By Tracey Dowdy

We live in a culture that worships fame. Our kids often see celebrities as heroes and someone to admire. But what happens when those celebrities end up all over social media because they’ve gotten into trouble? Now what? How do you talk to your kids about Justin Bieber’s drunk driving arrest, or Ryan Lochte being arrested for lying to the police?

Instead of excusing or ignoring the story, use it as a teachable moment. This is your chance to do the kind of parenting you remember from those after school specials when you were a kid.These tips based on suggestions from Kate Roberts, Ph. D. and Savvy Parenting can help you navigate those awkward conversations and the disappointment children often feel when their heroes fall.

Keep it age-appropriate. Obviously you can be more direct about choices and consequences when you’re discussing a DUI with a 15-year-old vs. your 5-year-old. Younger children tend to think of people as “good guys” and “bad guys” so help them understand that good people sometimes make poor choices and this is a chance to learn from their mistakes.

Keep your opinion to yourself – at least until you’ve heard what your child has to say. Allowing them to express their opinion before you give yours means  you’ll get a better understanding of how they’re processing what they’ve seen or heard.

Use the opportunity to teach them what a hero really looks like. Talk about people who serve as police officers, firemen, soldiers or other professions that take courage, sacrifice and hard work or, talk about real-life heroes who have done extraordinary things like Ruby Bridges, Malala Yousafzai, or Ryan Hreljac.

Keep an eye on their celebrity worship. Roberts cautions, “Children who are over-focused on celebrities are at greater risk for copying negative behavior.” Remind them that there’s a difference between a celebrity’s on-screen and off-screen personality, and often between who their publicist wants us to think they are and who they really are. This is a great opportunity to talk to them about being true to themselves and not giving in to peer pressure or group-thinking. Being a hero means more than being talented – a real hero has character.

Show empathy instead of judgement. While not condoning a celebrity’s bad behavior, there’s nothing wrong with showing compassion and empathy for someone who’s made a bad choice. Ask your child how they would feel in that situation and how they could learn from their mistake.

Talk about what it means to be a role model. Perhaps your child has younger siblings that look up to them, or perhaps your child excels in sports, academics or the arts. Help them to understand people sometimes have unrealistic expectations from their heroes and remind them celebrities have flaws just like the rest of us.

Teach personal responsibility. This is a tricky one because sometimes celebrities seem to get away with things the rest of us don’t. Talk about whether or not that is just or fair, and what it means to take responsibility for your actions.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Megan Valente

Education is the new black. As Oscar Wilde’s famous quote goes, “You can never be overdressed or overeducated,” and I find that to be true on multiple fronts. Really, what’s better than looking fiercely good and being wickedly smart? I’ll wait.

However, not everyone has the luxury of time or money to go back to school. Heck, not everyone has the patience for that matter. Studies have proven that we absorb more in smaller chunks, a lot like eating pizza in smaller bites instead of shoving it down your throat all at once (although…you can).

ENTER: Micro Learning

Micro learning is a huge tech trend that offers you a way to continue your education without the huge time commitment, the obnoxious commute to a class, or the crippling student debt that affects so many people. In fact, it’s an easy and remote way to learn during those awkward down times when you don’t know what to do with yourself, like waiting at the doctor’s office or when you’re taking a train ride.

Micro learning is so accessible that in some cases it’s even free – my favorite f-word!

Many of these electronic services allow you to pick and choose the areas you are interested in learning about, letting you break it down into sections. They are self-paced, which means no nagging professor can yell at you for submitting something late.

Take that!

Apps like Kahn Academy offer a full curriculum of subjects you can choose from, or you could always dig a little deeper and find micro learning apps for specific subjects.

Now you can finally tackle all of those things you said you were going to do but didn’t, like learning another language, improving your coding skills, or brushing up on your art history before your museum date next week. You know, just normal things.

Some of us can pretend that we’re micro learning to be scholarly, which is wonderful, but in reality many people just want to sound smart. Is that so bad? ‘Wow’ your family at Thanksgiving or break out the “big guns” and watch jaws drop at your next dinner party.

And micro learning isn’t just for adults! There are numerous apps that gamify the same micro learning style, so students can supplement their school work. I really could have used that when I screamed about my long division homework. Just saying.

We live in exciting times where we have instant access to an entire world of knowledge. Take advantage of that, whether you are six or 60, in school, out of school or somewhere in between, and push yourself to new levels. Never stop learning!

Megan Valente is a lifestyle blogger and barista and is currently attending Montclair State University. Follow her on Twitter at @TheDayILived.

Tracey Dowdy

It happens to the best of us. You arrive for your meeting, open your laptop and realize your battery is nearly dead. While your first reaction may be a silent scream or a quick panic attack, there are better options.

These tips won’t increase the amount of power left on the battery, but they will make that remaining power last as long as possible.

