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Australian boy's lemonade stand helps him realize dream of buying 'unicorn' pony
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Australian boy's lemonade stand helps him realize dream of buying 'unicorn' pony - photo by Jessica Ivins
QUEENSLAND, Australia An Australian boy took lemons, made lemonade and bought himself a pony.

Since he was tiny, 7-year-old Sabastian Lucas had dreamed about owning a white horse with a long mane and tail just like a unicorn, according to Today. He quickly learned that his dream was more likely to become a reality if he took matters into his own hands, and thus with the support and encouragement of his parents, Sabastian & Co. was born.

Sabastian began selling his own hand-crafted beverages from a cardboard box stand two years ago. Soon, he couldnt refill the jugs of his signature old-fashioned lemonade and raspberry iced tea fast enough, and he expanded his business to include catering parties for friends and family.

Sabastian probably doesnt even know it is work, his mother, Juliana Kent, told Today. Its just normal in our routine to work all day and to whistle while we work. And the harder you work, the bigger and better the prize is at the end of the game.

Like any good business owner, Sabastian manages the most important details himself.

It takes him an extra hour to put labels on the bottles, said Kent. They may not be straight or all the same, but I dont mind. Its all a part of him doing it for himself.

Keeping his end goal in mind, Sabastian tirelessly mixed his syrups and drinks collecting and saving every penny he could.

The proceeds of his sales, plus his tooth fairy money and Christmas money, all went into a mason ball jar, Kent told 9News Australia.

After two years of hard work, his parents were shocked to learn hed brought in more than $3,000.

It was then that they decided to help him purchase his unicorn.

It had nothing to do with the amount he raised, Kent said. We decided he had waited long enough, and he clearly wasnt giving up on his dream anytime soon.

Enter Tom Boy the white pony. Kent and her husband secretly purchased the Welsh mountain pony and had him transported to the stables on their property as a surprise for their little entrepreneur, 9News reported.

When Sabastian finally met his dream animal, he couldnt hold back his tears of joy. Kent posted the emotional video to her Facebook page, and it quickly garnered hundreds of comments and more than 1,000 views.

I felt so much joy that he was almost speechless and overwhelmed with raw, real emotion, she said.

Kent, who owns a paint store with her husband, told Today she hopes Sabastians story will prove to kids and their parents that hard work really does pay off, and that nothing is out of reach if youre willing to do what it takes.

Activate your childrens dreams and embrace every little bit of the journey along the way, because they are children for only a very short time, she said.
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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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