This year is a bit different for my family. We’re going to Disneyland for Christmas which I think I’m more excited about than the kids.
Did your little one write a letter to Santa? What was at the top of his or her holiday wish list?
This year, it seems like gadgets and gizmos are the big winners - hey, there's a reason we call this generation "Digital Natives."
Nearly 25% of kids want to unwrap electronics this holiday season, according to a survey done by Everloop, a safe social site for children under the age of 13.
I was recently selected to take a brand new 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT out for a week-long test drive… and oh, what a week!
As your kids grow up, there are tons of important milestones you want to catch on tape - from their first birthday to their college graduation and everything in between.
But nothing's worse than finding out after the fact that your footage isn't exactly memorable! So to avoid any potential home video pitfalls, check out these helpful tips from Robert Vince, the writer-director-producer of Disney’s Buddies movies:
Watch Your Lighting
While your electronic accessories don't define you as a person, there are always ways that a gadget can show off your unique style.
This is true whether you're a career-driven working mom with a Blackberry glued to your hand, or a free spirited artist with your well-worn Nook bearing the paint smudges of your latest work. Or maybe you just like to match your iPad with your outfit.
Video games are present in almost every home in America. In fact, according to the Entertainment Software Association, in 2009, 68 percent of American households played video or computer games. While playing video games in moderation isn’t likely to affect the family in a negative way, if playing video games interferes with family life, the effects of video games on the family must be analyzed.
Handheld gadgets such as Apple's iPod can bring entertainment to a whole new level, offering plenty of gigabyte space that will allow you to not only listen to music, but also watch movies wherever you are. However, before you can enjoy hours of entertainment, you have to put movies onto your iPod. Downloading movies from the iTunes Store is not particularly difficult once you understand the process.
According to Entertainment Software Association, 67 percent of American households play computer and video games, as of 2010. In addition, 64 percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their children's lives. Xbox, which is one of the top providers of video games, offer a variety of options to cater to every gamer, including video games played by families.
This past weekend I loaded up the kids and we headed out of town to a family wedding. It was nothing short of an adventure! The highlight for me was that I finally got a picture of all six kids! I feel like I am always forgetting my camera, or someone is missing or not happy, or I just plain forget to take a picture until after the fact. So I am thrilled to have this picture of my children who are growing up much too quickly!
To say that kids like to play video games is like saying men like to have the remote control or that women like diamonds. It's a given. The Kaiser Family Foundation website reported in 2002 that 92 percent of kids aged 2 to 17 play video games and spend an average of about an hour a day doing so. As a parent, you probably want to make sure your child is playing family video games.
