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.

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.