Kids have suffered serious burns from squishy toys leaking their contents. This happened when a squishy toy was left in a hot car and the child squeezed it. The girl ended up in the hospital with chemical burns.
There is also a TikTok challenge for heating these toys up in the microwave. Be sure your children know about these dangers and never touch these toys if they are hot.
Chatbots can produce answers that look polished and authoritative, even when they’re wrong. Kids may assume “it sounds smart, so it must be true.”
Teach your kids to double‑check important information with trusted sources and come to you any time something doesn't seem right.
Kids often talk to chatbots the way they talk to people. It’s important they know:
AI doesn’t have emotions
It doesn’t share your family's moral values
It isn’t a friend or a therapist
This helps prevent emotional over‑reliance or confusion about what AI is.
Many AI tools store conversations to improve their systems. Kids shouldn’t share:
Their full name
Address or school
Photos of themselves
Family details
Passwords or private documents
A simple rule: If you wouldn’t tell it to a stranger, don’t type it into a chatbot.
Used well, AI can help kids brainstorm ideas, outline essays, or understand tough concepts. Used poorly, it can become a shortcut that replaces thinking.
Encourage your kids to use AI as a learning partner, not a homework machine.
AI is evolving fast. The most effective safety tool is a parent who stays curious and connected.
Ask your kids:
“What do you use AI for?”
“What do you like about it?”
“Has it ever said something weird or confusing?”
These conversations build digital wisdom that lasts longer than any app setting.
John Oliver provides an excellent analysis of the potential problems with AI Chatbots:
Scammers are targeting kids for sextortion. They convince kids that nude pictures of them will be distributed to family, friends, classmates and others unless money is paid.
In this video, hear from the parents of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay who died from suicide after experiencing sextortion. Read about the steps you can take to prevent this type of tragedy.
Did you know that sugared cereals have more sugar per serving than frosted cakes or donuts? Yikes!
Dr. Michael Greger's article, "Are Fortified Children’s Breakfast Cereals Just Candy" statesIs your teen presenting extremely challenging behavior? If you feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to help your teen, getting professional help is wise.
You love your children and want the best for them. Taking parenting classes can certainly prepare you for handling typical teen challenges. However, sometimes parents and caregivers turn to residential treatment programs designed for troubled teens. This is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with very little regulation. The lack of regulation has led to serious abuse and even death of teens.
Unsilenced.org is exposing some of the serious problems within the troubled teen industry. Watch this video for a brief overview of the issues.
What will your kids be doing during summer break? Plan now for fun and engaging activities that will create lasting memories for your family. Figure out how to use this unstructured time for growth rather than trouble!
Giving young children access to guns is child abuse. And when that child or someone else dies as a result of that access, it’s murder.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem proudly proclaimed at last Friday's National Rifle Association convention that her almost 2-year-old granddaughter already owns firearms. Noem stated “Now Addie, who you know—soon will need them, I wanna reassure you, she already has a shotgun and she already has a rifle and she’s got a little pony named Sparkles too. So the girl is set up.” Noem's right ... Addie is set up to be killed or kill someone.
The only thing more outrageous than the fact that this happened is how often it does—and how little we do about it. In fact, the gun industry is marketing more guns specifically to children. CNN reports "Guns are the leading cause of death for US children and teens, since surpassing car accidents in 2020."
As parents and guardians, we are responsible for the safety of our children. We can help prevent these accidental deaths by making sure our kids don't have access to guns—and that includes taking steps like keeping them locked away from curious hands.
You work hard as a parent to do the best for your kids. For the most part, it is a thankless job. Watch this video for some encouraging words. What affirmations would you add?
Social media plays a role in the rising rates of mental health issues in children. How big a role it plays is up for debate. January 6, 2023, the Seattle Public Schools filed a lawsuit against Meta, Facebook, Instagram, Siculus, Snap, TikTok, ByteDance, Alphabet, Google, XXVI Holdings, and YouTube.
The lawsuit alleges how these companies have built their businesses by exploiting children's vulnerabilities. It states "Defendants have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth, hooking tens of millions of students across the country into positive feedback loops of excessive use and abuse of Defendants’ social media platforms. Worse, the content Defendants curate and direct to youth is too often harmful and exploitive (e.g., promoting a “corpse bride” diet, eating 300 calories a day, or encouraging self-harm)."
Regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit, this information is helpful in appreciating the impact social media may be having on your children. What limits are you setting on your kids use of social media? You play a major role in teaching your kids to keep themselves mentally healthy.
Children should be safe in all public situations. It's beyond time for sensible gun laws including banning assault rifles. This is a societal problem that you cannot solve alone. However, you can influence your own children to not turn to violence as a way of dealing with their wounded feelings.
Kids have suffered serious burns from squishy toys leaking their contents. This happened when a squishy toy was left in a hot car and the c...
