Q

My husband's brother has hunting rifles in his attic, and it worries me to have my child around firearms. Do I talk to him about it?

A

There's no need for you to be delicate or squeamish. Folks who are uncomfortable with guns tend to be uncomfortable talking about them as well. But gun owners are usually perfectly happy to chat about their gear. Your brother-in-law bought his guns, hunts with them, and is likely proud to own them. He also doesn't want your child (or his own!) to be at risk, and therefore he should be perfectly willing to talk about what he's done to make his equipment inaccessible to children, something the National Rifle Association, which supports gun ownership, encourages on its website and in its brochures.

From Marcy Zitz,

Your Guide to Family Internet.

about.com

Acronyms are an abbreviation that is formed with the first letter of each word in a phrase. They have made their way into the English language as common language that becomes a new word. For instance the word "laser" is commonly used to describe an intense beam of light but it is actually an acronym that stands for lightwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Acronyms are used extensively in online chat conversations and Instant Messaging (IM) as a short cut to typing an entire expression. Not only is this done to save time, children use them to "secretly" communicate even when a parent is standing in the room (for instance POS (Parent Over Shoulder) is typed by a teen to let their chat partner know that their parent just walked in the room).

Food-Safety Cheat Sheet

For moms-to-be: what's okay, and what to avoid

By Stephanie Wood

Raw/undercooked foods the issue: Some raw foods can cause listeriosis, salmonellosis, and other illnesses that may lead to miscarriage or serious health problems for your baby. what's okay: Well-done meats, poultry, and fish; vegetarian sushi; deli meats (cold cuts) and hot dogs that have been reheated to steaming in a microwave; canned or shelf-stable pâtés and meat spreads. what to avoid: Any of the above items that have not been cooked to the proper temperature; raw sprouts (including radishes); raw shellfish; raw eggs.

Fish the issue: Certain fish may contain high levels of mercury, which can contribute to developmental delays. Farm-raised fish may be contaminated with PCBs (cancer-causing agents) and other toxins. what's okay: You can safely consume up to 12 ounces a week of wild salmon (not farm-raised), sea bass, shrimp, sole, snapper, flounder, catfish, cod, haddock, sardines, tilapia, ocean perch, and pollack. Restrict tuna consumption to the "chunk light" canned variety and no more than six ounces a week. Canned or shelf-stable salmon is safe. what to avoid: Swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tilefish, and fresh (as well as canned albacore) tuna; raw sushi and raw shellfish; refrigerated smoked seafood such as lox, trout, and whitefish (unless cooked as an ingredient in another dish).