“We are good mothers,” I said to my friend, as we sat on our comfortable beach chairs under our beach umbrella and watched our children playing in the waves.

    Out of nowhere, the children took off running. About fifty yards from us, a man—maybe in his fifties—was fishing. The children stood next to him and watched with their little mouths hanging open as he cast the fishing lines. He smiled at them. They ran back to us—all except my three-year-old daughter, Drew.

    My heart beat fast with horror. “Drew! Come here! Play with your friends!” I shouted, very aware that my speeches about not talking to strangers weren't working. It seemed that many parents heard of horrible stories about children being taken away by strangers. Responsible mothers should teach their children that the world is a dangerous place. So I felt relieved (松口气) when Drew ran towards me and took hold of a shovel (铲子). Then she looked me in the eye: “I want to be with the person.”

    Again, she approached the middle-aged man, and started digging next to him.

    Several seconds later, she returned, waving something shiny.

    “Look, Mommy! A toy fish!”

    It was, indeed, a toy fish—yellow and rubber. This must have been what he was using to attract the fish. And he'd given it to Drew. The three other children were deeply impressed, and they didn't try to hide how jealous(妒忌的)they were—clearly, they all wanted the fish.

    “My friend gave me that fish!” Drew shouted loudly. The sand in front of the umbrella turned into a preschool cage match with a yellow rubber fish flying through the air. I felt like I might cry myself.

    Unexpectedly, there he was: the man, standing right next to us with three more rubber fish in hand. He handed them to each of the children. By their faces, you would have thought he was actually the really kind big brother.

    “Thank you,” I said, realizing that there is good and kindness in strangers.

    Sometimes the toughest thing about feelings is sharing them with others. Sharing your feelings helps you whether your feelings are wonderful or terrible. Sharing also helps you to get closer to people you care about and who care about you. But how?

    You can't tell your friends what's inside your backpack if you don't know what's in there yourself. Feelings are the same way. Before you can share them with anyone, you have to figure out what feelings you have.

    Making a list of your feelings can help. You can do this in your mind or by writing it out or even by drawing pictures. Is something bothering you? Does it make you frustrated or terrified? Do you feel this emotion only once in a while or much of the time?

    The way a person feels inside is important. If you keep feelings locked inside, it can even make you feel sick! But if you talk with someone who cares for you, you will almost always start to feel better. It doesn't mean your problems and worries magically disappear, but at least someone else knows what's bothering you and can help you find solutions.

    Your mom and dad want t0 know if you have problems and what's happening in your life. But what if a kid doesn't want to talk with parents? Then find another trusted adult, like a relative or a teacher at school. Maybe this person can help you talk with your parents about your problem or concern.

    Once you know who you can talk with, you'll want to pick a time and place to talk. You can talk publicly in your family. But some kids are more private than others and they will feel shy about sharing their feelings. Then find a quiet place or write it down on a piece of paper. A kid doesn't have to share every feeling he or she has.

    Camp All-Star

    One of a Kind Summer Camps for Kids

    Welcome to Camp All-Star, your No. 1 summer sports camp for kids! Located on the famous Kents Hill School campus by the beautiful lake, Camp All-Star hosts kids from around the world. When thinking about your next overnight summer camp, consider the best—Camp All-Star!

    Great Sports Summer Camps for Kids

    Camp All-Star stands out among the successful camps in the U.S. We have the best sports fields and courts to make your child's sports camp experience a successful one. Your child can enjoy playing for hours in any of our more than 30 sports and activities each day. Our camper to staff rate is three to one, which makes it possible for children to receive more careful instruction.

    We have a wide variety of activities and sports to choose from: fishing, dance, basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis. Boys and girls, aged 8-16, can customize their own schedules in our 2, 3, 4 or 6 week summer camp session for kids.

    The aim of Camp All-Star is to develop athletic skills, encourage abilities in leadership, fair play and team work, and provide a fun, rewarding and memorable summer sports camp experience. Our staff have the experience and qualified training necessary to ensure that your child has a successful, memorable and enjoyable time at our summer camp.

    Call Today About Our Overnight Summer Camps for Kids

    Don't let your kids waste another summer playing video games and sitting around. Let them enjoy their time and get some exercise at our exciting and friendly summer sports camp. Information for our upcoming camps can be found on our website. For additional information or questions, contact us today. We hope your kids can join us at Camp All-Star!

    Gift buying for 11 to 14-year-olds can produce memories of that classic complainer. “This gift is too old.” “This gift is too young.” “This gift was popular, like, five minutes ago.” Don't stress. Our fun gifts are sure to make you smile.

