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Well, that depends if you’re ready for your teen to become more independent and responsible. It also depends of course on your purse or wallet! Buying a vehicle for your teen is a big leap and presents lots of responsibility for your teen who is either at or approaching the age he or she can drive. You may want to consider some or all of these tips to help you in your decision on whether or not you should purchase a vehicle for your teen:

1) Consider having your teen work towards paying the down payment or entire purchase price for their vehicle. By doing this, your teen is able to learn responsibility and the value of money! Your teen will probably take good care of their vehicle if they are contributing or paying for the purchase of the vehicle.

2) You may want to purchase your teen an older used vehicle, probably a sedan that will be reliable for their needs. Your teen will probably be able to save money on insurance and fuel costs by purchasing an older vehicle. A sports car or 6-12 cylinder vehicle would not be an appropriate vehicle for your teen to have. They don’t need it! Remember, their just getting started. Usually the insurance costs for older vehicles are cheaper than newer and sport car type vehicles for your teen. So keep this in mind before you and your teen consider purchasing a vehicle.

3) If you decide to purchase or allow your teen to buy a vehicle, consider having your teen pay either a portion or all of the vehicle maintenance costs and insurance. This will assist your teen in continuing to learn responsibility and how to manage their finances. They’ve got to learn sometime, so why not now!

4) If you and your teen have come to a decision to purchase a vehicle for them to use, do your research on the vehicle that would be appropriate for your teen. If you have access to the internet, that’s a good place to start. If not, then review the newspaper vehicle classified section, vehicle trader magazines and any other resource you can find prior to purchasing the vehicle. You’ll want to find the best quality, price and reliability for the vehicle that is being purchased for your teen.

5) Maybe you’re not ready for your teen to have a vehicle yet. That’s okay too. However, you may want to have them work towards saving for the purchase of their vehicle for the future. You know they will eventually start driving, so why not start saving now! You will be able to have your teen learn the importance of saving and budgeting for items they would like to purchase in the future.

So, after you and your teen have discussed the prospective purchase of a vehicle for them, hopefully you’ll be armed with enough information to assist you in making a decision that will work for you and your teen!

Nocita Carter is a writer that designs websites providing informative tips at finance tips
http://www.personal-finance-tips-for-you.com & dating tips http://www.mydating-tips.com

83% of college students will experience crime. What will the other 17 % do different?

I was sitting around the dinner table talking to my kids when the subject of college came up. They shared all their hopes and dreams about the college life. I thought to myself man this a big step for kids who barely know how to clean their own room. They have no idea about the streets outside this community.

Since college was fast approaching for one of them. I began to think of ways I can make a difference. Ideas started to come. I know I will tell them what friends to make. No, they rarely listen to that advice now. Oh I know, I will give them advice on getting good grades. No, better not, multiple guesses did not work well for me either.

Hey, the college parties are always interesting. I will just tell them not to go to those things no matter how much fun they seem to be. Yeah, that will work. But wait, they maybe several hundred miles away, how do I know if they take my advice? How do I know now? Sure they say OK.

It never dawn me to tell them how to stay safe and secure in an environment full of ways to become a victim. The most significant contribution you can make to your Kids College life is making sure they finish without becoming a victim of crime.

Going to college is a slam dunk decision for most people. The average college graduate earns 70 percent more than those who stop at a high school diploma. Because crime on college campuses has been on the rise within the past few years, it is crucial for students to follow certain safety tips.

Criminals choose college students because they are seen as easy prey. Most of them are away from home for the first time and are usually very trusting. They want to make a good impression so they strive to please everyone even undesirables.

You do not have to be an expert to give a student advice on the little things that will make them safe and possibly save a life. Dormitories and apartment complexes and housing areas surrounding college campuses are especially vulnerable to criminal activity.

Throughout the college years, your child will have plenty of stressors in their life, such as exams, papers, presentations, jobs, friends, and even family. If they are like the average college student, they will have enough on their mind without having to worry about school safety, but unfortunately, in this day and age, staying safe on campus is an issue that students must think about. Fortunately most crimes can be prevented with extra precaution.

