Information on the New Flu Vaccine

It is that time of year when health professionals are urging the public to get the flu vaccine. familykenkel shares information about what’s new with the flu vaccine this year.

Young children can get the ouchless vaccine via nasal spray. Seniors are encouraged to get an updated flu/pneumonia vaccine this year. One hundred children died from the flu last year and most of them were no vaccinated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that approximately 24,000 people passed away last year from flu-related issues. The new Flu Mist Nasal Spray is recommended for children between ages two and eight. The mist can be also be used for anyone up to age 49 and not pregnant. Seniors over age 65 should also get the pneumonia shots – which should be given six months apart.

familykenkel knows there are other forms of the vaccine to ask the doctor about:

the regular shot; an egg-free shot for those allergic to eggs; a high-dose shot just for those 65 and older whose immune systems may need an extra boost; and a tiny-needle shot that just penetrates the skin. Don’t wait until flu season is in full swing (January to February) to get vaccinated.  Call the doctor to see if the vaccine is available and get it now. Prevention is the key to staying healthy and well this year.

Asks if Parents Should Snoop on Their Kids

Are there parents who insist their kids text them as soon as they get on the bus and as soon as they get to school? Do parents download and install GPS-related software so parents know where their kids are at all times? familykenkel ask these questions and a few more to gauge if parents snoop on their kids.

Today’s children have many more possibilities to end up in danger than in previous decades.  The Internet and smart phones with Internet access make it easy for anyone to contact them. Social media accounts are also huge draws for the wrong kind of people to reach out and touch kids. So, we ask: should parents snoop on their kids? Do they snoop on their kids and how?  In earlier times, it was common for mothers to read their daughter’s diaries. Now both parents can see what their brood is writing on the Internet and in texts and can monitor it.

There are some products parents can use to keep track of what kids are up to: NetNanny, SafeEyes, and MamaBear to name just a few. Familykenkel asks why parents need products like these and the answer is this: more than three quarters of American kids age12 to 17 have cell phones, half of those devices has Internet access, social media and email access. In addition, a survey found that 40% of fifth graders have their own cellphones, 75% of teens aged 13 to 17 have at least one social media account, and more than two-thirds say they text every day.  Parents always want to be sure their children are safe. Snooping on kids is one way to find out if they are okay, happy, not being bullied, where they say they are and safe.

Where Working Parents Have it Best

There are working parents all over the world. And there are some cities where being a working better is much better than others. Familykenkel reviews where these places are and what makes them so great.

What makes some places better than others for moms and dads who work?

An affordable cost of living,  an affordable cost of child care, quality of the school system, and the percentage of households with children. Another factor might be how long the average commute is.  Some of the top U.S. cities for working parents are: Gilbert, Arizona which is south of Phoenix, Plano, Texas which is an hour from Dallas, Chandler, Arizona, Freemont and Irvine, California, Garland, Texas, El Paso, Texas, Lexington, Kentucky, Chesapeake, Virginia, Mesa and Scottsdale. Arizona, Chula Vista, California and Laredo, Texas.

Familykenkel notes that many of the best places for working parents are in Texasand Arizona. Their cities offer excellent school systems, good career opportunities, relatively short commutes, a large percentage of households with children  and affordable child care.  These are all qualities that many working moms and dads long for and can’t find where they currently live.  This is when ingenuity kicks in and parents find a way to make it work no matter where the family is homesteaded.