not to take this too personally – it is normal. This new-found independence can go a long way in helping the transition from school to university and to the world of work one day. Written By: Donel van Zyl, Crawford College North Coast

June 6, 2018

Smart device advice for parents

Smart devices are a massive part of our children’s lives. They spend much of their time devoted to communicating with their friends and peers through cell phones and social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. Sadly, the lack of boundaries combined with too much freedom and a dash of ignorance has resulted in children becoming more vulnerable to cyber bullying and cybercrime than ever before. In fact, a study by the World Economic Forum puts South Africa in the list of top 10 countries that are at risk when it comes to children and cybercrime. It comes as no surprise then that some schools and parents have taken to ban these devices altogether. On the other hand, there is no denying that smart devices provide a powerful learning platform with a wealth of information available at your fingertips. And then of course there is the comfort that comes with knowing that you can contact (and keep track) of your child, where ever, whenever. “Because it’s not only the cyber criminals that you need to be protecting your child from, it’s the real-life ones too!” says Erika Truscott, Owner and Founder of PingMe. “Just last month, two incidents of intended abduction of children by strangers from shopping centres in Pretoria East went viral,” she adds. So, what do parents do? Is there a way to protect our children from the dangers that lurk in cyber space whist still reaping the advantages that come with these devices in the real world? Erika believes there is. She offers the following smart device advice to parents: 1.Add social media accounts to your phone:As a rule of thumb, children younger than 13 shouldn’t have social media profiles – they simply don’t possess the skills to discern potential threats. If your older child is on social media, insist that you have their account on your phone so that you have instant access to chats and posts. 2. Check privacy settings: Automatically set all your child’s social media profiles to private, non-negotiable. 3. Download filtering, blocking and information security software: Control unwanted content and apps by investing in software that allows you to selectively filter what your children are exposed to. 4. Watch WhatsApp: Much of the cyber bullying that takes place, happens on WhatsApp. You can use the WhatsApp web/desktop application to track your child’s history and messages. 5. Get them safety savvy: Teach your child that the ‘Stranger Danger’ rule applies for cyberspace as much as it does for ‘real life’ and remind them not to give out any personal information like phone numbers, home address etc. (even to friends) over social platforms. “It may seem intrusive to have your child’s social media profiles on your phone or to watch their WhatsApp, but as moms and dads, our number one responsibility is to protect and nurture our children. It is integral that allthese interventions are not done in isolation of an open and loving conversation with your child. Trust is the basis of every relationship and this is no different,” says Erika. She adds that for parents who are still erring on the side of caution in terms of smart devices that perhaps they should consider a Smart Watch. “That way, the internet is completely restricted BUT you can still contact your child (and they can contact you!) plus you have the added benefit of being able to know where your child is at any given moment.

