I read an interesting story today about how much we have to cut back on a lot of stuff in order to stretch our money. We do away with unnecessary expenses, like cable bills, or we scourge the thrift stores more. And for parents with growing kids, it seems the economy has also affected the tooth fairy.

How much do you give to your kids as the tooth fairy these days? The depleting rate, according to a report from 2010 says, that tooth fairies give anywhere between $2-3 these days. A couple of years back, children at least enjoyed above $5 surprises.

Dentists however, says that the price range is just about right. As we also need our kids realistically. It’s really lavish to spend more than $5 for every piece of tooth, when there are about 20 tooth to be extracted on average.

I know of some parents who shower their children with really expensive gifts for something as simple as this. And I think it already goes beyond the reason of buying it just because they can afford to.

We must live by example, everyone says. And if kids can easily get the latest iPod or gadget because his tooth has loosened up, then we’ve got more problems than the tooth fairy’s economic standing.

But I also know of another family who does nothing like this, and so the child ends up getting confused when his peers talk about it. Now, I see that as robbing someone of a childhood.

What do you think?

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.

The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a study recently, in relation to how much kids know or spend time with technology. The results show that most children spend 7 1/2 hours in a day using their computer, watching television, texting and using their smartphone or tinkering with other digital gadgets. The situation has since changed so much since five years ago, the study said.

Many of the gadgets are easily accessible to kids. They can bring this anywhere, even when tagging along during short drives to the nearest store with their parents.

Families with children even as young as three all know too well how this situation looks like. I’ve had my friends complain they couldn’t even share computer time with their kids since they hog the technology so much.

But that is not the real problem. Many parents are worried that kids may be spending too much time in front of these digital devices, without really learning a lot.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation expert, Dr. Rich Whether, however, denying these children use of these gadget is pointless. The expert’s suggestion? “Digital media are as much a part of kids’ lives as the air they breathe. Whether this is good or bad is a moot point now—the real challenge is figuring out how to help our children benefit from high-tech tools while still making sure that they are playing and learning in the tried-and-true ways.”

In the 80′s parents were concerned about how much time kids spent time watching shows on television. What we need as parents are effective ways of adapting to these advancements and changes, because these are not going away or disappear from our lifestyle anymore.