• Switch to eco-saver or battery saver mode to immediately switch processes and programs into their low-power state. This automatically reduces the drain on your battery.
• Exit apps and processes you don’t currently need. Look at it as “single-tasking”. For example, if you’re typing a document, close your internet browser if you don’t need to refer to web content. PC Magazine has some great tips on how to go one step further and close processes running in the background for both PC’s and MacBook’s.
• Dim your screen. Just like on your phone, that brightness level is a battery hog. Don’t forget the backlighting on your keyboard. Turn it off unless it’s necessary to do your work.
• Disable unused ports and devices. Are you charging your phone off your laptop? Have a USB plugged in? External hard drive? Unless they’re necessary for the task at hand, disable them.

These strategies can extend your battery’s life over the long-term and make sure it’s working at peak efficiency.

• Install those updates. Failing to keep up with updates not only exposes you to risk of viruses and hacking, it means software glitches you may not even be aware of are an unnecessary problem. When you get an update message, be sure to install and update as soon as possible.
• Keep up with maintenance. Just like your car needs regular oil changes to keep the engine running at peak performance, your PC needs to be defragged on a regular basis. For your PC, go to “Defragment”, and then “Optimize Drive”. You can also run a Disk Cleanup to clear out bloatware, programs you no longer use and clear out your browser cache.
• Invest in a second battery or external battery pack. If your laptop uses a removable battery, you can order a spare directly from the manufacturer. Be wary of off-brand batteries or chargers – some are safe but others are not and you run the risk of serious damage to the hardware and software.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

Tired comes in a lot of forms. There’s “the toddler who refused to nap”, “the college student that pulled an all-nighter”, the “I’ve been up all night because I ate street meat”, and then there’s the Queen Mother of them all, “the sleep deprived parent”. It’s the kind of zombie-like haze that The Walking Dead uses to coach its actors.

No matter what stage of life you’re in or what’s keeping you up at night, these tech tricks can help you sleep soundly and wake up refreshed and ready to do it all over again.

Reduce blue light

Sleep experts will tell you to get rid of your electronics but for some of us, that’s not going to happen. I read at night, and many of my books are on my iPad. The issue is that our screens emit blue light, the kind of light that blocks melatonin and tells our brain it’s time to get up, there’s work to do!

It’s easy to fix this on your mobile devices – for iOS, turn on Night Shift and for Android, install an app like Twilight.  Amazon devices have featured blue light filtering on their tablets for quite a while now. For your TV, there’s not really an effective work around other than adjusting the color/tint of the image.

Avoid the bright lights

Consider changing that light bulb or getting a lamp with multiple settings. Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than turning on the nightstand lamp and being blinded by the light. Look for a standard lamp that lets you choose between “enough light to land a plane” and “just enough to avoid stepping on the cat”, or, choose a high tech solution like the Withings Aura smart alarm clock.

Not only does the Aura wake you up with a simulated sunrise, in the evening it transitions to a red nightlight so if you have to get up during the night you aren’t blinded. It also comes with an under-mattress monitor and speakers so you can customize your wake-up playlist, play white noise or nature sounds, stream Spotify, or choose from over 20,000 radio stations.

White noise anyone?

Consider a white noise machine. The HoMedics® SoundSpa® is under $20, offers six sound options – white noise, thunder, ocean, rain, summer night and brook – and has a built-in, customizable timer. Sound of Sleep is pricier – models range from $50 – 100 but offers a lot more features.

Most white noise machines loop their track, so if, like me, you’re often still awake after that first cycle, you start to pick up on the not-so-random patterns and sounds in the audio. Sound of Sleep offers 10, non-looping tracks, each with customizable variations. For example, if you select the “Oceans” track, you can add in gulls, seals, or even a foghorn, none of which sound relaxing to me, but hey, you do you.

Change that alarm

Consider changing your alarm clock. I never sleep well if I know I have to be up extra early or use an alarm. I stress about sleeping through the alarm or wake irritated because I was in an REM cycle and woke up at a bad time.

I know that does not make me unique because someone invented the Sleep Cycle Alarm clock that measures your sleep cycle based on sound analysis and your movement. Based on the information, the app implements a 30-minute wake up phase. Instead of being shocked out of a deep sleep, you’re pulled into wakefulness and wake up refreshed and ready. The app is free for iOS and Android with available in-app purchases.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

Ever get a text from your teen and have no idea what it says? Or maybe you think “LOL” means “Lots of love” as in “Heard you’ve been really sick, I feel bad for you. LOL.” Or, maybe you’ve seen hashtags, acronyms or phrases on social media that leave you in the dark. Take comfort. you’re not alone. Digital language is constantly evolving and teens will always find ways to communicate so that parents won’t understand.

Once we’ve cracked the code our kids are going to switch to other means of communication, but in the meantime, here’s a parent’s guide to the acronyms your kids are most likely using.

*Fair warning, some of these terms include profanity.

AF – As f***.  Used to communicate emphasis such as “I am broke as f***.”

Bae – Before anyone else. Refers to your crush or your significant other. “Bae surprised me with cupcakes!”

