You should set up 9-1-1ELERTS as a contact and speed dial in your mobile phone. When you want to reach out in an emergency situation to 9-1-1, and want to notify friends and family just push the speed dial you assigned or find your contacts for 9-1-1ELERTS and make the call.

2. When using 9-1-1ELERTS one touch could save your life.

When you use 911ELERTS by dialing your assigned 911ELERTS number our system simultaneously forwards and connects the call to 9-1-1, and triggers our system to broadcast 9-1-1ELERTS via email, text and voice messages to your designated ten (10) family, friends, or colleagues in the member’s Personal Protection Network (PPN),

3. 9-1-1 and your Personal Protection Network (PPN) help keep you safe.

Friends and family, who have been chosen by the sender to receive 9-1-1ELERTS, will receive a full profile and their location of the user. People listed in the Personal Protection Network (PPN) are encouraged to check in with the sender whenever they receive any 9-1-1ELERTS.

If your preference is to have the alerts sent by text message to your network, then 9-1-1ELERTS emails your friends and family network asking them to enter their cell phone numbers and opt into the text alerts program. When they text back the code to accept, they will receive your 9-1-1ELERTS via text message in addition to email alerts. You should advise your PPN to check their text messaging plans with their cell phone carriers so as not to induce extra costs for them when they receive 9-1-1ELERTS.

The one exception is if 9-1-1ELERTS grants temporary access to law enforcement authorities in the event that a missing persons or police report needs to be created. This would occur if someone in your Personal Protection Network (PPN) notifies the authorities. 9-1-1ELERTS verifies the information with law enforcement and then they are granted access to your account.

The Individual Plan is an account for a single user. 9-1-1ELERTS notifies the friends and family in the user’s Personal Protection Network (PPN) when they use 9-1-1ELERTS. The account file size is 10mb.

The Couples Plan is for two people, and offers two 9-1-1ELERTS individual accounts under one plan. Each account file size is 10mb. When a member uses 9-1-1ELERTS, we will send a 9-1-1ELERT to the friends and family in that member’s Personal Protection Network (PPN).

The Family Plan allows for 3 or more members of a family under one plan. Each family member receives an individual account with 10mb but it is all under one plan. When a family member uses 9-1-1ELERTS, we will send a 9-1-1ELERT to the friends and family in that member’s Personal Protection Network (PPN).

I have been in business for many years and what I experienced on Feb 3 was truly amazing. The power of so much passion brought to life by the entrepreneur and the angel’s passion and willingness to take the risk of taking companies to the next level is truly the American Dream along with job creation, which is vital to rebuilding the economy.

As I walked through the door for the OAFCO it was a very relaxed atmosphere with a beer in hand and stimulating conversations to start the evening. Fifteen minutes before presentation time Jason and David gather us for a team meeting to go over the flow of the evening. We received the order of the presentations and then David gave us the most important rule “ You need to take a sip of your beer during the presentation.” We were the top five companies, all of us were stoked to be picked and now getting ready to pitch. Here are some great posts from the other companies on the event here, here, here, and here. After the meeting, the five companies clichéd ourselves as the First Alumni of the OAFCO. That was pretty cool. (See OAFCO Class of 2010 picture.)

My company had the second spot in the line up so we were up pretty quick. Tyler came and got us and for the first time we unveiled 911elerts born out of two years of hard work and drive to see it through.  Seven minutes goes extremely fast so anyone out there that is going to apply be prepared to get your message out quickly. (Thank God I had Jon, my COO, there to keep the pitch moving because I can talk and talk about my company.) What’s great about the OAF format is that it vets out the companies as well as the angels. Take advantage of the opportunity that it gives you if you are picked to present at future events.

Thank you Jason, David and Brad for the opportunity. I am grateful for your vision and passion to help others. Entrepreneurs seek out your local chapters of OAF as they come to life it is truly amazing.

A brain child of Jason Calacanis, he and David Cohen made it clear to us and our colleagues that the objective of the OAF event was to bring together serious entrepreneurs with active angel investors in a casual and intimate setting. In fact, we were one of five from one hundred applications that were selected for review – an accomplishment in and of itself from our perspective.

Unlike other events where Angel’s and VC’s charge young companies to present their solutions, Jason came up with a sponsor-subsidized model that covers event expenses. This fairness to us and others presenting plus the rule to only allow active investors makes OAF the best event we’ve attended since we started two years ago. Thanks again to Jason, David, and Brad for inviting us and for the kind treatment!

