I had been witnessed to countless situations where I a mother exhibits an emotional breakdown disciplining their kids in public. There was a time when I heard a mother berate her 8 year old child at the mall, rather loudly, which made her daughter cry. It had been hard not to look and mind my own business. I wanted to come up to the mother and berate her myself. But she was kind of intimidating and I guess everyone else was intimidated by her, that no one tried to stop her from shouting at her daughter, till they left the store.

At one point, I too was a witness of a mother cursing at his son, for he was misbehaving. The words that came out of her mouth were enough to want me wash this down with soap…but I bit my tongue and only gave the mother a glaring look, which I didn’t know how she took.

A friend of mine, however, was braver than I am and literally had to pry the mother away from her child, when it was very obvious she was hitting her with this fan on her hand. The kid had been misbehaving as usual, but the mother has hit him countless of times, it was awful to watch. My friend stepped in and told his mother to not hit her child or she will call the police. The mother reasoned he had been very naughty and needed discipline.

I truly dislike mothers who discipline their child in public, humiliating them. But what would you have done in this case? Would you step in too?

When I was a child, rainy days could really dampen playtime for my friends and I because we aren’t allowed to go outside. Playing indoors is boring. But since kids today enjoy a lot of gadgets at home, they probably won’t notice anything different.

However, it’s not a good idea to let children be playing with video games all the time. Sometimes you have to also initiate other activities. On rainy days, it can be challenging but here are some ideas to make playing indoors fun, and without the use of any portable technology.

1. Baking

Parents don’t usually allow kids to be in the kitchen because they may hurt themselves. But with an adult’s help, you can spend the day baking cookie doughs or going for the more ambitious like baking pasta or fish meals. Kids enjoy measuring and doing something with their hands, such as kneading. And I’m sure they will love it more if they see the fruits of their labor — and realize that it tastes really good.

2. Arts and Crafts

Don’t do the usual coloring, cutting and pasting as children do these a lot in school and may now feel like a chore, instead of a fun thing to do. Be creative. This is playtime, so have fun with your ideas. I’m thinking shaving creams mixed with tubed watercolors can be fun. They don’t have to create masterpieces. The idea is to have something that will keep them busy and entertained.

3. Have A Game Of Cards

This one always works with my kids and their game of choice is Go Fish! We make it interesting by placing bets. And we use pebbles for our bets. The more pebbles earned at the end of the game, and the winner gets a prize from Mom or Dad.

For a lot of parents who own an iPad, the device is really not something for their own use only. Kids as young as three or four already know how to use this gadget, and may even know this works better than the adults. But some of the games installed for this gadget aren’t fit for a young mind. Fortunately, there are a few kiddie applications parents can install for their budding computer geeks.

Here are just two examples —

Elmo Loves ABC’s iPad App

This application is developed for Sesame Street and features Elmo, a favorite of many kids. The game helps kids learn alphabet easily with videos, sing-along and coloring pages. The children can also trace letters as part of the game and some surprises are surely going to give kids a worthy time playing and learning.

The application cost about $4.99

· Over 80 classic Sesame Street videos
· New Sesame Street videos
· 78 Sesame Street coloring pages
· 5 different ways to play hide and seek
· A game mode where children can practice finding the letters they’ve learned

Griffin Crayola Trace and Draw Case for iPad 2

This application is perfect for those who already have the iPad 2 and a child wanting to test its power and capacity. I actually love this one myself as it allows children of any age to be creative. There are over 35 templates including one that encourages children to learn to write their name. The only drawback is that the application can be a bit expensive at $49.95. Still it’s packed with so many features.

With kids as young as 4 years old playing with the iPad, there are actually some very useful and kid-friendly iPad cases you can use so that the gadget doesn’t get easily damaged. While the gadget may be so easy to understand by children, they may not, however, understand just how expensive this is. I’ve known of parents who have newly-bought iPads only to discover that their children have accidentally dropped this while using it.

One such protector is the Big Grips Frame which comes with the Big Grip Stand:

This item is constructed using lightweight foam that is quote durable as well. The grip frame actually works as a soft protective case. It’s designed to be easily grabbed and very comfortable to hold. The frame is mounted on a grip stand that can work in either a portrait or landscape orientation.

Using these Big Grips add on is ideal for web surfing while on the table or couch, or for watching movies and playing games. The parent will not have to worry about mishandling it. The grip frame and stand keeps the iPad secure.

These cost about $34.95 and $24.95 respectively, but you can get it a discounted price of $49.95, if you buy this as a set. This grip and stand come in bright, exciting colors the kids will love — Fresh Green, Electric Blue, Carnation Pink and Steel Grey.

You can buy the item and check the specs further on this site.

While their bodies are a lot more limber than adults, children may still experience back pains just like we do and will most likely not notice. There is a danger in not giving attention to this right away as back pains can hinder with the body’s development and become the cause of other underlying problems.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, here are symptoms parents should watch out for with children experiencing back pains:

• Losing weight or running a fever.
• Complaining of numbness or weakness.
• Having difficulty walking.
• Having pain that extends from the back down one or both of the legs.
• Having bladder- or bowel-control issues.
• Having pain that prevents the child from sleeping.

If any of these symptoms are present, an examination done by the doctor is necessary to evaluate it. Physical exams, MRI, CT Scans and Xrays may be asked.

Back pains are usually signs of the following condition, according to OrthoInfo.Org, and develop as early as pre-teen stage, so parents must not ignore it:

Muscle Strain and Imbalances
Musculoskeletal strain is most often responsible for back pain in children and adolescents. This type of pain frequently responds to rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and an exercise program.

Stress Fracture of the Spine
Spondylolysis, or stress fracture, may cause lower back pain in adolescents. Stress fractures may occur during adolescent growth spurts or in sports that repeatedly twist and hyperextend the spine, like gymnastics, diving, and football.

Infection
In young children, infection in a disk space (diskitis) can lead to back pain. Diskitis typically affects children between the ages of 1 and 5 years, although older children and teenagers can also be affected.

Tumor
On rare occasion, tumors, such as osteoid osteoma, can be responsible for back pain. When they occur, tumors of the spine are most often found in the middle or lower back. Pain is constant and usually becomes worse over time. This pain is progressive; it is unrelated to activity and/or happens at night.

Slipped Vertebra
A slipped vertebra, or spondylolisthesis, occurs when one vertebra shifts forward on the next vertebra directly below. It usually occurs at the base of the spine (lumbosacral junction). In severe cases, the bone narrows the spinal canal, which presses on the nerves.