Is Your Child Old Enough for Social Networking?

Today, it seems like everyone is involved with social networking. From sites like Facebook and Twitter to blogs, YouTube and more, social networking has invaded nearly every aspect of our lives – and it’s no different for your kids. But how do you know when your kids are old enough to participate in social networking?

A lot of social sites require that kids be at least 13 before they can join. But they’re really just counting on the honesty of the user creating the account – they have no way to verify that the age a user enters is correct. Parents and many experts worry that exposing children to social networks, or any other heavy computer use at a young age, will set the child up for an Internet addiction later in life. However, no science has proven such a link exists.

The best approach is to consider the maturity and honesty of your child. Some children may be old enough for limited social network use by age 10 or so, others may not be ready even at 13. If you decide to let your child use social networking sites, set some solid ground rules and stick to them. Teach your child about the types of information that are OK to share, and the types that aren’t. Be sure to get the password to your child’s account, and let him or her know you’ll be checking the site regularly.

Social networking can be fun, but like anything else, your child will need rules and guidance from you to be successful.

Filed Under: Parenting, Social Networks, Teens Tagged With: , ,

How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online

When you are a parent, it seems like dangers to your children lurk around every corner. You worry about their physical safety – you worry they might take a tumble down the stairs or be hurt while learning to ride a bike, for example. But when your child is a little older and is learning to use a computer, you being to wonder how you can keep him safe while he’s online.

Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do to protect your child from Internet predators and inappropriate material. First, simply decide what sites will be off-limits to your child and block them. Your computer probably has some built-in parental controls you can use (just look under the Control Panel) and you can also purchase software that will allow even more detailed protection.

Second, you’ll want to bump up the security level on your computer.  Increased virus protection will be helpful should your child accidentally download an infected file. You may even want to set limits on downloads to greatly decrease this risk.

Third, track your child’s internet usage. If you have a newer computer there is probably built-in tracking software that you’ll just need to enable; or you can purchase a product. If you choose to buy something, make sure you purchase from a reputable source.

Finally, talk to your kids about your family’s Internet rules and remind them of basic Internet safety. Teach them to never use their full name online, to not give out personal information like a phone number or address and to never send pictures of themselves to anyone online.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Safeguarding Your Child’s Computer Experiences

No amount of teaching a beginner computer user such as your child will make them expert immediately. Mistakes will be made – that’s the nature of learning. Unfortunately, making an error on a computer can be very costly. It only takes opening up one maliciously directed email attachment for a Trojan to take over your child’s computer. And children, even those who’ve been trained otherwise, are eager to get email messages that appear to be from friends. To prevent a seemingly happy occurrence from turning into a disaster of unmitigated proportions that destroys en entire computer, it’s wise to take preemptive measures.

If you’ve ever re-loaded an operating system, wiping the old system off and installing a fresh copy, you know how tiresome the process can be. Yet that drastic step is often necessary once hacker software has made its way onto a computer. Since your child will struggle to recognize familiar people sending emails versus programs that appear to be friends sending invasive programs, it’s up to you to add software safeguards. PC Tools antivirus is a good place to start. By installing this package, you’re adding a strong line of defense between your child and their computer, and the rest of the world.

Don’t delay in setting up these safeguards. As you take the computer out of the box it arrives in and begin setting it up, have your choice in antivirus software there to be installed right after you’ve plugged in the mouse and keyboard. Because, just as a seatbelt must be worn from the moment the car is put into drive, a computer must be operated with safeguards from the moment the power is turned on and the internet accessed. Your child may not inherently understand this; even if you’ve explained it to them. That’s why it’s up to you to buckle up your child’s computer experience and make it safe.

Filed Under: Internet, Parenting, Teens Tagged With: , ,

P​arental Controls on Gaming Consoles

While the jury is still out on the effect of violent books, movies and video games on children, we can be sure that the violent content is not the only danger in gaming for our kids. All of the gaming consoles on the market today have Internet capabilities, some of them via Wi-Fi, and that opens up young gamers to strangers from all over the world. Additionally, many of these consoles also have applications that allow users access to pay-per-view movies and other content, much of which would be deemed inappropriate for children by the majority of American parents. Learning how to use the parental controls on the various consoles in your home is the first step to keeping kids safe in an online world.