We welcome Erika Napoletano of RedheadWriting to the FaceFile blog! Blogger, social media strategist and admitted technophile, you can find her (often irreverent) insights on social media, business, writing and blogging at RedheadWriting.com. Follow her on Twitter (if you dare!).

Isn't it time to put the phone down and drive?

I was guilty of it. Once.

A text from a date … I couldn’t wait to respond. I (gulp) texted him back at the hasty speed of about 68 MPH.

That was, until I almost missed the big rig merging into the lane in front of me.

After having my own little “life montage moment,” it was clear: put the cell phone DOWN! This was almost a year ago and I have yet to do it again. Seriously.

We’re all annoyed when the drivers surrounding us act like fifteen-year-olds on their first day behind the wheel, so why do we do it? Obama’s recent ban on Federal workers texting while driving made quite the new buzz in October and as early as 2008, several state were trying to push through legislation to the same effect.  According to a New York Times Poll, nearly all Americans think that texting while driving should be illegal.

My question: who’s still texting behind the wheel if we all hate it so much?

On occasion, I fall victim to iPhone-itis and respond to a text while at a stoplight or check my email. Light turns green – phone gets relegated to the passenger seat or docking station. But I don’t text while driving. I’e even been known to pull off into a parking lot or park on a side street if something needed to be handled right then and there. I will also make the person calling me wait to speak with me until I put my headset in. I’m no saint, but having a little “come-to-Jesus” moment will definitely make you rethink your communication strategy, no?

A British PSA has definitely garnered some strong responses on the texting while driving issue. We’ll direct you to the Huffington Post to view with the disclaimer that it is graphic in nature and YouTube requires you to sign in to view the video. Sometimes scared straight works, I think.

I applaud those states who have already gone to hands-free mandates for drivers. Want to know the skinny in your state? Check this list form the Governors Highway Safety Association. If there’s legislation pending in your state for banning texting while driving, send your Representative a letter of support. Simply Google “(your state) texting while driving” and that should give you some solid results.

What are your thoughts, stories and feedback on the recent and pending cell phone safety laws? Are we intoxicated by communication? Let us know below.

This week we welcome Nicole White as a guest blogger to the FaceFile blog! You can find her online at MyBottlesUp.com. Welcome, Nicole!

Facing front or rear-facing: when do you turn the car seat around?

Our son will be 18 months at the end of October.  My husband and I turned the Magoo’s car seat around to face forwards when he hit 16 months old.

Granted he’s a lengthy child.  You should probably know that my husband is 6’6” and I’m 5’9”.  We’re not capable of producing small or even average-sized spawn.

I was once approached in a parking garage and asked by a complete stranger, “Shouldn’t you turn her around by now?”

(The “her” issue is an ENTIRELY separate one that I will share in good time…)

But as this parking garage stranger asked me this, I found my blood pressure rising, wanting to respond with, “Excuse me, but why is this any of your business?!?”

Instead I counted backwards from 10, found my zen place and said, “Ya know, I’ve read that children’s neck muscles aren’t strong enough to face forward in a car seat until they are a year and a half,” giving parking garage stranger a look that clearly ended the conversation and slamming the car door shut.

Parking garage stranger then buckled her little bundle into their grocery cart, flipped her lusciously long ponytail and proceeded into Whole Foods, where I assume she bought an abundance of organic, gluten-free, soy-based food for said bundle who looked to be dying for some whole milk and Cheez-its, the Magoo’s snack of choice.

(For the record, I’m totally down with the organic, gluten-free, soy-based, whatever… Whatever works for you and yours).

So when do you turn your tot around to face forward in their car seat?  At what age was your little one when you made the big switcheroo and had them face forwards instead of backwards?

I’ve polled parents while on the playground and have come to the following conclusion: no one truly knows.  Some moved the car seat to face forwards on their child’s first birthday, sort of a rite of passage thing.

“Congrats son! You can now face forward and not have to watch me through the monkey mirror that sits on the headrest.  Here’s your birthday cake.”

Other parents waited until 16-18 months, like we did, having read or heard from friends that neck muscles of toddlers are stronger and better developed when they are closer to a year and a half, should you be in a car accident where whiplash occurs.

To be perfectly honest, my husband and I turned the Magoo’s car seat around to face forward because his legs were too long and climbing up the back of the passenger seat.  It was when he kicked the monkey mirror that sits on the headrest off that was the deciding factor for us.