—Judy Sutton Taylor

    Snowball Launcher

The kids on your list will be happy to drop their electronic devices and head outside during the next big snowstorm thanks to this gift that launches snowballs up to 70 feet. A practice target is included to ensure they're ready for a hard battle. $16.97 at amazon.com

    Nintendo Switch

    Gamers went crazy for this mixed gaming system when it was released last spring, and it was in consistently short supply until now. The device allows users to play solo or with a friend, connect it to a TV to play on a big screen, unfold the stand for tabletop competitions, or use it for hand-held play. $299.99; links to licensed retailers at nintendo.com or amazon.com

Mertritte Animal Headphone

    Tunes will no doubt sound sweeter to lovers of any music genre when they5re coming from these cute-as-can-be headphones designed by celebrity stylists Emily Current and Merritt Elliott. The gold finish adds some fun flare (闪光装置) that is sure to inspire copycats. $59 at pbteen.com

BBOP Balls

    If there's a more entertaining way to settle sibling differences than having warring brothers and sisters bump into each other putting on mega-sized bubble armor (盔甲), we'd like to know about it. Chances are, even what may seem like the most catastrophic conflicts will end in belly laughs after a few rounds wearing these. $69.98 for a set of two at hearthsong.com or amazon.com.

    Robots writing newspapers

    Whether it's robots working as hotel receptionists or artificial intelligence creating poetry, it's becoming more and more common to read about technology doing the jobs of humans.

    And now, it seems that software is even capable of writing news stories –such as the very one you're reading.

    Recently the Press Association (PA), a UK news service, has created a computer program that's capable of creating articles that are almost impossible to tell apart from those written by human journalists.

    Called “robo-journalism”, such software “teaches” itself by analyzing thousands of news stories written by humans. The PA's software is already so advanced that many UK newspapers and websites publish articles created by it.

    According to the Reuters Institute of Journalism, many publishers are using robo-journalism to release interesting information quickly, from election results to official figures on social issues. For example, The Washington Post has its own robo-journalism software, Heliograf. Heliograf “wrote “over 850 articles in 2017, as well as hundreds of social media posts.

    So what does this mean for regular journalists?

    “We're naturally wary about any technology that could replace human beings,” Fredrick Kunkle, a Washington Post reporter, told Wired.

    “But this technology seems to have taken over only some of the work that nobody else wants to do.” “Indeed, it appears that robo-journalism software is designed to help humans, rather than take away their jobs.

    “In the future, Heliograf could do things like search the web to see what people are talking about, check The Washington Post to see if that story is being covered, and, if not, alert(提醒) editors or just write the piece itself.”Wired reporter Joe Keoha wrote.

    However, Joshua Benton at Harvard University's Nieman Journalism Lab believes that while robo-jounalism is undoubtedly going to become more present in newsrooms, nothing can replace traditional human creativity.

“Good journalism is not just a matter of inputs and outputs, it is a craft(技艺) that has developed over decades, “ he told BBC News. “The really difficult part of what professional journalists do—carefully weighing information and presenting balanced , contextualized(全景式的) stories —will be very hard for machines to master.

    Japan is aging faster than any other nation. By the end of this decade, there will be three retirees for every child under 15 and before long, one in six people will be over 80. Its population will soon be falling by nearly a million people every year and some people predict that, some time in the next century, the last Japanese person will die. Other countries are encouraging immigration to deal with their demographic woes. But not Japan, which is using different ways to reduce pressure put on health care and social services.

    The Toto-made toilet, common in Japanese hotels, can push up to help the elderly. Now Toto is working with Daiwa House, Japan's largest house builder, to equip toilets for retirees. These have medical sensors that measure blood sugar levels, the blood pressure and body fat of the user. The data is emailed to the local GP through a built-in internet device (装置). So make sure you eat your greens and stay regular, or the doctor will be in touch.

    The over-75s account for more than a quarter of the deaths in car accidents on Japanese roads. Toyota is working with Professor Kawashima, who developed brain training games for Nintendo, to create intelligent cars that monitor brain activity in the elderly. Other technologies could also work to keep elderly drivers cautious.

    Japan has twice as many pets as it has children. But real animals are difficult to look after as their owners age. Paro is a furry white baby seal robot which responds to petting by moving its tail and opening and closing its eyes. It shows emotions such as surprise, happiness and anger, and has sold well in nursing homes where it is reported to stimulate (刺激) responses among those with dementia (痴呆).

    Japan's Institute of Physical and Chemical Research has developed Riba, a nursing care robot that can lift the elderly out of bed.