The Parenting Buzz : Cell Phones, Night Clubs and RSI – Oh My!

Today’s buzz asks: at what age is it appropriate for a child to have a cell phone, go to night clubs or worry about carpal tunnel syndrome?

On the heels of an article posted in Washington Post.com’s Business Section about Bethesda start-up Kajeet – the latest entrant in the “tween” cellphone market – comes a post from Stacey Garfinkle, Washington Post.com’s On Parenting blogger. Kajeet’s target market of 8-to-16-year-olds has prompted Stacey to ask: What’s the Right Age for a Cellphone?

The Debroff Debrief reports on the advent of kiddie nightclubs, baby-friendly happy hours and family nights at chic, high end restaurants. It’s a simple question of demand and supply: yesterday’s hipster singles are today’s hipster parents; and they are not going to be sitting at home watching yet another Baby Einstein DVD, no…they’re hitting the clubs, and they’re taking their kids with them! Shake, Rattle, and Roll, Baby!

RaisingKids reports on a new study which has found that computer-related injuries in children are on the rise. No, we’re not talking about tripping-over-the-power-cord or laptop-falling-on-head type of computer injuries here: this study out of England found that the number of children with repetitive strain injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome), has risen by 35%, with 577 children reporting to a hospital last year with injuries associated with playing too many computer games. Conversely, the number of children injured after falling out of a tree (a more typical childhood pastime – think Sound of Music) has fallen by more than a third between 1999 and 2006.

There’s no denying it: kids grow up all too quickly. And this rings especially true now that they have cellphones, video games, computers and nightclubs at their disposal, Or maybe that’s just what being a kid in the new millennium is all about…

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