The parental controls are easy to find on the Xbox 360. Simply press the middle button on your controller to see the options screen, then guide the left thumbstick to the right until you are on the Settings tab. From here, scroll down to the Family Settings selection and press the green A button. Set the Console Safety button to On, then scroll down to select Ratings and Content. Here you can determine the level of rated content that can be accessed without entering the passcode; this includes games, movies, television shows and music, covering all of the possible options. Once you are happy with these settings, scroll down to set your Family Timer, Xbox LIVE access and create your passcode.

Parental controls are accessed in a similar method on the Playstation 3 console. You will find them under Settings, Security Settings, Parental Controls. The PS3 console also allows you to set parental controls for website browsing using this system. Nintendo also provides parental controls settings for the Wii console, accessed in much the same manner.

Filed Under: Internet, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Dealing with a Teenager with an Addiction

It is not an uncommon occurrence for a teenager to develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Peer pressure, stress and a wide variety of other causes can lead a teenager to addiction, and unfortunately, it can be difficult for the teenager to ask for the help they need when the addiction takes total control of their life. If you are a parent with a teenager who is struggling with an addiction, then it becomes vitally necessary for you to know what to do so that you can help your teenager get the support and the rehabilitation help that they need to overcome the addiction and to move on with his or her life.

The first thing to know is that by having an open and honest relationship with everyone in your family, you can help to avoid addictions. When you have family dinners, family game night and similar get-togethers where everyone in the family is expected to attend, this can keep the family closer and more in touch, which can keep your children from turning to addiction as a means of coping with issues they don’t feel they can share.

If you determine that one of your children is battling an addiction, talking to them and getting them help is vitally essential. You can help your child find the right rehabilitation facility, such as MichaelsHouse.com, which will allow him or her to develop healthy habits and overcome the hold that the drug addiction has on your child. There is no reason why you cannot help your teenager get help and support so that the addiction can be swiftly dealt with and overcome. As a parent it is up to you to make sure that your child is getting help. Children and teens rarely know how to ask for help for themselves, so make sure that you are there to help along the way.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Claiming Children as Dependents in Your Taxes

When you are a parent with children, it is important for you to understand how it changes the way you file your taxes. Knowing how to claim your children as your dependents is an important part of knowing how to file the taxes for your family. There are a number of specific tax breaks that you can receive when you are a parent with children. If you want to get the maximum refund back it is going to be important for you to know what tax breaks, deductions, and other things to claim. Are there other tax breaks that you are going to want to claim, like school breaks, breaks for donating clothing, or other deductions that involve your children either directly or indirectly?

When you choose to opt for the free tax filing route, the benefit is that a software or web application can walk you through the process, asking insightful questions about your tax status. These software options will ask you about your children, dependent statuses, and other tax breaks and deductions that you may qualify for. It is important that you go through an automatic tax filing software service like this because these are more effective at helping you get the best possible refund than if you were going through the entire process on your own.

There are many considerations to make when filing your taxes if you have a family with children. If you do your taxes correctly, you should be able to get a sizable refund back because the IRS looks favorably upon families with young children. Going through a free tax filing service is going to have a profoundly positive impact on your ability to get the best possible refund back, so this is one of the best options you can choose for your family.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: ,

You Never Know Who’s Friending Your Child on Facebook

When Facebook was first launched, it was a social networking tool exclusively for college students. A university email was required to sign up, and it allowed the college crowd to find classmates, friends they met at parties, and stay in touch with students from other schools. Over the years, Facebook has changed to become a cultural phenomenon of the highest order. Anyone can create a Facebook page now — even kids. But is Facebook safe for the younger generations? The same predators that have stalked children in chat rooms can now friend them on Facebook.

It’s possible to filter your computer so that websites such as Facebook are not accessible by your child, but it’s a tricky situation. Facebook has the potential to be a very positive experience for children. They’re able to connect with their friends and share their opinions in an open forum. If you’re not inclined to completely blocking Facebook privileges from your child, there are other options you can consider.

