Kids and the Internet

The Internet is a powerful tool that is useful in education, business, and personal lives.  Parents and teachers try to safeguard kids from becoming prey to the dangers of the Internet.  However, take a look at how easy it is for someone to be tracked down on the Internet.  Follow this link from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and click on "Tracking Teresa".  Here you will see how revealing personal information can lead to a dangerous situation. 

To protect our children from the downfalls, safety must be first and foremost.  Children need to be aware of their digital footprints, the hazards and safeguards from the start.  Here are some websites, blogs, and literature with helpful tips regarding safety while using the Internet:

NetzSmart: a program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.  This site contains parent and educator resources and activities.
http://www.netsmartz.org/index.aspx

KidSMART: cyber information site for students.
http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/

SafetyWeb: resources for parents regarding blogging, social networks, chats, photo sharing, and cyberbullying.
http://blog.safetyweb.com/

Connecting Kids and the Web by Allen C. Benson
January 2003

A Smart Kids Guide to Internet Privacy by David J. Jakubiak
September 2009

Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens by Nancy E. Willard
March 2007

Feline Antics!

After reading a classmate's blog, I am compelled to talk about my "children".  And by that I mean my two cats.  My classmate spoke about her cat and how she has the ability to find a niche anywhere.  In a shoe box, in a grocery bag, or on the keyboard as she's trying to type.  See The World As I See It.  I have always had cats growing up but knew I wasn't quite ready to have a pet when I was first on mine own.  I recently got a kitten to help a friend out who had 13 kittens to find homes for.  My colleagues convinced me to get two kittens for one would just be too lonely.  Well, the kittens are now 10 months old and I have several gray hairs because of it...

The misdoings of my so-called children:
  * laces and drawstrings broken
  * corners of table and bureau chewed
  * clothes missing from the drying rack
  * wires chewed
  * napkin basket emptied and shredded
  * plants knocked over
  * flowers eaten
  * hole dug in the wall
  * paws in flickering candles
  * several pens and hair ties missing
  * various drinks sampled
  * food eaten
  * licked and woken up way too early

...you get the point.

However, they love to cuddle, they're at the door waiting each time I come home and they don't talk back!  Although they can be a menace, like real children we love them just the same!

Coolio and Jack     

                                     

Barbies or Trucks?

For decades, Barbie has illuminated the eyes of little girls everywhere.  Matchbox cars have kept boys racing around endless tracks.  Pink has always been the color for newborn girls and blue for newborn boys.  But what if a boy's favorite color is purple or a girl loves playing with her new dump truck?  Is there some written rule that says boys cannot play house or that girls cannot use tools to build?  Does that make them any less of a child or does it indicate what their future will hold?

A story recently surfaced about a boy dressing up as a female character for a school Halloween parade.  The mom was ridiculed for allowing her son to where a female costume.  See Mom's blog.  Isn't that what Halloween is all about, costumes!  It's a time to be creative and a little out-of-the-norm.  To quote the mother, "If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one."  They're just kids mimicking some of their favorite characters. 

A few years ago, we had a new preschool class starting and I remember one of the new moms had something she wanted to discuss with us.  She had asked if it was going to be a problem if her son liked to play with Barbie dolls and that he really enjoyed playing in the dress-up area. She was concerned that the other children would not accept him and that we might deter him from playing in such areas.  It certainly was not a concern of any of the staff and that we encouraged it. 

Some might say that it's an indication that the child will be feminine or grow up gay as the earlier story suggests.  Frankly, they're just kids and it's no body's business except the moms'...

Helicopter Parents: Hovering Too Close for Comfort?

Hovering over your child's every move, making every decision, being side-by-side to protect them...sound familiar?  You may be part of the debate of "helicopter parenting".  When does it become too much ? How does a child learn to succeed if he/she does not fail?  In order for them to tackle challenges, they need to fail in order to pick themselves up and learn from it.

Last year, I had my students respond to the article, "The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting" by Nancy Gibbs.  Quiet a few of them said they could relate to the notion of helicopter parenting.  Not sure if they were confusing typical teenage/parent relationships at that age or if they truly felt over-parented.

What do you think? Helicopter or free-range?


Related Articles/Discussions:

The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting by Nancy Gibbs
Times Magazine
November 20, 2009

Are Helicopter Parents Affecting the Transition to College? (discussion)
New York Times
October 11, 2010



Related Books:

Helicopters, Drill Sergeants, and Consultants:  Parenting Styles and the Messages They Send

by Jim Fay

The Idle Parent:  Why Less Means More when Raising Kids

by Tom Hodgkinson