Is Wi-fi in schools good or bad?

Several newspapers have reported there has been a “call for wi-fi [and mobiles] to be banned in schools”.

The Reports stem from research preliminary research conducted by the Council of Europe Commitee.

The Council of Europe Committee has said ;

“…mobile phones could cause brain tumours and should be banned in all classrooms”, and called for a “dramatic reduction” in exposure to other wireless devices, such as baby monitors and cordless phones…”.

It’s hardly surprising that the debate on the safety of mobile phones has spilled over into their use in schools.  Any debate on the subject regardless of the polar views it creates is well received.

For me, it is also good that Wi-Fi networks are now included into the debate.  I have felt for a long time now that Wi-Fi has been slipping under the radar.  They are very similar to mobile phone.  They will be constantly pulsing away in the corner of your home 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Benefits of  Wi-Fi in schools

There is no denying that a Wi-Fi network adds greater flexibility in that you don’t need to worry about running cables from difficult to reach places.  The cost implications of a wired network can be quite a lot.

Also the entry points are not fixed.  Which means laptops can be moved around the building.

So in summary there are  lot of pluses for Schools.  And it’s because of all these pluses, that there has been wide spread adoption of Wireless Networks in schools.

So what’s the issue?

Mobile devices and wi-fi networks use very low frequency electromagnetic fields.  It’s these constantly-on devices that continually emit EMFs and that have raised concerns about there effects on health.

One of the difference between mobile phones and Wi-Fi networks is that a mobile phone will automatically adjust its signal strength based on the signal strength – Wi-Fi does not.

Powerwatch, a campaign group that raises awareness of the risks from EMFs, welcomed the draft resolution. A spokesman said: “It is long past the time when governments all around Europe should have started being more precautionary about these issues.”

The report was based on a principle of precaution, rather than definitive proof of danger from domestic exposure to electromagnetic fields, which are generated in various forms by electrical devices. It should be noted that the Council for Europe is not part of the EU Government.

Do parents have a choice?

As a parent you would not consciously put your child in harms way.  But the evidence, as little as it is, is just not conclusive.  The hope we have is that in time more money is spent in researching this ever growing piece of technology.

I personally switch off Wi-Fi and mobiles at home when it is not being used.  I try and raise awareness to the school and potential problems, buy without significant funding it would be difficult to switch from an economical solution.

As always we are interested to hear about your experiences.

And whether you would ask your school to change to wired network.

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Computer Games and children

If ever there was an issue that polarised parents opinions it’s Computer Games.  Some of the questions that swirl around parents minds include;

• Should I, shouldn’t I
• What age should I allow it?
• How much time should they spend on it?
• Do violent computer games spill over into real life?

I can’t pretend to have the answers to these questions I think you need to treat every child and family on an individual basis.  But, based on my experience it might be worth laying down some ground rules.
Here are some rules that I think might be worth considering.

1. Never, never give a child a computer games that is beyond there age group. Do you really want a 10 year old playing something that is certified 18?
2. Take an interest in the games.  Computer games are not child care!  Talk to your child about the games, what’s involved.  If there is a shoot em’up talk it through.
3. Lay down firm rules and stick to them. Sticking to the rules is the difficult part.  It is important not acquiesce as soon you child starts crying when they have to stop.
4. Set a time limit.  Speaking to lots of friends I have found that letting your child spend hours in front of the TV will affect their mood.   Watch carefully.  Keep to the time limit.
5. Handing out treats or punishment.  Take great care not to place to great a emphasis on computer games for good or bad behaviour.   Giving it to them as a treat might build it up in their mind more than it really deserves.

The defence of the parent

I’ve heard numerous excuses over the years from parents justifying themselves for giving the child the games.  They range from;

• It’s good downtime for the child, after all they work so hard…
• It helps build their hand to eye co-ordination.  Oh dear, really?
• It keeps them quiet for a few hours.  Well at least they are honest!

Understanding your child and set clear boundaries in terms of content and time will help in keep a content family.  Their will be arguments along then way and it’s important to stick to your guns.

I shall leave you with this parting story from a friend.  They bought the ever popular Wii console for the family one Christmas with plenty of age sensitive games.  My friend noticed that the mood of the family changed over the next few days and her children were constantly arguing and requesting more and more game-time.  So what was once a contented family with few arguments had now morphed into something rather different.

The Wii didn’t last beyond christmas and was promptly sold on ebay.

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Birthday party season makes for a busy 5 months

Do you have a birthday season in your life?  I do.  It starts around April and goes all the way through to August.

Confused? Let me explain.  A birthday season, is a period of time when I have back to back children’s parties.  And it’s like a juggernaut that moves slowly but inexorably to it’s end goal.  If you get in its way with an a double booked appointment you will inevitably have to acquiesce.

The children’s party has an almost Sanctum Santorum reverence  in the hearts and minds of Middle England’s mothers – little Timmy must have his special day.

These days you can take the Children’s Party to unparalleled heights in terms of money spent and there are an army of children’s party organisers, entertainers and caterers that will happily relieve you of your hard earned cash.

Take for example the American parents who parted with $38,000 for a kids sleepover in a FAO Schwartz (An American toy store).