May 9, 2018

When screens replace teachers: danger of introducing tech in the classroom

Technology has taken the world by storm and its use now pervades arguably all fields. The education sector is also embracing the potential that technology offers, with good schools and universities incorporating tech to strengthen educational outcomes. But with devices and applications now ubiquitous across generations of learning – from infants to doctoral candidates – an expert has warned that teachers and lecturers must be strategic and judicious about technology, so that it supports learning rather than sabotages it. Aaron Koopman, Head of Programme: Faculty of Commerce at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider, says being cautious is particularly important at school level, where habits for lifelong learning are either adopted or abandoned. “One of the most important areas of risk, is where technology hinders the development of social and collaborative skills,” he notes. “Collaboration and teamwork are global competencies and rely on the ability of learners to engage with others to reach shared outcomes. While there are ways in which technology can be used, such as online engagement with people on another continent, a document sharing process or a blog, it is also critical to promote collaboration, which means teachers must ensure that the face-to-face engagement skills of young learners in particular are developed,” he says. Another area of concern, is where the convenience (for educators) and addictiveness (for learners) of technology lead to a situation where it effectively replaces teachers, similar to home environments where screens become de factobabysitters. “The most effective way to use technology is to support, extend, reinforce and enhance teaching. It becomes a risk however when one assumes that children can learn independently via technology, particularly when it is not at all interactive or responsive.” It is also problematic when technology is passive, for instance when learners and students use e-books that cannot be annotated. “This renders them less supportive of learning than hard copy books that can underlined,” says Koopman. A significant danger arises where technology is not managed, he adds. “Over and above the obvious risks when young people access inappropriate material online, classroom management of devices is critical. If a distracted young person can virtually wander off and play a game or spend time on social media during class time because of a lack of environmental management, valuable teaching time is lost. “It is therefore necessary for good schools and institutions to put in place measures whereby they can lock down what can be accessed during class time, or through other management approaches. Having a management strategy is, however, non-negotiable.” Finally, tech fails can make for major teaching headaches. “While it makes sense to allow learners and students to bring their own devices, that can cause problems when time is wasted on incompatible operating systems or devices that are not properly charged. Good schools and institutions must specify standards for devices and have sufficient plugs and charging stations to assist with this. Good connectivity on campus is also crucial. “Having said that, technology should not take over to such degree that learning stops when devices drop us. Good teachers should be able to keep the class learning even if half or all their devices fail. They should be able to transition into a collaborative lesson or even abandon devices completely and still be able achieve the same outcomes without tech.” Koopman says that technology’s advantages cannot be overstressed. But that equally, the importance of good real-life teachers should never be under-estimated. “Excellent teachers stimulate interest, they create excitement in the classroom, they engage with learners and they broaden the thinking of learners. They are able to relate concepts and principles to learners and customise the learning experience to the needs of the individual learners who all have different styles,” he says. “Quality teaching is in fact technology independent – if schools genuinely believe in the centrality of teaching as the magic of a learning process they will make technology decisions that support learning and teaching, not undermine it.”

April 27, 2018

Is decision making an art or a science? Is it crafted or learnt?

By Jenny Platford Crawford College La Lucia School Counsellor “You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” (Dr Seuss) As Dr. Seuss so clearly emphasizes, much of how we go about making our decisions is based on a personal sense of self, shaped by our personality, life experiences, knowledge, sense of self- awareness and confidence, values both personal and societal. He implies that we have a sense of purpose and control over our decisions irrespective of the external factors impacting on us. There are definite steps that can be followed when making an informed decision-these include identifying and clarifying the decision that is to be made, seeking information to provide adequate knowledge and understanding, weighing up pros and cons and then making a decision based on all known entities. This may be the science of decision-making- a clear process, a plan of action. There can, however, be no definite known outcome, no matter the preparation that goes beforehand. Rather all decisions inherently offer more than one outcome and hence many involve an element of risk. In the society in which we live, this perceived potential for risk and uncertainty, can add stress and anxiety to the larger life decisions we face. Added to this, our society is in a constant state of flux – Politically (as populist movements increase), economically (challenges from crypto currencies) and socially (with the advent of social media platforms- challenging the essence of our relationships with one another). Many young people face uncertain futures as they watch the challenge to our tertiary system. Online courses are on the increase and careers are constantly evolving. Uncertainty can foster a sense of indecision and self-doubt. The media constantly floods our cognitive space, setting definitive guidelines as to what would be construed as socially acceptable and cyber communication brings an immediate communication of all world events clouded by the advent of fake news. There is an overwhelming amount of information available to us and often, young people feel incapable of making sense of it all. How then do young people learn to take control over their lives through effective decision-making? Those students who appear adept in this skill are those who often have a clear sense of self, which has been developed as a result of authentic life experiences, rather than those based on contrived digital experiences. They are familiar with the wonderful potential of both their intellectual and their physical capacity and have developed a sense of resilience, having faced failure in a supportive environment. Parents who allow their children to celebrate the learning that occurs when mistake are made, teach resilience. Thereby overcoming the fear of failure that often paralyses young people when they face life decisions. Young people who are allowed to be curious and independent in their thinking, find decision making another opportunity to explore the unknown, chart a different course, flex themselves. This becomes the art of decision-making. Those who travel, read, explore their faith, live in the physical, and not the digital world, get to build a wealth of insight into their capabilities, and their limitations. They have authentic knowledge as to challenges they have faced, skills they have relied on and support that they can draw on. This frees them, to try new things, trust their judgment and act out their choices. Interaction with a variety of people, exposure to diversity in terms of ideas, faith and culture is empowering and builds understanding, insight, compassion and empathy – all necessary when making informed decisions as very rarely does a decision just impact one person -inevitably, ethical considerations are often required and so a true sense of one’s personal values is of paramount importance. The world we live in requires that individuals are innovative, creative and solutions driven. All these factors require young people to be able to make decisions, act on them and then reflect on the decision made and the outcomes presented. Parents, who make all the decisions for their children, stunt their curiosity and buffer the learning process thereby preventing independence of thought and the development of self-confidence. Decision-making therefore in my mind is crafted over time, built alongside character and identity and bolstered by lessons learnt through life experiences and teachable moments.14324

