Press-Republican

FYI...

Related Photos

  • stock photo

    cell-phone.jpg

Discussion

IMPORTANT: Comments that include a personal attack on other commenters will be deleted in their entirety. Your comments are not welcome here if you can't maintain a civil tone.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
comments powered by Disqus
August 19, 2012

The call you can't answer with an iPhone to your ear

By Janice D'Arcy The Washington Post

As I write this, I am technically spending time with my daughters. It's the afternoon, they've been liberated from camp, and I should have closed my laptop hours ago.

"Should" tends to be an elusive goal in my parenting world, so instead they are huddled in front of an episode of "Busytown" as I sit a few feet away.

The reason is a good one — well, there's always a good reason. This time my excuse for facing a screen instead of the two of them is that we're about to set off on a two-week family vacation during which I have pledged to myself that I will be "present."

That is, I will not be half-listening to a story about my younger daughter's imaginary friend while scrolling through e-mails on my iPhone or pretending to watch the the older daughter's mangled cartwheel while typing my to-do list. My 14-day mantra will be: Focus.

One evening of family screen time isn't so bad in return for two weeks of presence, right?

"I would definitely say that parents being more able to be fully present with their children without the distractions of domestic duties at home and demands from work is one of the biggest benefit of vacations for kids," said Tina Payne Bryson, co-author of "The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind."

I tracked down Bryson while she was on her own vacation with her three children. She pointed out the irony of talking about her professional expertise while she had intended to avoid work during the trip.

Still, she said it's worth the effort to tuck away the smartphone and tune into the family.

"Without distraction, parents can usually pay more undivided attention to their children. This frees parents up to be more playful, to be more tuned into their child's needs and desires and to build great memories because their time and energy are focused on one another instead of outside distractions," she said.

Okay, so now it's time to turn off the computers (both of them), store my iPhone and hit the road.

---

Follow @onparenting on Twitter and get updates on Facebook: on.fb.me/onparenting.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
FYI...
  • baby-girl-daughter.jpg Is it really possible to not know you're pregnant until the birth?

    Trish Staine had just finished running 10 miles while training for a half-marathon when she started going into labor. The mother of three said she hadn't gained any weight or felt any fetal movement in the months before and had no idea she was pregnant. Is it possible for a woman not to know she's pregnant before she starts giving birth?

    June 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • asteroid-nasa.jpg White House, NASA want help hunting asteroids

    The White House and NASA on Tuesday will ask the public for help finding asteroids that potentially could slam into the Earth with catastrophic consequences.

    June 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • FACES164.jpg State photo-ID databases become troves for police

    The faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver's-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations.

    June 18, 2013 3 Photos

  • When is a nightgown appropriate in the office?

    Who among us hasn't wondered if pajama pants are OK in the winter? What about clingy, see-through blouses for spring? And now that it's almost summer, what about nightgowns? Specifically, what about midthigh-length, straw-colored cotton nightgowns at work?

    June 17, 2013

  • doortodoor-market-box.jpg Consumers' desire for local, organic food drives online grocery business

    Just a few years ago, consumers who were fervent about eating locally-grown and organic foods had to head out to the nearest Whole Foods or farmers market. Now all it takes is a few swipes of the mouse at an online grocer like Door to Door Organics, Relay Foods or AmazonFresh.

    June 16, 2013 1 Photo

  • PARKS FOOD9.jpg National parks to offer healthier food under new standards

    The consumption of rubbery hot dogs and cellophane-wrapped sandwiches of indeterminate age is a time-honored rite of passage for generations of families making the trek to national parks around the country.

    June 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • FILM SUMMER62.jpg Predicting the summer movie sleeper hit

    Every year since, filmgoers and critics try to predict what the next "Little Miss Sunshine" will be.

    June 14, 2013 2 Photos

  • iStock_000008462647XSmall.jpg When did sunscreen get so complicated?

    Summer is almost here, which means it's time for picnics, pool parties, and every parent's favorite pastime: chasing after your kid with the sunscreen bottle. But what's arguably more arduous than slathering lotion onto a screaming 3-year-old is choosing the right sunscreen.

    June 13, 2013 1 Photo

  • cell-phone.jpg How to shield calls, chats, browsing from surveillance

    If you have followed the startling revelations about the scope of the U.S. government's surveillance efforts, you may have thought you were reading about the end of privacy. But even when faced with the most ubiquitous of modern surveillance, there are ways to keep your communications away from prying eyes.

    June 12, 2013 1 Photo

  • lifeguard.jpg Drowning doesn't look like drowning

    Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind.

    June 11, 2013 1 Photo