But it doesn’t need to be all about the money.  There was an interesting article in the FT (of all places) which discuss how middle-class parents are shying away from elaborate expensive children’s parties to a more moderated, budget children’s party of yester-year.  I suppose everyone is cutting back why not the upwardly mobile.

An idea for an economy children’s party

I think, homemade Birthday cakes are a terrific idea.  Cake moulds can be found almost everywhere and they come in all sorts of amazing shapes.  However, there was one in particular that caught my eye.  An interactive Angry birds birthday cake.

[VIDEO MISSING]

Whatever you are planning for your child this year, if you are out and about.  Remember some Children’s ID bracelets.  They are easy to fix on a and if, perish the thought, you are separated from a child within your group.  They will have your contact number attached to them so you can be quickly found.

Also, if you need to stock up on Birthday Stickers just visit the website or call us on 01264 350788.

Have a good year.

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Back to School 2012

So it is the end of the first week and the children are back to school after, what seemed like a prolonged Christmas break has really been a bit of a struggle.  Does anyone else feel the same?

There are a lot of things conspiring against parents.  Firstly a 3 week break is quite long.  So, my children have had plenty of opportunities to get up late, relax and have lots of play.  Or in other words they will have forgotten about their usual school routines.

That’s all fair enough as they have, probably, worked very hard at school all year and this is their opportunity to relax.

School Homework over the holidays

Do you or don’t you?  This is quite a polar issue for parents.  Of all the parents I have spoken you can basically split them into two camps.  Yes, they continue to do homework over the Christmas break, or they absolutely refuse to.

Some parents strongly feel that their nearest and dearest needs the time fof to recuperate and take a break from the stresses and strains or school life.  Have you any thoughts on the matter?

A short week at school

I think, as parents, we sometimes forget how tiring it can be for children at school.  They are going through a constant pattern of change, they are learning new stuff playing lots and growing.  All of this really does tire them all out.  So it’s hardly surprising that they come home slightly wired and exhausted.

I was talking to the classroom assistant this morning and she mentioned that despite having lots of rest over Christmas the first week back can be very tiring.  Because it’s about gearing up the bodies and little brains to work again.

Getting the parents ready for school

This heading might sound ridiculous to those who are not indoctrinate into the school run.  But as a parent you really need to be ready the night before, or sometimes a few weeks before your child goes back to school.

For a stress free school run you need to be prepared. And it is so important that your child can be looking forward to school rather than anxious about the morning’s madness.  Here something I wrote a few months ago about how to prepare for the first day at primary school.  It basically covers off all the major points like;

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School inset days

I’m a big fan of teachers. I think, in the main, they do a great job under sometimes difficult circumstances.  Keeping the children engaged throughout the school day takes hard work and a kind of patience that the average parents simply does not have – or should I say, I don’t have.

Notwithstanding, there is one thing that drives me to distracting. It is the school inset day.

There is nothing quite like a school inset day to throw working parents into a panic. And worse still the school inset day that hasn’t quite made it into your calendar.

The trick in surviving this impromotpu day off is to keep everyone engaged happy and busy. This will allow the busy parents to check emails, return phone calls and deal with the usual work commitments.

Creative Crafts

My kids love all things craft – even my little boy. An opportunity to glue, paint, stick, scrunch, flatten, fold, loop, sew or colour-in really keeps the children engaged.

The trick is to have the materials to hand. So I keep a oversized plastic box full with bit’s & pieces of cloth and glue and brushes.

Activity #1 This first activity can be either hit or miss. I throw the contents of the box on the floor and let them choose the materials and let their creative juice run wild. I try and not control matters too much, for e it’s all about them designing or creating something out of nothing. Don’t forget to reward your child. Here are some free reward charts on the Super Nanny website.

Activity #2 I’m a big fan of colouring in. You’ll be surprised by how much is on the web. Think of any Cartoon character and you will be able to find a colouring-in poster,simply type. “[character] colouring in” into Google and click on “images”. Hey presto, Instant child entertainment.

Activity #3 My daughter just loves baking.  She loves, mixing all the ingredient; sticky fingers; being all gooy and licking the bowl. I’m not saying that boys don’t love it. I just think my daughter likes it just a bit more. As you would expect the BBC has lots of receipts for Baking with Children. Gingerbread men biscuits always wins the day in our house.

Activity #4 Getting outdoors is a must. If you need to juggle work and the children might be cooped up indoors for most of the day, I always try and get them out early. Swimming Pools always open early, Bike rides can start as early as you like and playgrounds can be visited at first light. If you do this your little one will burn off lots of energy and will be more content to stay in and be more manageable.

Activity #5 Our Scratch Maps have come into their own recently. I have used them to help improve the children’s geography. Whilst I cook dinners I will shout out….”Can you find Paris…Germany…America…Australia. And so on it goes.

Activity #6 Board games. These are another firm favourite. You can easily pass away 30 mins on a good board game.

Activity #7 More children.  I appreciate at first sight that this does’t seem like a wise idea.  But with the right children you can find that they will entertain themselves.  There is a word of warning here.  It is very easy for this method to fail miserably and end of in bedlam.  But if you get the right children round and the right activities the can amuse themselves for hours.

I hope this helps you get through the day.  Let me know what happens.

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