#fbf – Flash back Friday. Used on social media when users post old photos and memories on Fridays. “Here’s Taylor and me on a field rip in second grade. #fbf”

FOMO – Fear of missing out. “I wasn’t planning to go but then had major FOMO.”

FTW – For the win. “Mom jeans FTW!”

GNOC – Get naked on camera. That one pretty much explains itself.

GOAT – Greatest of all time. “After that Super Bowl win, no doubt Tom Brady is the GOAT!”

Hashtag – The # sign. Used on social media to link to content trends. It can precede a word, phrase, or acronym and links the content to a media-wide online conversation. “Having a great day! #blessed #lovemylife #tgif”

HMU – Hit me up. Ask for someone’s phone number or social media handle so private/personal messages can be exchanged. IDEK – I don’t even know. “So, are you going to say yes?” “IDEK.”

IDGAF – I don’t give a f***. Refers to both an attitude and a response to a specific question or situation.

LMAO – Laughing my a** off. Used as a response to something you think is really funny.

LOL – Laughing out loud. “The dog is terrified of the cat! LOL”

MCM – Man Crush Monday. Primarily used as a hashtag on Instagram to caption a photo of your current crush. See “WCW” – Woman Crush Wednesday.

On fleek – Another way on saying “on point”, as in “Her eyebrows are on fleek.”

PIR – Parents in room. No explanation necessary. POS – 1. Parents over shoulder. You probably don’t need any further explanation for this one either.  2. Piece of s***. Used to describe anything or anyone considered worthless.

RDH – Rate, date, hate. Usually used to ask followers, “How would you rate me? Would you date me? Do you hate me?”

Smash – Euphemism for having sex.

SMH – Shaking my head. Used as a response to something said or done that is so ridiculous there are no words. “She knew she was going to get caught but did it anyway. Smh”

TBH – To be honest. 1. Used on social media to fish for compliments. “like for a tbh”.                   2. Also used to communicate a universal truth or a confession. “TBH, I really hate the movie Avatar.”

TBR – To be rude. The exact opposite. Used to generate negative responses.

TBT – Throw Back Thursday. Used on social media when users post old photos and memories on Thursdays. “Here’s me and Taylor on a field trip in second grade. #fbf”

TLDR – Too long; didn’t read. Used as a comment on online content, especially when someone posts a long rant. “Whatever, man. TLDR.” Sometimes used as disclaimer by the poster as a summary of a long post.

WCW – Woman Crush Wednesday. The female version of Man Crush Monday, but on a Wednesday. Obviously. WTF – What the f***. Yep. That’s what it means.

YOLO – You only live once. Used to describe an attitude of living for the moment, not getting hung up on life’s problems.

Have other acronyms you want to share? Add them in the comments below and you’ll be the GOAT!

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

From Tracey Dowdy

Trying to figure out the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day? Instead of the usual flowers or chocolate, a phone case that reflects the personality and interests of the owner makes a great gift.

Have fun browsing these options for your sweetheart!

For the Selfie-Obsessed: The LuMee Duo iPhone case was designed by a professional photographer and features front and back facing LED lights. It’s available in Black, Gold, or Rose, is fully rechargeable and gets great reviews from users on both the quality and durability of the case.

For the Adorkable Klutz: You really can’t go wrong with an OtterBox. In fact, it’s the #1 best-selling case nationwide. Cases are robust, multi-layered, and available in several styles that ensure your phone survives drops, bumps and shocks. Some come with built-in screen protectors and they all come with a one-year warranty. Originally available in basic colors, OtterBox has stepped up and made more stylish cases like the Symmetry Series Crystal Edition with inlaid Swarovski crystals, as well as limited edition designs through their partnership with Project Runway. Available for a wide variety of iOS and Android devices.

For the Outdoorsy: An Ampware Case makes your phone immortal. Well, maybe not immortal, but five minutes of turning the handle on the back of the case gives you a full hour of standard phone use or a full five hours in standby mode. That’s right – it’s not just a case, it’s an emergency generator! The idea for the case came when the company’s owners were personally impacted by Hurricane Katrina and had only cell phones with limited battery life to contact loved ones. The downside is that the case is limited to the iPhone 6 or 6S, with a launch date for the iPhone 7 pending.

For the Athlete: the iMangoo Running Pack Armband Gym has an awkward name but is ideal for both gym or outdoor workouts. It features a slim-line pouch behind the phone’s case that’s big enough to store your credit card or ID, cash and even your keys. It zips shut so you don’t have to worry about anything falling out while you work out. Works for iPhone, Samsung, and HTC phones.

For the Always-On: Mophie has consistently been the tried and true best-seller. It features wireless charging, a 3,300 mAh battery that translates to 100% extra battery life, and an LED indicator light to let you know how much battery remains. And everything is wrapped in a solidly constructed case. You’ll be ready to call it a night before your phone is! Available for both iOS and Android devices.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.