Some siblings share a bedroom when living in a small home or apartment. While this arrangement promotes closeness, it can also lead to daily conflicts and a lack of privacy. Squabbling over who left their socks or toys on the floor might be typical for your kids. To establish harmony, here are three ways to give your kids their own space within a shared bedroom.

1. Use Room Dividers To Create Personal Zones  

You may not be able to give each child their own bedroom, but you can give them personal space. Dividers break up a room into zones. Let’s look at the most common types of room dividers.

Folding Screens

Folding screens are affordable, portable, and easy to install. You can also fold them up and move them aside if you need to vacuum or your kids want more space to play.

Curtains or Rods

Install ceiling-mounted curtain rods to hang curtains around each bed or study area. They’re pretty flimsy, but they interrupt the line of sight so each child can move around without lingering eyes on the opposite side of the room. Plus, your kids can open or close this private nook as they please.

Bookshelves

One of the things to consider when furnishing a kids’ room is storage. If your littles are readers, consider using bookshelves to divide the space.

Bookshelves can satisfy this requirement while also acting as a privacy barrier. You can place the shelves back-to-back or side by side, creating a little library that separates your children’s beds.

2. Include Loft Beds

Sharing a bedroom means each child has limited space to store items and play. Loft beds are a functional solution.

They open up the floor beneath them, creating the perfect space for a small desk or reading nook. This can be especially helpful when kids need to focus on homework. Left in an open room together, siblings might prefer to play rather than work. Cultivating independence through privacy helps you support your kids in school and beyond.

Each child can have their own loft bed. However, don’t forget to add privacy elements, too. For instance, you can install tension rods or clip-on hooks to hang curtains and separate their beds. This is an affordable way to make your kids feel like they have more privacy in a shared bedroom.

3. Encourage Individual Expression Through Design

Even in shared rooms, kids deserve a space that feels like it’s truly theirs. You can honor your children’s unique preferences without compromising the room’s overall aesthetic.

Choose bedding that reflects each individual child’s favorite colors or themes, whether it’s dinosaurs, unicorns, or abstract patterns. Matching is optional!

Remember, even the smallest gesture toward privacy can make a big difference in your child’s comfort and sense of self. Try out these tips and watch as your kids learn to enjoy their shared space while still celebrating their individuality.

Artificial intelligence has rapidly transformed creative tools, and AI art generators—tools that turn text prompts into images—are now accessible to everyone, including children. But as with any emerging technology, parents and educators must weigh the benefits against potential risks.

This guide offers insights into how these tools work, the safety concerns they raise, and practical tips for integrating them into learning environments.

Understanding AI Art Generators

AI art generators like DALL-E and Midjourney are designed to create images based on user-provided descriptions. These tools can spark creativity by turning a child’s imagination into visual art in seconds. For example, CGDream, an AI image creator, makes it incredibly simple for kids to experiment with art—its easy prompting means users can take advantage of hundreds of Lora Styles to enhance short prompts, remix images effortlessly, and even create pictures by combining filters without complex prompt engineering.

For those interested in exploring more about such a tool’s capabilities, check out this powerful tool on Futurepedia for additional insights.

Safety and Ethical Considerations

When it comes to children using AI art generators, safety is paramount. Consider these key points:

• Content Filtering:
  Most platforms incorporate safeguards to prevent inappropriate images, though their robustness varies.
• Data Privacy:
  Parents should investigate how these tools collect and store data, ensuring that their child’s privacy is respected.
• Ethical Use:
  Discussing copyright and artistic integrity is essential. Some worry that AI-generated art might misuse existing works or devalue human creativity.

Educational Opportunities and Challenges

For educators, AI art generators offer exciting ways to enhance creative projects and visual literacy. Teachers are already using these tools to spark discussions in art classes, creative writing, and interdisciplinary projects. Imagine a classroom activity where students experiment with different art styles or recreate classic characters consistently using image-to-image functions.  Tools like the Disney Pixar AI generator for free further empower students by enabling them to create illustrations in a style reminiscent of beloved animated films—making creative projects both engaging and accessible.

At the same time, there are challenges. Over-reliance on AI might reduce hands-on practice with traditional art techniques, so it’s important to strike a balance that ensures technology enhances, rather than replaces, foundational skills.

Practical Guidelines for Parents and Teachers

To navigate this new terrain, consider these strategies:

• Set Clear Boundaries:
  Establish guidelines for when and how AI art generators can be used, and monitor usage without being overly intrusive.
• Encourage Critical Thinking:
  Use these tools as a conversation starter about art, creativity, and ethics. Ask students how they feel about the images generated and what they might change.
• Stay Informed:
  Keep abreast of industry updates and legal developments to ensure that your approach remains current and effective.

