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American Girl just released a civil rights-era doll. Here are 7 other toys that can make your child
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American Girl just unveiled a new civil rights-era doll. But this is far from the only toy on the market that can teach your child valuable lessons. - photo by Herb Scribner
The new American Girl doll could not be more timely.

For Black History Month, American Girl announced the release of a new civil-rights era doll named Melody, a 9-year-old black girl who grew up in Detroit during the 1960s.

The doll, which will go on sale this summer for $115, has a fascinating story tied to civil rights. According to the companys website, the Melody character is a young singer who performs in church, with her family and around her community, amid the civil rights movement of her time.

According to the story, her success only continued from there. Her optimistic and hopeful music reached the ears of all black Americans at the time. Soon after, the story goes, she was embraced by Dr. Martin Luther King, who told her to use her music to spread positive messages about equality.

This Melody doll is the companys third black doll, according to Detroit News, following two others, Addy Walker and Cecile Rey. This doll will come with a bed and a recording studio that plays Motown music.

Her first story is already available on the companys website, too.

There were a lot of reasons for the American Doll company to choose Melody as their next doll. American Doll wanted to create a new toy that could teach young girls valuable lessons about society.

Because many girls are interested in music and performing, as well as starting to find their own voice and express their opinions, they'll find Melody's stories engaging and entertaining, the companys website explained. You'll love that they're educational, too, helping your girl connect with the past on a more personal level.

And, more importantly, the company wanted to teach young girls lessons about history. Heres a look at six other toys that can help you teach your children about important moments in America's past.

Note: The product descriptions and information for each of the toys listed below were found on Fat Brain Toys, an educational online store.

American Revolutionary War British Army Toob

If your child is a little cloudy on his or her American Revolutionary War history, these little action figures will help kickstart a newfound interest.

This set comes with British army figures, along with information about the British war soldiers.

Give me liberty or give me death! the product description reads. Re-enact the American Revolutionary War with these hand-painted, action packed and historically accurate representations.

Lincoln Logs Collectors Edition Village

Help your child learn about the countryside of the United States with Lincoln Logs. The toy is an American staple that allows children to build their own log cabins however they want. The Lincoln Logs can also be used to teach children about pioneer architecure.

"Just like pioneers and people in the Old West, haul your logs to the village site, then start hoisting them into place!" the product's description reads. "You can stack these notched logs together to make them a sturdy build, just like log cabins, only you don't have to make the notches yourself!

Playmobil Western Western Fort

Bring your child back to the days of the Old West with this western fort toy set. Complete with Native Americans and cowboys, your child can recreate some of the famous battles that took place in the western United States.

And, according to the toys description on Fat Brain Toys, the fort set also offers a lesson about conflict resolution. The sets story follows a battle between cowboys and Indians over a misunderstanding about who owned a pair of horses.

The union soldiers apologize for their mistake, shake hands with the Native Americans, and once again the prairies are calm. Peace at last, thanks to you and Playmobil Western Fort.

Air Force One

This model airplane set will help children learn about their presidents main air transport vehicle. This edition is specifically the VC-25 model, which was first used by President George H. W. Bush. These sets also include an action figure, which gives children a chance to play as the president with this plane.

Uncle Goose Presidential Blocks

Building blocks are, well, sometimes the building blocks of education. They help children learn and develop their creative skills.

These Uncle Goose blocks take things one step further. Each block includes one president of the United States, along with the presidents years of service, their birth and death dates and any political party information.

Patriotism has never been so beautiful! the product description reads.

NanoBlock Space Shuttle DX

This toy can teach children about both the past and the future.

Like the Air Force One airplane, this space shuttle is a model set of building blocks that children can build on their own. The construction set is modeled after real space shuttle models, giving children a chance to learn about the ships that can take them and future generations to space.

This toy is extra cool because it includes a set of clear bricks. So when the ship is placed on these bricks, the ship looks like it is floating on air.

Beautifully detailed, exciting to build, and designed with admirable authenticity, the NanoBlock Space Shuttle DX is a construction experience astronauts of all ages will love, according to the product description.

Nanoblock Titanic

The Titanic was a major historic American event, something that even inspired an Oscar-winning film. Your child should probably know about it, too.

Thanks to the Nanoblock Titanic toy, now they can.

Follow along with the detailed instructions as you rebuild the hull, the living quarters, the decks, the smoke stacks, and more, all with amazing detail you never knew blocks could provide, according to the product description."It sounds daunting, but as soon as you start building, you'll see it's fascinatingly fun!
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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