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Massachusetts may change its time zone for more sunlight
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It's probably a futile effort, but Massachusetts lawmakers are thinking about changing the state's time zone. There's something parents should remember about that. - photo by Herb Scribner
Massachusetts has taken its first steps in a potentially bold move to change its time zone.

Lawmakers of the Bay State have proposed a bill that would allow the state to follow the Atlantic Time Zone, which is used by parts of northeastern Canada, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, instead of its current Eastern Time Zone, according to MassLive.

In fact, state Sen. John F. Keenan, a democrat from Quincy, Massachusetts, has sponsored bill S.2040, which would require a study of switching to Atlantic Time, MassLive reported.

The bill, which had its first public hearing on Tuesday, would study the economic and health effects of switching time zones, CBS Local reported. If passed, lawmakers would study these effects and report back with their findings in 2017, CBS reported.

Right now, Massachusetts follows the Eastern Time Zone like much of the Eastern seaboard and states. But, as a CBS meteorologist explained, the sun sets in Massachusetts and other New England states earlier than other Eastern Time Zone states. Moving clocks ahead by an hour would offer Massachusetts residents an extra hour of sunlight.

This bill got its start when Massachusetts resident Tom Emswiler wrote an opinion piece for The Boston Globe in which he advocated for the time zone change since Massachusetts' night seemed to come too soon, especially as residents turned their clocks back with the switch from daylight saving time at the end of October.

As sunset creeps earlier its down to 6:19 p.m. today in Boston were already dreading what happens a month from now: Clocks turn back, Emswiler wrote. The first Sunday morning, its fantastic. An extra hour of sleep! Later that day, though, the honeymoon ends. Why is it pitch black before dinner?

Emswiler told MassLive he was surprised the bill garnered so much support from lawmakers.

Parents, though, are a little unsure about changing time zones, especially because of how it would put schoolchildren in danger, according to Western Mass News.

In the morning, it would be darker and with all the kids going to school. Anything could happen," Delilah Rivas told Western Mass News.

But there may be some benefits for the family from longer days, as Emswiler pointed out in a tweet.

Emswiler isnt wrong in his claim. Researchers from the Review of Economics and Statistics found that extended daylight hours could lead to fewer robberies in communities, which would put children and families at less risk for criminal violence.

"If criminals are less likely to offend in broad daylight, and schedules relative to clock time are mostly fixed (as for those with 9-to-5 jobs), the amount of ambient light at key hours could affect public safety, which suggests society could reduce the overall social costs of crime by simply shifting the clock," the report said.

Still, Massachusetts Rep. Aaron Vega told WesternMass News that he doesnt see the bill going too far.

Regardless of what happens with the bill, its important for parents to recognize that time changes whether because of daylight saving time or from families moving to another time zone in the country can have a profound effect on a childs sleep patterns, as Payton Davis wrote last month for the Deseret News.

Daylight saving time, for example, offers Americans an extra hour a sleep, which seems like cause for celebration. But in reality, it can hurt ones sleep rhythm, Davis reported.

"What's important to note about the time change, though, is that it can disrupt normal internal sleep rhythms and bodily systems like metabolism because we are no longer in sync with our external environment when it gets light and dark out and can end up feeling jet-lagged," according to "The Today Show."

As Davis reported, experts said that time changing like this can also cause children to lose sleep and become more stressed, which in turn causes them to act up and be impatient.

What to Expect, a parenting advice website, suggests parents practice patience until their child, no matter the age, adjusts to the new time zone they find themselves in.

Childrens rooms should also be pitch dark during the transition period so that their bodies adjust to night time and they get the proper amount of uninterrupted sleep, What to Expect explained.

Parents should also embrace the silver-lining in switching time zones by embracing the extra amount of daylight they get in a day, since itll help them spend more time with the family, according to What to Expect.

Look on the bright side. Sunlight may play a key role in resetting the internal body clock, so spend as much time outdoors as you can once youve arrived at your destination. It can help ease jet lag in toddlers and big people too.
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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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