  • Facebook offers customizable privacy settings. You can help your child choose the privacy settings you find most appropriate and hope they adhere to those settings. For example, you can modify the settings so that your child cannot be tagged in photos or so people who are not your child’s Facebook friend cannot see his or her page.
  • Have a conversation with your child. Explain to your child dangers presented online. Facebook allows its users to post their hometowns, phone numbers and current locations. Explain to your child that that means anyone looking at his or her page can know all that information.
  • Invest in an Internet filtering program that alerts the parent when inappropriate language or content is used or viewed.
Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Moms Know Best

Of course moms know best! We’re there for the first feeding, the first walk, and the first word. We’re there to kiss the boo-boo and tuck you in at night. We’re there for the first day of school when you don’t want to leave, then can’t remember why you stayed away so long. We’re there for all the report cards, tests and homework assignments. We’re also there when you learn to drive and get ready to leave the roost. You may be just a baby now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get you ready for your future.
For my own children, I’ve decided to build a list of special internet bookmarks to go with their scrapbooks. These are valuable learning sites that I’m collecting to help them in their oncoming studies. It’s amazing how many resources are just mouse clicks away. I’m organizing them into all the different levels of learning. For the preschool years, I have plenty of interactive games for them to play. As they get older there are terrific reading and writing aids wrapped up in fun stories. For the middle school years, I’ve found sites about science and geography. Once they reach high school, I’ll have resources for them that will help them with writing term papers. But I’m not stopping there. I want my kids to have the best education and that means college.
Getting a major degree like an MBA will help them immensely in life. That’s why I have a site all ready for a GMAT class online. This is the exam they will have to take before they can be accepted into college. Do I understand what’s on this test? No! But I don’t have to. This prep course provides sample questions and the ability to talk right to a teacher about the test. All of this means my kids will be ready!
Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Enjoying Family Time with Your Child’s First Pet

Getting your child her first pet, whether it is adopted from the pound, purchased from a reputable breeder, or chosen from a friend’s, relative’s or neighbor’s litter is always an enjoyable time. At first, most of the responsibility will be yours, but you won’t really mind when you realize that having a pet is a perfect way to enjoy family time.

All pets need fresh air and exercise, which, incidentally, are exactly the same things that family members need, and there is no better way to get these than to take a pet for a walk, going to a pet-friendly park, or simply getting out in the yard and playing with the pet. This is why choosing a dog for a first pet is often the best choice. A dog loves to run and play, and can be easily trained, making the family time more enjoyable.

As you start spending family time together that includes the pet, specifically parks or other dog-friendly places, you’ll probably notice that many dog owners have their pets dressed up in cute pet costumes. These may be as simple as a sweater denoting the family’s favorite sports team (and, when you look, you’ll most likely see the family wearing their “colors”, too).

Other pet costumes can include superhero costumes. Nothing is cuter than seeing a little boy (or girl, for that matter) running around in a superhero costume, being chased by the family dog who is also sporting the same one, or that of the superhero’s sidekick.

If you shop carefully for pet costumes, you can get those that aren’t too heavy or do not hinder the dog’s movements in any way. You can also find those that slip on and off easily, so you don’t have to worry about your dog getting restless while you’re trying to get the costume on. Online costume sites are good places to look for pet costumes.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teens Tagged With: , ,

Find Free or Low Cost Family Entertainment

These days saving money is on everyone’s mind. Spending money to take the family to a movie is expensive. Many families can no longer afford to take the entire family out to dinner. Most people are unaware of the many free or low cost things to do right in their communities.

Taking the family to the zoo may be too expensive for some families. A great way to go to the zoo and spend little money is to go on the off days. These are the days in which zoo attendance is typically low. Most zoos offer free entrance on the off days. If they do charge an entrance fee, it is at least 50 percent off or higher. Take a backpack with drinks and snacks to save even more money. The other benefit to visiting the zoo on off days is you do not have to fight crows. You can leisurely enjoy the zoo with your family.

Most communities have a children’s museum. The museums usually have at least one day a week where admission is free. The children’s museums are a great place for families to spend time and have fun. The museums have many interactive activities the entire family will enjoy. It is both educational and fun. If you go during the afternoon, you can stop at the local park to enjoy a picnic before visiting the museum. You can have an early dinner with your family at home and then spend an early evening at the museum. Either way, your children will be full and you can avoid spending money on costly snacks at the museum.

You can find many fun and free things to do in your community. You can search the Internet for free things to do in your area. This is the easiest way to obtain a list.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With:
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »