Empathic parenting replaces traditional punishments like grounding with a communication-based approach. The goal is to help the child see what they did wrong and why, and to give them the means to choose how to “fix” things.  Some proponents of empathic parenting believe that grounding is never justified, while others believe it can be used in a limited fashion alongside empathic parenting techniques. One way to practice empathetic parenting is to ask your child about their choices. For example, if your child makes a wrong choice, ask them about why that was the wrong choice and what a better choice might have been. Instead of grounding your child for failing a test because they went out with their friends instead of studying, try seeing things from their perspective and asking leading questions: “I know it can be hard to say ‘no’ to your friends when you’re trying to fit in at a new school. Can you tell me about how you felt afterward, when you realized you wouldn’t have time to study?” If they’re not yet ready to accept their responsibility and come up with a solution, give them some time and re-open the dialogue again later. After you’ve communicated freely about the misbehavior, give them the opportunity to come up with a way to address the problem. Doing so makes your child an active participant in the learning opportunity that mistakes present.  For instance, in the example of failing a test because they skipped out of studying to hang out with friends, you could say “I’d like you to take some time to come up with a plan for how you might be able to bring your grade back up. Let me know how I can help you.” Make sure to talk with your child at a time when they are not feeling emotional about the issue. It’s okay to take a break until they are calm. If grounding doesn’t seem to make any difference, empathic techniques aren’t doing any better, and you’re out of ideas, consider finding a child therapist or family counselor. A trained, experienced, licensed professional may be able to provide you with new ideas and strategies that could help with your child’s discipline problem.  Talk to your or your child’s doctor, the school guidance counselors, trusted friends, and/or your insurer to get leads on good therapists in your area. The therapist may suggest techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Summary: Make a transition to “empathic parenting” techniques. Focus on open communication instead of punishment. Empower your child to develop a “fix” for their error. Don’t be ashamed to seek professional guidance.


If you have a social media account, you probably want to share photos of your children. You do this because you love them and are proud of them. But sharing photos of your children might be putting them at risk. When you share photos of your kids, use the privacy settings for the photos so you can control who sees your photos.  Use settings to allow only the people you follow to see your photos. You can also set custom privacy settings, where you choose who you want to see the photos. You may also consider making your entire social media account private so you will know who sees your information. Your child is not the only one who needs to turn off location settings. You should also turn off location settings when you post pictures of your child. By keeping the location of your child off of social media, you protect them from potential predators. Social media is used to meet new friends, and some people even use it to play games with strangers. If you post pictures of your child or talk about them, refrain from friending people you don't know. Don't accept friend requests from people you don't know. You never know if someone is a predator or not. Talk to your child about accepting friend requests from strangers. Encourage them to never friend strangers. Regularly review the list of people your child is friends with or follows. Ask them about any new additions or unknown people. People often overshare on social media. This includes details about their children. You should never give away personal details, such as your child's full name, the school they attend, their birthday, or other details. These things may seem benign, but they can put your child at risk. If you want to post pictures, make sure to post pictures at a lower resolution. This can help reduce the risk of someone printing it out or enlarging it. If you are really concerned about people stealing photos of your child, place a watermark on your photos. When your child has a party or a sleepover, make sure to never post pictures of other people's children. Only post photos of your own child. If you want to post photos from a party with someone's child in it, make sure to discuss that with that parent first.

Summary: Use privacy settings. Avoid using GPS tagging. Refrain from friending strangers. Take caution with the information you share. Post smaller pictures. Refrain from posting pictures of other children.


Make sure your gas can is clean before transporting it. Wipe the outside of the can down with a wet cloth to ensure that no gasoline remains on the outside of it. If there is a visible amount of gasoline spilled down the side of the can, spray it down with water to clean it. As a general rule, it is always dangerous  to keep gasoline in a poorly ventilated area. Never put a full gas can in the passenger cabin of a vehicle, which is especially dangerous because of the threat of an accident. The fumes from gasoline can make both the passengers and driver of a car feel weak and nauseous, putting everyone at risk. Transporting a gas can entirely outside your vehicle is the ideal choice for ventilation and safety. If you have a roof rack or flatbed truck, place the gas can upright and turn it so that the release calve is facing the back of the car. Secure it tightly with cables or brace it with other objects so that it can't move around during transport. If there are no other options, secure the gas can in your trunk. As it gets warmer, gasoline expands, and it may release vapors to reduce pressure in the gas can. This creates the risk of gasoline igniting in your car if it comes in contact with static or an electrical source. Transport the gas can directly to where you plan to use it or store it. Never store a full gas can in your vehicle.

Summary: Wipe off the can before transporting it. Do not transport a full gas can in the passenger cabin of your vehicle. Secure the gas can to a roof rack, truck bed, or trunk so it is facing backwards. Transport the gas can as quickly as possible to minimize risk.


You will need a flat spot; ideally, your beacon will be close to your home. Place three rows of three blocks to create a three-by-three, nine-block total base. Select the beacon unit, then select the middle iron block. The beacon should light up almost immediately. If you want to increase the beacon's power, you can add a five-by-five, 25-block base directly below the three-by-three one.  You can add a seven-by-seven, 49-block base below the five-by-five, and you can add a nine-by-nine, 81-block base below the seven by seven. Your beacon can't have a base larger than nine blocks by nine blocks.
Summary: Find a place to put your beacon. Place the iron blocks on the ground. Place your beacon unit. Consider adding more layers to the unit.