Tell your college student to only admit their visitors to the residence halls. Your student can also aid in security by making sure outside doors of residence halls shut securely behind them. During peak hours, it is a good idea to double check security doors as you enter and leave. When a door is left open, insist that your resident assistant or security guard check for doors left ajar during the day and at night.

Students should never loan their room key to anyone under any circumstances. Make sure your apartment or dorm room has secure locks on doors and windows. Always lock your apartment or dorm room even if you are going to be gone for just a few minutes. Also be sure to lock your doors at night as well. Have the locks changed if you ever lose the keys to your residence.

Criminals shy away from loud noise or attention so leave lights or a radio on at your apartment so it looks like someone is always home. Never open the door for someone you do not know. Ask anyone who gives you a ride home to wait around until you have safely entered your apartment or dorm building.

College is stressful enough without having an act of crime divert you from the road to success. Have you college student learn about security in the surrounding area as soon as they arrive. Learn as much as you can about the people with whom you associate. If any of them seem like bad news report them and seek new company.

Trust your gut feeling and be careful whom you take into your confidence, because people with whom you associate may commit crimes. College is new adventure and you should not spoiled it by being unaware of your surrounding and giving criminals half a chance.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.repellertechnology.com"> Repeller Technology,
provides self-defense and safety products, tips and advice to fit most
situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

Miranda is the mother of two teenage boy ages 15 and 16. She loves her sons very much. They are not perfect kids nor does she expect them to be. She has watched them grow up from babies. Their farther died when they were very young. They have never really had a full time adult role model. Lately, she suspects that they have been drinking.

She has hot actually seen them, but she has noticed that the liquor she keeps around the house has been disappearing. She does not drink. She worries that they may already be or will start drinking and driving. They may hurt themselves or some one else. She has confronted them about this, but they flat denied being involved with alcohol.

She did not want to accuse them unfairly, but she wanted to know the truth. She would also know exactly what she was up against. The quantity in the house stayed the same for a while. Then after a couple of weeks it started to disappear again. She was determined to find out which one of her sons were drinking. She thought it might even be both of them. They were pretty close.

They knew almost everything about each other. One would never tell on the other. She had to devise a plan to catch them in the act. She decided to dust the outside of the liquor bottles with a permanent clear marking powder. Only she would know it was there. When it came in contact with moisture on the skin it would turn blue. It takes weeks for it to wear off.

The one with the blue hand would be the drinker. She put the marking powder on all of the bottles and waited. She checked the bottles periodically to see if the content level was decreasing. She also paid careful attention to the boys hands. The alcohol was still disappearing, but the boys hands were not blue. She kept checking and watching but no blue hands. The liquor was steadily disappearing.

She even tried some of the powder to see if it was really working. She put a little bit on her finger and sure enough it turned blue. She wondered why is their hands were not blue. She was puzzled. Then one day someone rang the doorbell, it was the complex maintenance man. She opened the door. She recognized the guy; he had been up to her place a few times in the past few months.

He was part of a crew checking water pressure in the complex. When he raised his hand to say hello she noticed it was blue. At that moment she knew who was drinking the liquor. It was the maintenance guy. He must have been taking drinks while he checked the pressure when nobody was home. She reported it to the complex management.

The maintenance man was fired. She felt really small, because she had placed the blame squarely on her own sons without proof. It took some time to rebuild the trust between them. She never accuses them of anything unless she is sure. False accusations can destroy relationships. Make sure you have proof before you make accusations, especially if it is a family member.

Johnny A. Jenkins, Distribution Director of href="http://www.cameraindisguise.com"> Repeller Technology,
has a huge selection of hidden surveillance equipment, tips and advice to fit most situations. Make your surroundings safer for you and loved ones today
at: Repeller
Technology.

How do I block mySpace and similar websites? There are many ways to accomplish this task, but first lets find out if you really want to completely block sites like these or if want to restrict access by children, or allow teens access and monitor their online behavior.