April 24, 2018

Opinion piece: Is the failure to protect your child from the dangers of the Internet irresponsible parenting?

By Andrew Wilson, CEO at LucidView What does the job of a parent entail? In short, the aim is to raise well-balanced individuals that are independent free thinkers, capable of creating a life for themselves outside of the parental home. One of the most important tasks for us is undoubtedly to keep our children safe, protecting them from physical, mental and emotional harm and minimising their exposure to danger. However, there are some parents that think nothing of giving their children unrestricted Internet access because they haven’t yet realised the extent of the very real dangers that lurk on the web. Those parents that do perceive risk might have limited means of controlling Internet usage. Parents have a non-negotiable obligation to ensure that the Internet access they’re providing for their children – be it for entertainment, education, or communication purposes – is clean and safe. To do this, it’s important to discuss the dangers of the Internet with children and teach them how to protect themselves online and then to take matters into your own hands by blocking access to unsafe, undesirable content in your home. What dangers do children (and teenagers) face online? Kaspersky Lab and market research and consultancy Kids & Youth conducted an online survey of 3,780 families with children aged 8 – 16 (one parent and one child per family) in seven countries and the results were sobering. The Growing Up Online – Connected Kids survey showed 37% of children have come across unwanted content or incidents on the web while 47% of constantly-connected children have encountered online threats. Here’s the kicker: two-thirds of the children responded that they’re afraid of online threats just as much as real life ones, or even more so. The dangers of exposure to explicit content should not be underestimated. Age restrictions on films are there for a reason, and the same rules should apply for minors when using the Internet. Exposure to pornography, sites that promote violence or cruelty to people or animals is not what builds well-rounded, free-thinking individuals. Rather the opposite in fact and the harm from such exposure is accumulative and occurs over long periods of time, causing untold emotional and behavioural damage. Parents should, therefore, block all access to such content that they deem unsafe. Parental controls have traditionally been software-based, complicated to set up and expensive. Aside from enabling Safe Search features and monitoring browser history, there was no easy way for parents to enforce their rules regarding internet usage. Until now. Is there a solution? A particular passion project that stemmed from a realisation that there was a pressing need to give our children safe, clean Internet access, the LucidView Enforcer is a device that does exactly that. By default, it blocks the three major types of unsafe content: pornography, gambling, and piracy (such as the illegal sharing and downloading of copyrighted songs and movies) and can easily be configured to block other sites or content types that parents themselves deem to be unsafe. In addition, products on the market today should also have reporting functionality, keeping a log of every connection that passes through the device. This is necessary to deliver monthly reporting that gives parents insight into what sites kids on the home network are frequenting, and also how much time they are spending on certain online activities. Organisations should be making it easier for parents to enforce their rules regarding screen time and Internet access to give their children the time they need to do things like play outside, read a book and spend time with their families – all the childhood activities that are so vital for healthy mental and emotional development. Failure to manage Internet usage is irresponsible parenting When faced with the fact that unrestricted Internet access means that parents are opening their children up to (possibly accidental) exposure to explicit or age-inappropriate content, cyber-bullying, gambling, or websites that encourage harmful or illegal practices, like eating disorders, crime and even terrorism, the reality is that the Internet is a much scarier place for children than we as parents might think. Yes, we want our children to have access to all the knowledge in the world, but we need to make sure that they’re not distracted by harmful content in their quest to learn and entertain themselves. This means taking complete control over Internet usage in our homes (and even questioning what protective measures are in place at school). Anything less is simply irresponsible parenting, especially considering how easy and inexpensive it has become to do so.