At what age was your child when you turned him/her around to face forward in their car seat?  How did you come about making that decision?

What should you consider when posting pictures to an online dating profile?

One safety concern of many online daters is the profile picture.  After all, once it’s up there on your dating site, everyone knows what you look like!  It won’t be long until they’re following you around town with a camera and erecting a creepy shrine in your honor… right?

Not really.  Let’s look at the pros and cons of posting a photo:

Pros

• Profiles with photos get exponentially more attention than those without photos.  Most dating sites allow people to exclude profiles with no photos from search.  If you have no photo, chances are, nobody’s finding your profile.
• Photos allow people to see if you’re their type before emailing you.  You might claim that you’re not that shallow, but everyone has at least a baseline value of what an acceptable looking person is when it comes to dating.
• With a photo up, you know that people emailing you are interested in YOU, not just interested in getting a photo of you and then deciding if they are interested.

Cons

• Your photo is up on the internet.  It could go anywhere from there.  (In reality, it probably won’t.)
• Ladies especially run the risk of becoming the object of affection of a guy they are totally not interested in.  (Luckily every site has a block feature!)
• Your coworkers, family members, clients, or students may find your profile, and with your picture on it, there’s no doubt it’s yours.  (I did online dating most of the time I was a high school teacher, and was never outed by a student or former student.  I did find fellow teachers, though.)

It is possible to survive online dating without a photo, but the benefits of posting a photo really outweigh the risks.  If your profile and photos maintain a certain level of class, there’s no danger in having them online.

Here's what we like online these days

We’ve had an exciting month here at FaceFile – we launched our Guest Blogger initiative and are delighted to welcome Beckie Mostello (@techtalkformoms) E. Foley (@geeksdreamgirl) and Nic White (@mybottlesup) to the FaceFile blog. We have been following them for awhile on Twitter as well as reading their own blogs and are excited for their contributions to ours. Interested in being a guest blogger for us? We’re looking for voices who can speak towards:

• Safety issues for families, real estate professionals and other service providers
• Online safety for kids, teens and adults alike
• Tech advancements that make our lives safer and easier
• (we’re all about safety!)

Leave a blog comment with your interest (be sure to include your email address) and we’ll have our Content Manager get back with you to explore adding you to the FaceFile family!

Each month, we’re shunning “Follow Friday” on Twitter and instead, telling you in one post who we like online and why. Here are our picks for October – have a look at their content and see if they can lend as much value to your life as they add to ours!

Amy Lupold Bair - @ResourcefulMommy
http://resourcefulmommy.com/

We love that her posts are always “lending value.” Not about what’s in it for HER but rather for her readers. A great blog to have in your RSS reader if you’re pressed for time and looking for the best of the “resourceful best” on the web, especially giveaways and freebies.

Shari at Baby Banz USA – @babybanz
http://usa.babybanz.com/

Sunblock and UV protection for kids. We love it. Always a fun series of Tweets in her stream and she’s about sharing and helping. We love that she ReTweets a lot of other people’s content and you can always rely on her for quality links, great info and an upbeat personality.

Kevin Boulas/Spiral Marketing – @irant
http://spiralmarketing.wordpress.com/

Want to know what’s going on in the world of non-profits? Kevin has his finger on the pulse and consistently shares events (both local to Denver and nationwide) benefiting charity. The host of Denver’s #rabbleforacause, he puts together monthly events that benefit a different non-profit each month. Always ReTweets a lot of good content and throws a keen sense of humor into the mix as well.

The Mom Blog at the OC Register – @themomblog
http://themomblog.freedomblogging.com/

If you’re in Southern California and a parent, this should go in your RSS reader today. We follow the blog for its consistently upbeat voice and an informative Twitter stream. Another consistent ReTweeter who shares cool content from other followers – we just love it when we can focus on our audience and get great content from across the web from those we follow in one click.

Keep your kids surfing safely with these two new online tools

My 6 year old daughter has started to take notice of my husband and I working on our laptops, which leads her to wanting to learn more about computers. She likes to get online and has lately become a bit more adventurous on the computer. That concerns me a bit, so I did some research on parent-friendly surfing software that would keep me from pulling my hair out. Let me tell you what I found and maybe you can tell me what you’ve found useful as well.