The latter choice/option being the preferred way to go. You know as well as I do, if you make restrictions on teens or you stop them from doing something as a form of punishment they will find a way to undermine your authority. They will find a way or sneak online somewhere else. And the possible outcome could be very tragic.

Another option to help teens, is by becoming an active partner in the mySpace craze. Make your own profile find out what all the excitement is about and show them how you would surf and add friends and why you as a parent would also want to make correct choices and be safe (adults need to be safe also). Teach them how to use common sense and show each of your children the proper way to enjoy the Internet. It’s a great teaching moment! Manage your child’s computer time with Parental Control Software packages!

Option # 1:
Source Code can be used to prevent objectionable websites but, there are some limitation. Also (you’ll need to know how to do some minor programming) but it’s simple enough, just follow the directions.

Option # 2:
Monitoring Software can be used to monitor online activity by using software to Record Emails, Chats, IMs, Web Sites, Programs Run, Keystrokes Typed, Peer to Peer File Sharing, Screen Snapshots - Plus - Offers Internet Access Blocking and Instant Notification Alerts.

Option # 3:
Blocking Software might be a Wise Choice that will protect your children, by completely blocking their use of objectionable websites. The software may also block some sites that could be used for homework.

Option # 4:
Logging Software monitors and logs all keystrokes while your children are online.

Blocking, monitoring, and logging what’s the difference?

A blocking program has the ability to automatically block most inappropriate sites. Most blocking programs along with their automatic blocking, will allow you to specify which sites you want blocked and which sites you want to allow. They should all be password protected to keep the kids out. Most blockers work well, although, the downside is that some can be a bit too restrictive.

For instance, CYBERsitter (one of the most used) would never allow kids to upload pictures to their boards. Granted, this isn’t necessarily bad, but when given the ok, a child expects to be able to upload their photo(s), and expect CYBERsitter to allow them to upload. However, it won’t allow it, you’ll have to manually disable it and wait for them to finish, and then re-enable the software.

A monitoring program monitors web sites visited, applications used on the computer, like MSword or a game. Most monitoring programs also have a blocking function.

A logging program or key logger as they are called, simply logs all keystrokes made on your computer. Most, will also log incoming chat sessions and email. These programs, as far as I am concerned, are a must if you have kids chatting and using email. They will not stop bad things from happening, but they will log exactly what was said and when.

Please take an active roll with your children no matter what choice you make as far blocking or not blocking Internet access. Show your children you care about what they do online, as well as in school, sports, hobbies, and friends.

Each option covers different levels of security. If you follow the advice that is provided on each option, you are going to greatly improve and enjoy your experiences online and your children will too. Keep your children safe.

Bill Wardell Is the Senior Editor/Creator/Developer of Online Security Authority, the Author of “Don’t Take Candy From Strangers” and a Authority Site Center Certified Coach. Speaker and Radio Show Host, Publisher, Researcher and National Radio Guest! Your Online Security Authority

When students think of learning a foreign language, the first thought is of books, exercises, audio cassettes and all the rest. Those are all important and fundamental to learning but the time comes when you need to spice things up a bit.

After all, you need to maintain your studies over a long period of time. In order to do this, it’s necessary to change things so that your interest level remains high. After all, most people have the initial desire but lose interest due to, among other things, a boring routine.

That’s where things like a cell phone come in handy.

It’s the perfect addition to your study materials. You have it with you day after day, you are familiar with how it works and you can use it to practice whenever you have some downtime. No need to have your books by your side or be in your car to listen to tapes.

Let’s take a look at how to add your cell phone to your study toolchest.

Tip #1 - Set up your cell phone to use the language you’d like to study. - Go to the menu, find settings, locate language and change it to Spanish, Chinese, whatever you would like to learn. If you ever get stuck you can go and change it back.