April 13, 2018

Review: Epson L3060 Eco Tank Printer

The Epson L3060 Eco Tank Printer is a must for any home. Being able to review this printer is a blessing. As you know, I have a LARGE family and with a large family comes high costs! Finding an economical way to handle our printing needs has always been top of my list. My twin daughters are currently in grade 10. Grade 10, comes with a few challenges to say the least, one of which is the high work load. Throw art into the mix there and you can just imagine how much I was I spending on printer cartridges each month. Well…. I will tell you; I was purchasing 3 cartridges a week to cover my children and my business printing needs. At roughly R220 per black cartridge and R330 per colour cartridge this equated to R1650 that we were spending per week! This is a multifunction printer and is ideal for small business or a busy household looking for an ultra-low cost solution to printing all those school projects. With it only holding 3 colours and black ink, the drip feed system removes the cost of ink cartridges and replaces it with affordable ink bottles. The drip feed system is easy to refill. You are able to print 13 000 black prints and 6500 full colour prints per refill of ink, this far exceeds any expectation that you may have from your current printer. With the printer being wifi enabled, one is able to seamlessly connect multiple devices to print from. Now in a household such as ours, where we have 4 children and 2 adults, printing can always be a challenge, so we simply loaded the Epson iPrint App to our kids phones and they were able to print away. The Epson App allows you to scan documents as well! The printer offers borderless print, wifi printing, copying in black & white and colour. All in all, this printer was easy to setup as well as use and it has certainly been a great edition to our home and more importantly our office as well! One is able to either connect using a cable or wifi connect, which is what we opted for. The print head is a permanent one… if you have ever had a printhead go, I can tell you that it is more cost effective to replace the entire printer than to repair. This is fantastic news as it comes with a warranty as well. The Epson L3060 Eco Tank Printer is available to purchase from most computer stores… don’t settle for anything else! It is priced at around R3000 – absolutely worth every cent.

April 12, 2018

Nifty home printer tips for moms

Whether you are a stay-at-home or working mom, being a mother is a full time job. Managing the family schedules, arranging extra-mural activities and overseeing homework all before dinner time can be stressful. Having a home printer can help take some of the stress out of a mom’s daily activities. Epson, leaders in home-printing technology, offers some helpful hints to make the most out of your printer at home. Take advantage of mobile connectivity In the case of last-minute school projects, where your child needs a few urgent images for a home-made poster of their favourite things, make use of your home printer’s mobile functionality to multi-task. Many printers nowadays offer printing directly from your smartphone with apps such as Apple AirPrint or Epson iPrint. This means that your child can easily search for and print the images they need, while you prepare for bath time. Print your picture-perfect memories Being a mom is filled with precious moments that should be captured and remembered. Save yourself the hassle of trucking the kids to a photo lab by investing in a Wi-Fi-enabled home photo-printer that enables you to print your favourite memories directly from your tablet or smartphone. The ease of printing at home means that you can seamlessly update your images, add additional photos of family celebrations or even a new pet. Be your own Nigella Lawson If your kitchen cupboard is bursting at the seams with saved editions of foodie magazines, create space and save the environment by scanning and storing your favourite recipes instead. Organise your menu by saving your recipes to a Dropbox folder, or better yet, a Pinterest board, for easy reference. Share your new found love for menu planning by downloading free printable templates to create your own homemade recipe book, and print personalised gifts for fellow moms and foodie friends. Encourage your kids to go old school With a host of digital games and services on offer, kids can easily spend hours in front of a screen. Encourage your children to tap into their imagination by helping them to create and print their own board games. Simply select and print a range of images that will be used for a personalised version of Monopoly or Snap, then cut, glue and stick it all together to make a custom board game that will keep them busy for hours – and give you some time to put your feet up. Save the game for family night and allow your kids to teach you their weird and wacky rules. Practical party planning Planning a child’s birthday party doesn’t have to be a time-consuming and expensive process. Once you have selected your theme, use your home printer to create your own décor, signage and party packs. There are plenty of inspirational ideas online, and a short trip to the shops to buy coloured cardboard and a few sticky labels can save you hours of searching for the right décor. If the birthday boy or girl has older siblings, involve them in the process and make it a family effort.

March 13, 2018

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