In conclusion, AI art generators offer exciting educational possibilities, but they must be used thoughtfully. With proper guidance and clear boundaries, both parents and teachers can help children explore these tools safely, harnessing their creative potential while understanding their limitations.

In today’s progressively digital world, cybersecurity is a bigger issue than ever before, specifically for companies contracting with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).  Furthermore, cyber threats are becoming more advanced, and the protection of confidential information is paramount in order to keep a nation safe.

That is where the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) comes in.

Ideally, the CMMC program is aimed at ensuring that defense contractors and companies dealing with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI) are in accordance with necessary cybersecurity.

However, achieving CMMC compliance would seem daunting, but dividing it into systematic steps makes the process smoother.

Image by freepik

This guide outlines seven major steps in order to successfully navigate your company through CMMC compliance.

1. Understand CMMC Requirements

The initial and primary step in seeking CMMC compliance is understanding what is included in the framework.

The CMMC model comprises a number of maturity levels, with associated cybersecurity processes and practices necessary in order to protect CUI and FCI. There are three such levels in CMMC 2.0.

Level 1 (Foundation) entails basic cybersecurity hygiene controls to protect FCI. Next is Level 2 (Advanced), which is derived from NIST SP 800-171 and prescribes the implementation of 110 controls to protect CUI.

Lastly, Level 3 (Expert) is reserved for organizations handling the most sensitive level of information and entails compliance with advanced security requirements, including a subset of NIST SP 800-172.

Each level is a step above the previous one, with increasing cybersecurity requirements. Thus, companies need to choose the level they need to obtain based on the information and the DoD contracts they hold.

However, not meeting the level required could disqualify them from eligibility for specific government contracts, and compliance is a business-critical need.

2. Conduct a CMMC Readiness Assessment

Once you know the CMMC requirements, the second step is assessing your current cybersecurity stance. A CMMC readiness assessment determines the gaps between your existing security practices and your desired CMMC-level requirements.

A readiness evaluation typically includes:

• Identifying sensitive information within your business and where it is stored and processed.
• Evaluating existing security controls and comparing them with CMMC specifications.
• Conducting a risk assessment to identify threats and potential vulnerabilities in your systems.

This assessment is a compliance guide and instructs firms where they need to improve in anticipation of a CMMC evaluation.

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3. Develop a System Security Plan (SSP)

A System Security Plan (SSP) is a fundamental document required for CMMC compliance. It describes a company’s policies, procedures, and controls in safeguarding CUI and FCI. An SSP formulated correctly demonstrates a company’s seriousness about cybersecurity and makes assessors observe how security controls are in practice.

Moreover, an SSP would typically include a summary of organizational infrastructure detailing such items as structure within a network, hardware, and software.

Additionally, it comprises a comprehensive list detailing the current security controls and how they are deployed, updated, and maintained.

4. Implement Required Security Controls

After identifying gaps in the readiness evaluation and capturing security policies in the SSP, the next step is implementing the required controls. These are protection against threats in the cybersecurity field and are in accordance with the CMMC model.

Key measures include access control to restrict system access to authorized personnel, multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance login security through multiple identity verifications, and encryption to safeguard confidential data both in transit and at rest.

Effective implementation requires a combination of technological solutions, policy enforcement, and employee education to maintain a secure environment.

5. Train Employees on Cybersecurity Best Practices

Even the most advanced security controls are ineffective if employees are unaware of cybersecurity best practices. One of the most frequent reasons for breaches is human error; thus, cybersecurity training is a key component of CMMC compliance.

Employees should be trained in how to identify phishing and social engineering threats, how to handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) correctly in a bid to avoid unwanted exposure, and how to use strong password procedures.

Periodic training enforces the use of good security procedures as well as creates a security-mindful work environment.

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6. Perform Continuous Monitoring and Internal Audits

Cybersecurity is not a one-time effort but a process that requires constant monitoring and evaluation to maintain ongoing compliance with CMMC. Therefore, continuous monitoring is necessary to identify and address potential threats in a timely and responsive way.

A key feature of continuous monitoring is regular security audits. These audits assess the effectiveness of controls in place and whether they align with compliance mandates and emerging threats.

Another crucial feature is the ability to leverage real-time threat intelligence with the help of security information and event management (SIEM) tools.

7. Schedule and Pass the CMMC Certification Assessment

The final process for achieving compliance with the CMMC is preparing and taking the official examination with a qualified third-party assessment organization (C3PAO). This examination involves the assessment of documents like the SSP, interviewing necessary employees for assurance of cybersecurity processes, and technical tests for evaluating the security controls.

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Wrapping Up

Becoming CMMC certified is a significant step for companies dealing with sensitive government information. Although the process could seem intimidating, the process is made simple with these seven major steps.