The first tool is Littleye (www.littleye.com). Littleye is a software download that allows my daughter to visit only safe sites which are on a trusted list that educators and parents have approved. I can search their list for websites as well as create my own list of approved websites. Littleye also allows me limit her online time. The settings will lock her out after she has reached her time limit and only I have access to give her more time. Littleye is very easy to set up and there are several videos on the website that help parents through the process. When the Littleye download is complete, a small icon will appear on the upper right corner of the browser. Littleye can be turned on or off by clicking on the icon and entering the parent user name and password. By the way: don’t let your kids know your password!  Each child can have his/her own user name and password so parents can monitor each child’s activity. Another helpful feature about Littleye is that it will soon be available as an iPhone app. This will be a great way to check your child’s activity even when you are not by your computer! I really believe Littleye is great family friendly software that is worth the small expense of keeping your kids safe while they are on-line.

Another online safety tool (search engine) I like for my daughter to use is Askkids.com (www.askkids.com). Ask Kids is a safe, fun search engine just for kids ages 6 to 12. Kids and their parents can research topics in science, math, geography, language arts and history in a safe online environment. Websites in the Ask Kids core search index were selected by the Ask.com team as child-appropriate or as a relevant and practical sites for learning. Additionally, websites are filtered to remove adult content, which can give parents peace of mind when they are not with their child at the computer. AskKids.com has also created a website with online safety tips for children at Safesearchschools.com (http://www.safesearchschools.com/tips.html). Check it out, it is really worth the time to read throught the info provided on the site.

Bottom line: will I ever really have true peace of mind when my daughter is out of my watchful eye? Probably not. But at least I can now feel safer about what she’s seeing and doing online. I’d love to hear more about what other parents are using for online safety – leave us your comments below.

Welcome E. (@GeeksDreamGirl) to the Face File Blog! E. is an expert in online dating safety and works with online daters nationwide to craft safe and expressive online dating profiles. Visit her at www.geeksdreamgirl.com or www.onlinedatingprofiler.com

Start with safety when dating online

It seems like online dating services are asking more and more questions these days.  In the early days, you got a big blank space to write your piece, but now they want to know your favorite hotspots in town, where you can be found on a Friday night… I mean, prime stalker material, isn’t it?  And speaking as someone who once had a stalker (ironically enough, in the days before I started online dating), it’s not fun having to look over your shoulder everywhere you go.

You might be wondering how you can express yourself and be unique and attractive without spilling all the beans about your life.  You run on the West Orange Trail every Saturday morning, you work as a manager at a mom and pop store, you love going swing dancing at the Whirl n’Twirl.  These things are great, but any of the three could easily tell a crazy person where to find you.

The key here is to be vague without being vague.  It would be boring if you watered those facts about you down to: “I run, dance, and manage a store.”  Yawn.   But what about something like this?

“Managing a retail store can get pretty stressful, but I’m lucky that I’m one of the few people in retail with regular days off.  Since my body still wakes me up regardless of whether I have to punch in at work, I lace up my sneakers and go for a run with my dog, Tucker.  In the evenings, I turn back time and practice dancing from an earlier era.  Sure, it’s “old-fashioned,” but it is definitely a lot of fun!”

Be vague without being vague.  Be specific without being specific.  Write about the actions and feelings surrounding what you do rather than the places.  It’s a little trickier, but it will keep you safer in the end.

Beckie Mostello joins Face File this week as part of our new Guest Blogger series. You can follow Beckie on Twitter and read more on her insightful blog Tech Talk for Moms. Welcome, Beckie!

Education is one of the many concerns facing parents today

Daily life as a parent is full of concerns – sometimes one concern right and after the next. Lately, a few of my big concerns have to do with the health, safety and education of my children. Many times, I talk with other parents or professionals in the community and others I like to research online for help.

My biggest concern of late has to do with the health of my children. The H1N1 virus seems to have gotten too close for comfort lately. My children have been immunized for the flu and I would like to have them immunized for the H1N1, but I had some concerns about the shot. I found some very helpful information on Mile High Mamas. There is a blog post written by, Dr. Keren Call, pediatrician and board member of the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition. In her post, Questions and Answers for Moms about H1N1, Dr. Call answered some very specific concerns around the H1N1 virus. I do have to say after reading the information, she helped me make an informed decision about whether or not I would immunize my children for H1N1.

Safety is always a major concern. My son is a very busy toddler and sometimes, as toddlers do, he does not exactly make the best choices nor does her have the brain development to make those choices. A website I like to use for questions I have about his safety is About.com’s parenting section. On this site, there are all kinds of resources to help me along the way. The website also includes some great reminders of things I should be doing to ensure his safety. It can be frustrating and tiring at times to keep an active boy safe!

