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The Online Mom provides internet technology advice and information to help parents protect their kids, encourage responsible behavior and safely harness the power of technology in the new digital world. Social networking, photo sharing, video games, IM & texting, internet security, cyberbullying, educational resources, the latest on tech hardware, gadgets and software for kids 3-8, tweens and teens, and more.
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Welcome to The Online Mom!
SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2013
Apps for Planning Family Vacations
By Deborah Chantson I’m a big believer in pre-planning vacations. I’m all for flexibility and spontaneity, but no longer am I down with “let’s get in the car with overnight bags and drive.” I like booking hotels before we get there. I like charts. I like my charts to have restaurant suggestions, tourist attraction prices and opening hours, flags on possible coupons (like using your CAA card) and addresses for where we’re going. I don’t suggest a chart for everyone, but it sure helps to plan things (like if a tourist attraction is open longer on a certain day or closed when you’re intending to go). Here are some awesome travel apps (tested on a 3rd generation iPad) to help plan ahead, even if it’s for what to do in the next hour.
App of the Week – The Tooth That’s On The Loose!
By Matthew McDonnell The loss of one’s first tooth is often a cause for concern. It can be disquieting and cause some children significant anxiety. Even after the fear of the first lost tooth subsides, the event remains an object of fascination. Fortunately, the developers at KiteReaders have produced an outstanding book app to make this time in your child’s life a bit more fun and exciting – and a whole lot less uncomfortable. The Tooth That’s On The Loose! is a wonderful book app that calls upon the reader to help Sheriff Tex, a bigger than life but quite friendly man, catch T.B. Wiggly. T.B., short for “Tooth Be” is in Sheriff Tex’s own words, “darn near the wiggliest, shiftiest, and squirliest little varmint this side of the Mississippi.”
WWE for “Teachable” Moments
I was recently perusing the WWE website looking for gear for my 13-year-old nephews, who are huge fans and will soon have a birthday. Much to my surprise, I found a full page dedicated to helping parents discuss the WWE programming to kids. It includes awesome videos featuring top-rated stars like John Cena, who help explain the Don’t Try This message. This is a huge help to parents who may struggle to explain to their kids why this form of PG family entertainment is OK to watch but not to try at home or in school. When parents ask me about WWE I equate the action to watching a live video game. There is no gore, there is no blood (unlike on the UFC), and overall the stars lead incredibly wholesome lives with an inordinate amount of their time dedicated to social good. Community causes include: - Be a STAR – fighting bullying
- Supporting the Armed Forces (They are provided with complimentary tickets to all WWE live events)
Personally I think this is amazing. How may other entertainment/sports organizations do so much? I don’t know of too many, and none that enable parents to have such valuable teachable moments: to discuss the difference between violence and entertainment; to discuss the issue of bullying and how to safely intervene; and the all-important parenting lesson of learning how to give back to those who may be less fortunate than ourselves.
For additional information on the WWE community support programs, click here. They are nationwide, so you can usually find one in your area.
Do you have a favorite WWE social program? Share with us here!
Family Games for the PC
By Jean Parks The term “PC Gaming” makes many parents fearful, as the platform has been associated with violent games that decrease a child’s interest in socialization and learning the basic skills that they will need to succeed in school. Well, I’m here to tell you that PC Gaming has gotten a bad rap! There is a literal smorgasbord of free downloadable and online games that will provide children (and parents) of all ages with hours of learning, creativity and flat out fun! Three of the games featured here are downloadable, two are online-based games, and all are totally free to explore and enjoy with your child.
The Online Mom Blog - Monitoring our kids online
Today’s New York Times article about how some parents are using monitoring software to keep an eye on the digital activities of their kids has rekindled the debate over how appropriate such tactics are and at what point such activity starts to seem less like monitoring and more like spying. The article offered numerous examples of the tools that are now available to parents who want to dig a little deeper into their children’s online lives. Some of those tools – like apps that block texting while driving – are eminently sensible and have an immediate personal safety objective. Others – like word-search software that looks for sex or drug references on kids’ Facebook pages – are more contentious.
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