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Parents say their children are the most fun at this age
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A recent British survey found most parents find one age to be when children are the most fun ... and the least fun. - photo by Herb Scribner
Weve all heard of the terrible twos.

But what about the fun fives?

A new British survey found most parents feel their child is the most fun at age 5, according to Yahoo! News. In fact, the survey, which interviewed 2,000 moms and dads, said 40 percent of parents thought age 5 was the most fun because their children started to communicate properly and had a good sense of humor, Yahoo! News reported.

This is when a child becomes a fully contained person, Fran Walfish, a California child and family psychotherapist told Yahoo. Theyve developed self-soothing behaviors and frustration tolerance, so they arent as prone to tantrums.

Five-year-olds have also started to become more independent and require less attention, which comes as a welcome relief for some parents, Yahoo! News reported.

They get jokes, they tell jokes, they can give and take, and they respond reasonably well to discipline and direction, Walfish told Yahoo! News. Theyre also emotionally open they tell you what theyre thinking and feeling.

And Phil Chamberlain, the director of policy and communications for the Youth Sport Trust, which conducted the study, said 5-year-olds tend to be more active, which improves their behaviors and outlook on life, making them a joy to be around, according to the Daily Mail.

We know that active children learn better and faster, and have an improved sense of belonging the link between being active and good physical and emotional health is widely acknowledged, Chamberlain said. There is no question that regular activity produces healthy, happy, academically successful and socially adept young people, with confidence and high self-esteem.

But the fun doesnt last another five years for parents. The survey found most parents see the ages of 10 to 12 as the most difficult when rearing a child, according to Yahoo!

Parents said in the survey that they often struggle dealing with preteens because those youngsters are emotionally hard to reach, and sometimes can be disrespectful, defiant and challenging, Yahoo! reported.

Preteens and teens may also be distracted by their social lives, since they concern themselves with technological devices and social media more than ways of having fun, as seen in this chart.

Still, families can find some fun during those years, too, according to Ally Fogg, a journalist of The Guardian.

Treasure those moments because within months those little doting faces will be sneering down from a great height, wearily amused by your incompetence and decrepitude and treating your puny efforts to manage modernity, technology and mortality with the contempt and derision they so surely deserve, Fogg wrote.

In fact, Fogg wrote that its important to embrace your childs life, no matter what age, since parenting should always be an enjoyable experience.

The other perfect age is 13, when the flowering of adulthood brings a new kind of relationship, like the best friendship you ever had, Fogg wrote. It just so happens my kids are 7 and 13, and if you had asked me this question last year, Id have said 6 and 12; ask me next, Ill say 8 and 14. Every year of parenthood is a new challenge and a new terror and some whole new kind of fun. If Im not enjoying it, Im doing it wrong.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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