My daughter recently started first grade, opening a whole can of worms when it comes to concerns about her education. As a past teacher, I know there are specific things children should be learning and mastering at certain grade levels. The first place I like to go with concerns about my child’s education is her teacher. I know how valuable the parent-teacher relationship can be for a child’s education. Another resource I use to learn about what my first grader should be learning is my state’s department of education website. On the site I can look at the state standards for my child’s grade level. This way I know what is expected and how I can as a parent support my child’s education.

So to sum it up, life as a parent does has concerns that come in all shapes and sizes. I believe the best thing to do is to learn how to use the many resources available to help work your way through the concerns of parenting.

What are you top concerns as a parent? What resources do you use to help ease your concerns? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Here's what we link online these days

We’re on Twitter, we’ve launched our Facebook page. Sure, we’ll give you links to those in a minute, but every day, our team is on the lookout for the best on the web when it comes to:

• Things we enjoy reading
• Sites our families like to visit
• Bloggers we think “get it.”

None of the links below are paid. We’re pretty sure they have no idea we’re mentioning them. But when it comes to online content for families, parents and the web at-large, they get it. And FaceFile thanks you for “getting it!” We’re looking to improve our site, grow our readership, and establish a sense of community for our visitors, customers and readers. These are the people who show us how to do it:

@crocs – Well, Rob’s wife loves them. Rob even owns a pair now, too. We love that fact that they interact with their online audience, monitor their brand, and have a sense of humor. After all, not everyone’s going to love your product, but you can listen to the conversations like they do and laugh! www.crocs.com

@dadgonemad – We read this blog every day. While the language isn’t for the faint of heart, this is one dad that has a sense of who he is, daily struggles and, well, a great sense of humor to go along with it all. He speaks with parents, not “to” them, and we often hear Rob walking around the office quoting lines from this blog. www.dadgonemad.com

@mashable & @techcrunch – They’re at the forefront of social media and tech news and they keep our entire team on our toes. We have frequent and lively discussions in the conference room on a regular basis because of their articles. If you’re not following them on Twitter and adding their blogs to your RSS reader, well – your loss! There’s news in both for parents, tech enthusiasts and just folks like us who are trying to build a better product. www.mashable.com & www.techcrunch.com

@wiredmoms – Even if you’re a dad, this blog always has great tech content for parents. They have powerful and timely information on internet safety, cell phone safety and regularly review and rate various products. We like it when sites we trust do the legwork for us. www.wiredmoms.com

Are you and your child BOTH ready for a slumber party?

Kids love sleepovers, but letting your child sleep at someone else’s house without you can be nerve wracking. There are a few things you can do to help things go safely and smoothly and let you sleep through the night when your child is away.

If you don’t know the parents or living situation where the slumber party is happening, pay a visit the day before the event. Whether it be squalid living conditions, creepy Uncle Lou who is in from out of town or parents you aren’t comfortable around, you need to know the environment ahead of time to be able to say no. If you get there on the evening of the party and the situation has changed or there is something/someone you’re not comfortable with, don’t hesitate to take your child back home.

Make sure you’ve had the talk about the privacy of our bodies with your children. Don’t alarm them – just let him know they can call you at any time if they feel uncomfortable and you will come get them.

Discuss with the host parent(s) ahead of time any kind of dietary restrictions your child has. Whether it’s a food allergy or you’re raising a vegetarian, make sure the host parents know so they don’t give your lactose intolerant child something with milk in it. The same goes for bedtimes and movies. Make sure the other house isn’t more liberal about these things than you are comfortable with.

Make sure your child is ready for a slumber party. We’ve all heard stories about the mom or dad who had to pick up a homesick kid from a slumber party at 2 a.m. The thought of sleeping at a friend’s house is exciting and usually brings promises of being ready for it. However, you’re the parent and you know best. If you don’t think you child is ready for any reason, don’t hesitate to politely decline the invitation.

Slumber parties can be a lot of fun for the kids involved and can also give you a welcome night to spend as an adult and not a parent. Most times, it will be with one of your child’s best friends and you’ll already know the parents and living situation. If not, make sure you find out before hand. If there is anything that makes you uncomfortable: just say thanks, but no thanks.

Keep online predators away from your kids with these simple steps

It’s every parent’s nightmare: having a child fall prey to an online predator. Children, especially between the ages of 11 and 15, have a false sense of trust and an overblown opinion of their ability to make good decisions. They can become victims to Internet predators despite all the lectures, monitoring, filters and rules you may have in place. Sometimes you have to figure out what’s going on yourself, based on your child’s actions. So, what are the warning signs that your child could be lured into someone’s trap?

