ARE THE CARTOONS YOUR KIDS WATCH ACTUALLY MADE FOR KIDS?
Parents might also find value in sticking to certain channels or streaming services, such as PBS Kids, Nick Jr., or Disney+. There are also organizations like the Parents and Television Media Council, whose website, ParentsTV.org, can help parents determine which cartoons are okay for their kids to watch. Ultimately, the best way to ensure cartoons are safe is to watch with your kids. After all, this turns a solitary activity into one where parents can learn, laugh, and bond with their children.
With the many streaming platforms out there, kids have access to a more diverse array of content than ever before. That being said, parents need to be extra vigilant about which shows and videos are captivating their children’s attention, particularly when it comes to cartoons. Cartoons on their own aren’t bad for kids. In fact, enjoying them in moderation can have myriad benefits for a child’s development. They can bring laughter and relieve stress, engage a child’s imagination, help them develop their language skills, and teach them about topics ranging from mathematics to social skills. The best cartoons can be bright, colorful, funny stories that help children learn and grow. That said, though, not all cartoons are for kids, nor do they teach good lessons. Many cartoon characters encourage violence and speaking rudely to teachers and other authority figures. Additionally, with adult animation becoming more popular in recent years, many of the cartoons available on TV, streaming services, and YouTube are explicitly not for children.
So, how can parents make sure the cartoons their kids are watching are safe, wholesome, and educational?
In recent years, as YouTube has continued to amass countless hours of video content — much of it geared toward children — they’ve developed YouTube Kids, their streaming site for children under the age of 13. This site isn’t airtight, however, and disturbing content can sometimes slip through the cracks.
WHY YOUR VEHICLE IS SO DANGEROUS ON A HOT, SUMMER DAY
Luckily, there are simple preventive measures you can take to avoid deadly tragedies. Start by locking your vehicle and keeping your keys stored in a secure place away from children. (Approximately 38% of the pediatric hot vehicle deaths in 2020 involved children who sneaked into a vehicle on their own.) Another helpful method is to leave important items, like a purse or your shoes, in the backseat. These are items you typically need soon after you exit the vehicle — and they serve as a quick reminder. You could also set alarms or reminders on your phone that will go off when you reach your destination. Don’t ignore this vital warning: Leaving a child or pet in a vehicle unattended is dangerous and life-threatening. You can learn more online at ConsumerReports.org.
they discovered was that it takes very little time and mild temperatures for a vehicle to become dangerous. After just one hour in a day at 61 degrees F, a vehicle’s interior reached 105 degrees F, and that temperature didn’t substantially change whether the color of the vehicle was a lighter or darker color. Furthermore, Consumer Reports indicates that researchers at the Arizona State University and the University of San Diego found that parking a vehicle in the shade didn’t make a difference either. A vehicle could still reach 104 degrees F in under two hours. The reason why this happens is simply accumulation. The materials that vehicles are made from absorb heat quite well, which then radiates into the air and locks hot air in the vehicle. Cracking a window won’t help either; not enough air can escape.
Trigger warning: This article contains precautionary information to prevent child and pet deaths.
As a parent or pet owner, you may believe that you’d never forget your child or furry friend in a vehicle. Sadly, no one is immune to this simple mistake, and no matter what season it is, leaving a child or a pet in a car can be far more dangerous than you might think. Consumer Reports just released detailed studies regarding heat and its impact on vehicles. During testing, researchers left a number of vehicles outside and recorded temperatures as time passed. What
2 • www.hwnn.com
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker