You might want to be careful before you get your teenagers too many gaming gadgets. Studies by Australian researchers have show n that teenagers who are addicted to video games are more likely to develop obsessive and antisocial tendencies that can lead to a gambling problem later on in life…
This means there might be something to the idea that kids who are the quiet types become the biggest problems in the society. Kids play a lot of video games tend to have a lot less structure in their life. They tend to be really smart, bored and lack parental supervision they also tend to come from homes that are much poorer the psychological pay off for winning at gambling is the same as winning at video games and this is how it comes to be a problem.
The study that claims that gaming leads to a gambling addiction comes from Australia. A survey of 2669 teenagers aged between 13 and 17 by Adelaide University researchers found 56 per cent had also started gambling in the past twelve months. The study also revealed that 2.4 per cent became pathological gamblers by the age of 18. However, the level of damage done to their lives, like losing a house or a relationship was much lower in case of teens simply because they were not as rich as adults.
The study revealed that a large number of teenagers who played video games later became addicted to one kind of gambling whether it be buying scratch cards, playing card games, and playing poker machines. This might sound innocent but many teenagers become obsessed with these forms of gambling which give them the same kind of good feeling and energy charge mentally that gaming does. It is like being in competition with the self with a payoff that is now money instead of gaming points.
The study established that teenage problem gamblers played arcade games three times more often than those who did not gamble, and on average they played hand-held games and Internet games more than twice as often as well.
One of the Australian researched also noticed that teenage boys were more likely to play video games than girl and gamble often.
So if you are planning to get your kid a Nintendo or Gameboy as a gadget for Christmas or a birthday think twice! There is the slight chance that a gambling problem could plague your child for life especially if your kid happens to be male!

Healthy and Fun Holiday Snacks for Kids
Holiday time is party time and your bored kids are going to want stuff to snack on. The thing is they are going to want all of that expensive high calorie stuff that is just slick with grease and artificial flavorings and chemicals.
I make my own treats to help keep their weight and sugar and salt intake in check. I find if I do this they are less likely to be hyperactive and cranky as well because they are simply not poisoning their brains with additives. Here are some great ideas to keep your kids healthier and slimmer during the holiday season.
First off take cookies out of the cookie job and put crackers in there instead. You can also fill it with peanuts in the shell or roasted nuts with no salt. Or just fill it with raisins, nuts, banana chips and chocolate chips to make a no fat snack.
Popcorn is always a much sought after food for kids. Try sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese or American cheese on popcorn. I sometimes mix cinnamon and peanuts with the popcorn.
You can also make your own Cracker Jack.
Here is my recipe for home made Cracker Jack
Heat honey and butter in a saucepan until blended. Cool. Pour over popcorn that has been mixed with peanuts, stirring as you pour.

When well-coated, spread the mixture in a pan in a single layer. Bake at 350 for 5 - 10 minutes or until crisp, stirring several times. Package in plastic bags and twist.
You might also want to try my recipe for Popcorn Candy Clusters which is almost as good as the ones you get at the local amusement park.
For this you will need 1 cup (8 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips,1 cup freshly popped popcorn and 1 cup nuts.
First you need to melt the chocolate chips. Add popcorn and nuts and stir until they are well coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet or wax paper and let set infirm. If the crowd is rushing you for a taste, chill the clusters in the freezer for 5 minutes. When firm, store in plastic bags.
You can also make your own salty CRUNCHY MIX
Mix 4 cups crunchy cereal (Cheerios, or Corn Chex, etc) 1 cup peanuts or
mixed nuts 1 cup pretzel sticks with the smallest size 1 cup seasoned croutons
Then make sure you combine 1/2 cup salad oil or 6 tbsp melted butter 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
In a shallow pan coat crunchy ingredients with the combined oil and seasonings. Heat in oven at 250 for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool.
You will find that these are much healthier alternatives than buying the store bought stuff!! Cheaper too!

Those Christmas memories need to be immortalized and there is no better way to do it than with a video camera. With today’s video cameras, recording your family gatherings and events is a breeze. However creating ones that are fun to watch for any length of time requires more than just pressing a button. Thankfully it is
.A good video shot is often dictated by the direction and quality of light, and for most situations. A soft light looks best on a subject’s face. One rule to remember is to always keep the light source behind your camera, even when shooting outdoors. Indoors, turn on all the lights or open all the shades. Natural light is always the best light, anytime you can get it.
Anyone who has a video camera knows that half the time you are recording your own voice while you are shooting. Stay quiet while that camera is on. The built in microphone in most cameras is multi-directional. What you really want is a directional microphone that is attached to the device.
If there is one big rule about improving your home videos, it’s stop jiggling. Brace your camera against your body or a solid object. For specific shots just try mounting the camera on a tripod. You can always edit the footage to make it more interesting later.
You also want your shots to look natural. When possible, frame your subjects off center. “When you shoot a movie, it’s rare to see a close-up dead center in the middle of the screen.
It also looks very amateur to keep zooming the camera in and out. It can also give your viewers motion sickness. It is better to get physically closer rather than zoom in and out like a maniac.
If you want it to be engaging then try to tell a bit of a story when shooting it. This is especially true if you are thinking of posting them on the web. Let events unfold unnaturally. The worst home Christmas videos result when you say try to force the action by dictating what should happen next.
Don’t be afraid to perform a little magic in the editing room. Many home computers come with editing software that can easily help you do things like cut out long drawn scenes, add close ups and add music and even sound effects! You can also change the order of scenes, ad transition and create title and credits. Don’t overdo any special effects unless the shot video is very trashy.
You should also strategically set up shots before Christmas begins. I personally have had enough of watching video of my kid’s backs. You want to place yourself so you see the kids’ faces as they experience the joy of Christmas Day!

If kids are bored during the holidays get them playing some games. A good on is the “What’s in the Box Game.”
This gift has layer and layers of wrapping paper but who will be the lucky person to unwrap the last layer and win the gift! This hot potato style of game has variations that can make each unwrapping entertaining.
In the basic version you wrap a gift or gifts if several groups in several layers of wrapping paper. The number of layers depends on how long you want the game to last, plus the more people the more layers.
Have everyone sit in a circle and give your group / groups a gift and tell them when you turn on the music to pass the gift in one direction and when you turn off the music who ever has the gift gets to remove ONE layer of wrapping paper.. The many layers are removed in this fashion until the last layer of paper is taken off and whoever has the gift unwrapped gets to keep it.
Yet another good game is Dice Doubles. This is an Unwrap the Gift Game. Announce that you are going to play a game where you unwrap a gift. Then after everyone is seated and ready to go place a set of oven mitts next to the gift. Now it gets a little harder!
Get a gift or gift certificate and place in a solid box. Then wrap the gift with paper, then masking tape, paper, masking tape, paper etc… The more layers, the harder the game will be to play and the more interesting.
Sit everyone in a circle and announce how the game is played.
Each player takes a turn at rolling 2 dice.
The first person to roll doubles goes to the center of the circle put on the oven mitts or gloves and then starts unwrapping the gift with their hands. They cannot use their teeth or any other part of their body. While the person is working on trying to unwrap the gift, the dice continue to be rolled and passed until the next person rolls the dice and yells, “Stop!”
At that point the person in the middle must put down the gift, take off the oven mitts/gloves and return to their seat. The next person now puts on the mitts and works to unwrap the gift.
The dice rolling and unwrapping continues until someone finally gets through all the layers of wrapping paper and tape and holds up the gift. Then the gift is theirs to keep.
In a variation you can make it a little harder by making the players wear a hat, scarf and gloves. It can also be made a little harder by only allowing players to change places every time double sixes or ones are rolled.