Tip #2 - Take a look at the buttons you normally push and begin associating those items with the new vocabulary. - This is a great way to master simple words and phrases with little or no effort. For example, each time you open up your cell phone you’ll see, (in the case of Spanish), “mensajes” instead of “messages”, “juegos” instead of “games” and “llamdadas hechas” instead of “calls made.”

These words begin to stick once you see them again and again. Before you know it you’ll recognize the Spanish word just as quickly as the English one.

Tip # 3 - When you have downtime, take out your cell phone and start hitting buttons. - You’ll be surprised at all the vocabulary you can learn by just playing with the different menu items. Some things you’ll recognize immediately and others you’ll be able to guess just by where you find them.

As you probably know, the more contact you have with the language the better. That is particularly true of vocabulary. Seeing a word for the first time and then not seeing it again is a recipe for a very limited vocabulary. You have to get the repetitions needed to help move the information into long term memory.

You also need to see things in context. With a cell phone, you begin to see relationships between words of the same category. For example, the category “llamadas” is “calls” in English. Contained in this category are “llamadas hechas” (calls made), “llamadas recibidas” (calls received), “llamadas perdidas” (calls missed), just to name a few.

You have a goldmine of related words and phrases that can double your vocabulary almost overnight. Why not take advantage of it?

It’s one of the ways you can keep your learning fresh and interesting. And that’s important because boredom is a big problem with language learners. You need variety and a cell phone is one way to get it.

Don’t fall into that trap. Grab your beloved cell phone right now and start hitting some buttons!

Jim Sarris is a veteran Spanish teacher and the author of a new ebook/audio series “The Secret to Learning Any Language.” Visit his blog to obtain free information and learn about other resources to help you learn faster and easier than ever.Language learning made easy.

When planning a baby shower for a friend of family member it is always important to plan ahead. One thing to think about ahead of time the center piece for the table or tables.

Traditionally baby shower centerpieces are flow arrangements. These are things that you can easily do on your own and save a little money or if you are pressed for time simply pay a florist to do the work for you. It really depends on your budget versus amount of free time. It is very simple to really spruce a flower arrangement up for a baby shower by including some fun baby items. For example place small teddy bears around the bottom of the arrangement. You can also add letter blocks, safety pins for cloth diapers, rattles or other small baby toys. These add a light and fun touch to the traditional flower arrangement and make the baby shower center pieces really stand out.

Another option that is becoming very popular is diaper cakes. These can either be real baby shower cakes decorated with diapers and baby items on them or they can be cakes actually made out of diapers (But you don’t eat these cakes). Diaper cakes are often wrapped in cellophane and have a very decorative bow and fun. These can make a very striking centerpiece for a baby shower and an easy conversation piece.

Another fun and festive option is balloons. Balloons a very easy, one can just go to their local party store and have a bunch of balloons made into an arrangement. Plus balloons are very festive and they always say party. To add a little more of the bay shower touch to balloons you can easily die baby rattles to the bottom of the balloons as a weight to keep them on the table.

A very non-traditional idea might be to take an empty fishbowl and decorate it paint pens, beads or other fun objects that can be found at your local craft store. Then add some water and candles and you have a very unique baby shower centerpiece. Another non-traditional idea that I have personally used was a small collection of toy fire trucks and police cars with balloons tied to them. This of course was a baby shower for a new baby boy.

Some important tips to remember when thinking about a baby shower centerpiece are:
1. Leave yourself enough time to completely the project in a relaxed manner
2. Plan to have problems with materials etc and then if you don’t you will finish ahead of schedule.
3. Enlist the help of other friends. They often have fun decorating for a baby shower.
4. Plan your theme first and then work outwards based on the theme.
5. Most of all is be creative. There is no one-way to do this and it is important to be creative, have fun and do the work with love.

If you follow the above suggestions and brainstorm some of your own ideas the bay shower centerpiece is sure to be a huge success. Again it is important to take the time to be creative and really enjoy the project. These will show in the final results and everyone will see the love and effort that were put into the baby shower.

Secrets of Baby
Shower Planning. Make it easy and elegant Or go here and find
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