• Your child is a loner. Kids with lots of friends tend to go skating or to the mall or just goof-off together around the neighborhood. Children with few friends are often starved for companionship and will accept it from that “nice kid” in the chat room.
• Your child seems awfully naive for his or her age. It might seem cute to you that your 12 year-old has the same loving, trusting heart she did when she was eight, but this kind of personality will easily believe that the 35-year-old man two streets over is really another 12 year-old girl.
• Conversely, your child is a major risk-taker. Victims tend to fall in the two extreme ends of this personality trait. If your child has been getting in trouble for things he knows is dangerous or wrong and you’ve been pulling your hair out worrying about all the things he never got caught for, you may need to pay close attention to Internet activity.
• Your child spends a lot of time online. Studies have shown that 90 minutes of online activities outside of homework is the tipping point where children are more likely to engage in dangerous online behavior. Your child should have a balanced life with sports, art, music, reading and other offline activities in his/her life.
• Your child is secretive about his Internet activity. If your child spends a lot of time online but won’t tell you what he is doing then he’s sending up a red flag. There are all kinds of tricks, such as having a benign website ready to go whenever you walk by, that kids can use to cover-up their questionable activity.
• Your child is getting phone calls or mail from people you don’t know. Monitor your child’s phone, caller ID and outgoing calls. Make sure you know everyone who they’re in contact with. Same with the mail. If your child is getting mail, make sure he opens it in front of you (or honestly, open it for them).

If you have any suspicion something might be going on, take action. Move the computer to the living area. Put filters and tracking software on it. It could be your child doesn’t want you to know he’s illegally downloading music or it could be much worse. Don’t be paranoid – just be aware and make sure that you’re in the know.

Internet safety for kids: take these tips to heart

I am a single dad to an eight year-old girl. That puts her in second grade. She has been using a computer, like most kids these days, since she was old enough to click a mouse. Keeping her safe on the Internet gets more challenging every year.

In the beginning it was easy, as she was just playing installed games or using kid-friendly sites like Nick Jr. or Playhouse Disney. She couldn’t navigate away from where she was without my help. Besides, I usually sat there and played along right by her side. The chance that she could stumble upon an inappropriate site was next to none and the chance that she could be contacted by an Internet predator was zero, because she wasn’t the one doing the responding or navigating. Ah, the days of being Dear Ol’ Dad!

But as she got older and savvier about getting around the Internet, things changed. She wanted to be online, whether it was on Webkinz or Tygirls or any of the other sites little girls like to go to. But she still needed me to type in the URLs and she knew she wasn’t allowed to navigate away. She was also still sitting with me most of the time while she surfed, so my worries remained few.

Along came second grade and the discovery of Google images. She’s crazy about animals and was learning how to use tools like Google at school. Naturally, she started Googling pictures of animals. I would do searches with her, making sure I didn’t accidentally make any typos that would bring up a site she shouldn’t see. Eventually, she wasn’t satisfied and wanted to do it herself. They grow up fast, don’t they?

Since I couldn’t stop progress and thought it was important for her to start navigating on her own, I found a way to let her have at it: but I found a way to do it on MY terms. First, I tested strict filtering on Google. (Go to “search preferences” to the right of the box where you type your search phrase. Click on it, and on the resulting page choose the “use strict filtering” button about halfway down the page.) I won’t say what I typed in, but I will say that I am completely confident that Google filters out all the bad stuff. Then, I set her up with her own browser and set up the Google on that browser so I don’t have to check every time to see if it’s set. Confident that I had a kid-friendly set up, I handed her the computer and said, “OK, you have to sit here by me, but you can search Google for animal pictures on your own.”

To which she replied, “Yay! Thanks daddy! I’m going to look for pictures of beavers!”

With the wide variety of content on the Internet, we have to do our best to keep the questionable stuff away from our kids – especially kids who like to search for beavers, wiener dogs and cocker spaniels.

Online safety tips for new bloggers: start your blogging days the right way

So you want to start a blog? Go ahead!  It’s easy to set one up at any of the free blogging services like Blogger or Wordpress. Choose a template. Fill out the required information. But then you have to make an important decision: do use your real name or remain anonymous?