Moreover, familiarizing yourself with CMMC mandates, doing a readiness evaluation, developing a System Security Plan, and taking the certification exam collectively aim for a sound cybersecurity position.

Beyond compliance, these actions serve to establish a better secure and resistant infrastructure against threats in the cybersecurity space.

Protecting children’s eyes from digital screens is more crucial than ever, as they spend increasing time with smartphones, tablets, and computers. Ensuring a safe viewing distance is pivotal for avoiding eye strain, dryness, and myopia. Studies show that extended near-focus tasks contribute to childhood eye fatigue.

Dependence of Visual Health on the Distance to the Screen: Statistics

Research highlights how proximity to screens affects eye health. The American Optometric Association [1] warns that sitting too close can trigger digital eye strain, manifesting as headaches and blurred vision, and raising the risk of progressive myopia. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) [2] reports a global rise in myopia among children, linking it partly to prolonged close-up screen use. In certain regions, such as parts of Asia, over 70% of young adults are nearsighted, indicating a strong correlation between lifestyle changes and vision decline.

When children hold devices inches from their faces, the eyes overwork to accommodate near vision. Chronic stress on the ciliary muscles can lead to elongation of the eyeball, raising the likelihood of myopia. Multiple studies [3] confirm that steady near tasks, like reading or gaming on phones, increase nearsightedness in children. These findings underscore the need for parents and kids to learn good viewing habits.

Maintain the Proper Distance from Your Eyes to the Screen

Experts often recommend a 50–70 cm (20–28 inches) gap for desktops or laptops and 30–40 cm (12–16 inches) when holding smartphones or tablets. While everyone’s comfort may differ, these ranges can drastically reduce visual strain. Keep the screen at eye level and adjust brightness to match surrounding light, preventing glare and pupil fatigue.

Children should use stands or holders to maintain a stable distance. Encourage them to enlarge text or images instead of bringing the device closer. Emphasizing that proper distance is key to comfort can help shape healthy screen habits early on.

The Impact of Gadgets on the Vision of School-Age and Preschool Children

Children’s eyes are still developing, making them more vulnerable to near work. A review in Ophthalmology [4] indicates a higher risk of myopia among kids who engage heavily in close-up tasks, versus those who combine screen time with outdoor play. Younger preschool children may not communicate discomfort well, so watch for signs like squinting or rubbing eyes.

Excessive device use can also disturb sleep by exposing children to blue light. The American Academy of Pediatrics [5] advises limiting screen time before bed and encouraging physical activity breaks. Poor posture, such as holding gadgets just inches away, can lead to muscle strain and headaches, worsening overall well-being.

One easy method is the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something around 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This lets the eyes shift focus and rest. Time outdoors provides further benefits, as natural light and varied focal distances may slow myopia progression [6]. Adequate indoor lighting, glare reduction, and increased font sizes also help preserve comfort.

Establishing routines around device use is vital. Set time limits and plan screen-free periods for reading or outdoor activities. When children understand that these guidelines protect their eyesight, they tend to follow them consistently, building strong habits that deter future vision problems.

What Tools Are Available to Control the Distance from the Screen to the Eyes?

Various technologies now help parents manage viewing distances. Some devices contain built-in alerts when users lean in too close, while others offer blue light filters or adjustable brightness. This active monitoring fosters healthier posture and promotes safe viewing practices.

A notable example is the Eye Protection feature in the Parental Control Kroha app, which detects when a child’s face is too close to the screen and issues a friendly reminder to move back. This real-time feedback eases parental supervision by ensuring kids stay within recommended limits. Ultimately, success hinges on combining these tools with consistent education about proper screen usage.

Conclusion

Children’s eye health depends significantly on how they engage with digital devices. Maintaining a reasonable distance, taking breaks, and using specialized apps can ward off common issues like eye strain and myopia. With informed strategies, dedicated routines, and supportive technology, parents can preserve their children’s vision even in a screen-saturated world. Encouraging simple yet powerful habits now will yield lasting rewards for a lifetime of healthy eyesight.

References:

[1] American Optometric Association. (n.d.). Computer Vision Syndrome.
[2] World Health Organization (WHO). Blindness and Vision Impairment.
[3] He, M., Xiang, F., Zeng, Y., Mai, J., Chen, Q., Zhang, J. et al. (2015). Effect of Time Spent Outdoors at School on the Development of Myopia Among Children in China. JAMA.
[4] Huang, H.M., Chang, D.S., Wu, P.C. (2015). The Association between Near Work Activities and Myopia in Children – A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology.
[5] American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Media and Young Minds.
[6] Wu, P.C., Chen, C.T., Lin, K.K., et al. (2020). Myopia Prevention and Outdoor Activities. Ophthalmology.