Parents can install the v-chip microchip in their televisions to block out programs high in violence, sex, or other objectional material. Examines the views of supporters, who see it as a coping tool for the information age and of detractors who see it as an affront to the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. (SM)

Examples from Sweden, Japan, and Australia suggest that historical, social, economic, and cultural factors influence the formation of a learning society. Because much learning takes place in nonformal settings such as the home, issues of access, equity, and family role arise in order for the conditions of the learning society to be met. (SK)

Presents suggestions to help parents prepare for an IEP meeting, including: meet with the teacher to discuss the child's strengths and weaknesses; contact people performing preliminary evaluations for the meeting; be attentive and listen to information presented; treat other meeting participants as partners; request a copy of the new IEP and…

Presents four tasks that parents and teachers should commit to before they take on the responsibility of introducing children to world issues: adults should study the issues themselves; adults should provide children with balanced explanations and multiple perspectives; adults should understand that child age and development dictates different…

Presents guidance to help school nurses achieve three goals: describe the scope of the problems related to teen smoking, discuss the characteristics of teens most likely to begin smoking, and identify strategies that parents and nurses can use to discourage teen smoking. A sidebar includes a 10-question quiz on adolescent tobacco use as well as an…

In a 1985 Wisconsin survey, 1,003 respondents made child support judgments for 3 hypothetical family vignettes. Their awards generally fit a system in which parents' contributions are proportional to their resources, a system based on everyday principles of fairness. Contains 61 references. (SV)

The decline of the family is well documented and probably irreversible. Parents are using more elective time for self-pursuits that compete for the time and energy needed for child rearing. Parents' reduced accountability to children challenges schools to assimilate a new personal form of responsibility. Schools must support, not supplant,…

Outlines common custody, visitation, child and spousal support, and property arrangements and identifies factors which correlate with various arrangements. Based on review, questions are raised that family life educators, therapists, and policy advocates should consider when planning and implementing their interventions, and possible program…

Shaky handwriting is often the first symptom of essential tremor (ET) in children. Physical limitations include difficulty in eating and drinking. One very disabling aspect of ET is the social embarrassment it causes. The article looks at what parents and teachers can do if they suspect a child has ET. (SM)

Children need to be taught about food safety. The paper includes safety tips to remember when selecting, cooking, and eating meals, both at home and away from home. Information is included on grocery shopping, home storage, food preparation, cooking, serving, and leftovers. (SM)

The press and the public criticize schools for all our youngster's ills but are overlooking parental responsibilities. Instead of pushing for vouchers and other potentially damaging "quick fixes," parents should insist that homework is done, that teachers are respected and obeyed, and that school is attended daily, while accepting some…

Women (n=288) were randomly assigned a vignette describing a sexual encounter between an adolescent girl and boy, in which variables included the girl's diagnosis (mentally retarded or nonretarded), the boy's diagnosis (mentally retarded or nonretarded), and the girl's behavior (encouraging, passive, or resisting). Factor analysis of responses…

The article examines reasons to send young children to preschool or keep them home, discussing populations that are unable to send their children at all. It notes characteristics of a good preschool, lists things to look for, and suggests selection criteria. (SM)

Surveyed 68 delinquent minors, 57 parents, and 101 probation officers to compare attributions of responsibility for delinquency. All three groups saw the minor, the family, and friends as three factors most responsible for delinquency, but in varying degrees and combinations. Findings demonstrate importance of studying perceptions of different…

Five keys to effective communication for divorced parents raising their children include being clear about what they want, keeping it simple, being businesslike, avoiding assumptions, and staying in the present. (SM)