I started blogging in the early days of the medium and the first round of blogs I came across in my city were all written anonymously. So that’s what I did because it seemed standard. Now, more and more people (myself included) write blogs under their real names. But there are still some reasons why you might want to remain behind the curtain. Perhaps you don’t want your employer to think you’re blogging on company time. Maybe you want to rant about your friends and family without having them to see your unfiltered thoughts. Or maybe you’re going to write an intimate blog and you simply feel more free to express yourself by remaining anonymous.

In those cases, you need to stay anonymous – especially if you are a woman. If you decide to write a blog that gives lurid details about your dating and love life, you need to take extra precautions regarding your profile and your day-to-day content. Writing posts of a sexual nature is bound to attract some Internet predators and you really need to protect your identity. And don’t think that it’s safe to write under just your first name. Instead, make up a name or choose one that isn’t even closely related to your own. Don’t give any indication about where you live. If you’re telling a story about going on a date at a certain restaurant, just say “a sushi place near downtown.” And obviously, don’t give any personal information in your profile.

As you carry on, you will start to get commenters as the goal of any blogger is to generate dialog about your blog topics. You may banter back and forth with some of them. Make sure that you set up a completely separate email address where commenters can send their email. This will help keep your real life and virtual identities separate and safe from those who are resourceful. Believe it or not, there are people who spend hours each day seeking out prey and know some extremely creative ways to find out who you are.

Kids and cell phones - what are the rules in your house?

Teenagers and cell phones – they go together like biscuits and gravy. Or pastrami and rye, depending on where you live. But no matter where you live, one thing is universal: it’s possible for teens to get in trouble with cell phones. Where there’s potential trouble, there have to be rules.

We gave in early to our teens having cell phones. As soon as they were allowed to go somewhere without one of us, we decided it was time for their own phones. I remember growing up and using “But there wasn’t a phone there!” or “I didn’t have a quarter” as excuses to be late for dinner or go places other than where I said I was going. Teens today don’t have that luxury. The reason we let them have phone wasn’t to boost their social standing: it was for parental peace of mind. I know that if they get in trouble and need me, they can call or text me and I’ll be on my way. I also know that I’ve got “kid-on-demand.” I can instantly talk to either of my girls and ask them where they are and who they are with, and they’re at my beck and call via speed dial.

That leads to rule number one: They will always answer the phone when I call. Aside from swimming, I can’t think of one other activity teenagers could (or should) be participating in that would make them physically unable to answer the phone. Sure, playing football or being in a movie theater might count, but I always know when my kids are doing that and I don’t call. They know that if they don’t answer, I’m going to call back again and again until they do and I’m not going to be happy about having to keep at it to get an answer.

Rule number two: Their phones are accessible by their parents on-demand. Boy, this makes them mad, but it’s important. I don’t go snooping through texts or check voice mails on my girls’ phones, but they know that I can. And if I have strong evidence that something unsafe is going on, I certainly will.

Rule number three: Always observe proper phone etiquette. No calls or texting during inappropriate situations such as during school/class time, family meals or when ordering at a restaurant. It’s just good manners. I see enough adults doing it that I’m not going to let my girls get into these bad habits as well.

Rule number four: Remember that I pay the bill. This isn’t a rule so much as a reminder to them that I’m going to know what’s going on when the bill arrives each month. I have a list of  numbers for all their legitimate contacts and if I see that one of my girls is talking to someone I don’t know, I’m going to find out who it is.

Rule number five: Never, ever give your phone number out online. The danger of that is obvious. We have installed keystroke tracking software that monitors every time a phone number is typed into the computer. (That last sentence is completely untrue, but our kids believe it.)

Raising two teenage girls is tough enough without laying in bed worrying about predators or boys with bad intentions accessing them through their phone. A little diligence and some firm rules go a long way towards us sleeping better at night.

Kids and cell phones - when is the right time?

If you have a child any older than seven, you’ve probably already have had the “I want my own cell phone” discussion. Of course, every child wants a cell phone … but when does your child need a cell phone?

The need for a phone in the eyes of children is probably going to start the first time one of their peers gets one. Yes, some parent is going to give their kid a phone way before most other parents are ready. That’s a time when you need to hold your ground as the parent. Reasons like “Brianna has one” or “because it’s cool” aren’t valid enough to bend your judgment on what you feel is the right time to dole-out a cell phone to your kids.

However, there are some solid reasons to get your child a phone. Most parents take the plunge when the child has shown enough responsibility to potentially take care of the device and is spending time without parents. If you child is hanging out with friends or old enough to go to the mall without supervision, it might be time to get them a phone. Your kid can call if they are running late, and more importantly, call or text in case of emergency. You can also open a Face File account and instruct your child on how to use it and the phone’s camera function any time he or she happens to be in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation.

Once your child is driving, getting them a cell phone is a good idea. In fact, it’s almost a necessity from a safety standpoint. If there is a breakdown or accident, you want to know that your child can contact you or someone trustworthy to get help. Most parents get a phone for their kids somewhere in the 13 to 15 year-old age range.

There are phones that are made specifically for children, one of the most popular being the Firefly. There are parental controls and prepaid plans so you can stay in control of how the phone is used, and you won’t be surprised by a hefty texting bill caused by a kid who lost track of the limit. It’s also easy to get your kid connected with various family plans and buy one, get one free offers that most carriers have at one point or another. It doesn’t have to break the bank to get you kid in a phone call’s distance and if you opt for the Face File option, most  cell phones these days have cameras as standard as an added layer of protection.

Overwhelmed trying to do it all as a single parent? Don't try.

There are many challenges facing single dads in today’s world. If you have full custody, you’re inundated with time management issues like keeping up with your kids’ activities while managing to keep your career on track and still have some form of a social life. If you have part-time custody, you deal with a whole different set of issues regarding scheduling with the mother, being able to agree on parenting decisions (no matter how strained your relationship may be), and worst of all, something that is rarely talked about: the heartbreak of missing your kids during the time you don’t have them. If this isn’t handled well from the beginning, it leads to what is known as “Disneyland Dad” syndrome.

Many dads, especially ones who are only granted visitation every other weekend with their kids, want to win their kids’ affection and simply lose the ability to say no. Anything goes on these weekends: cake for breakfast, shopping sprees, climbing on the furniture at restaurants, being rude to other adults, having free reign on the computer…and it’s all tolerated by dad. It’s understandable to want to avoid conflict when you have such little time together, but this is not only bad for children who are trying to form personalities and opinions from input they get from their fathers, it’s also dangerous.

You may have intentions of being your kids’ best friend, but like it or not, your first job is to be their father. You need to protect them from themselves. You have to establish at the beginning that no means no and there are limits on what can happen on Dad Weekend. It’s a world that’s full of bullies and online predators and it’s important to take precautions against them, even if your child pouts about it. Get to know your kids’ friends and their parents. Keep up with how they are doing in school. Attend their recitals and sporting events. And, most importantly, monitor their computer use at your house. Put the computer in the living area in plain sight. Install blocking software and filters appropriate for their age. Learn about cookies and browser history and other ways to monitor their browsing activity. Find out what chat rooms they may go to and who they’re chatting with. Don’t let Dad Weekends be the time they are more susceptible to online predators. Talk to them about not giving out personal information to strangers, no matter how nice they may seem, and block contact with anyone who seems sketchy to you. No matter how mad your kid may get, say no. Be a dad.

How much do you know about your child's online conversations?

If your teenager were engaging in a chat or text conversation and you came in and looked over his shoulder, the last thing he would type would be, “Can’t talk now, mom over shoulder.” It would instantly make you suspicious and you’d start giving him or her the third degree about what they’re up to. But he could type “CTN MOS” to get the same point across. There is a whole language of slang and acronyms that teens are using for texting and chat rooms, and some of it can be dangerous.

These types of acronyms came into use during the early days of the Prodigy, CompuServe and AOL chat rooms. Shortcuts in typing made the conversation move along more quickly. As texting gained popularity, the acronyms were a perfect fit for the new medium. Many are completely innocent and you probably know that is a smiley face and is a wink. These are called emoticons, and most of them depict a face turned sideways. For instance :p is a face with tongue sticking out. Acronyms include LOL for “laughing out loud,” BRB is “be right back” and BF / GF refers to a boyfriend or girlfriend.

But there are some acronyms that will make any parent shudder. GNOC is “get naked on cam” (web cam). TDTM means “talk dirty to me.” MIRL is “meet in real life.” The list goes on and on. With the looming presence of Internet predators out there, it’s important to monitor your teenager’s chatting and texting habits. If there are acronyms you don’t understand, do a Google search. If you don’t like what you see, like NIFOC or “naked in front of computer,” talk to your child. Make sure he knows that you know what he’s doing and talk about the dangers of Internet predators.

As you might imagine, the list of acronyms is constantly evolving and changing. But a good place to start would be this extensive list at Safe Surfing Kids.