6 must-have Pinterest boards for parents
Pinterest — say the word, and heads swivel. Everyone I know is using the site to collect everything from recipes and craft ideas to favorite new products and inspirational quotations. But my friends who are moms, in particular, are beginning to see the beauty of it all — and I don't blame them. As a parent, I've found Pinterest especially helpful in wading through the wonderful and sometimes overwhelming ideas on the Web.
If you're not one of the million people already using Pinterest on a daily basis, here's a look at how to set up your boards for the maximum parental satisfaction. These six board ideas are a great starting point for building the perfect resource to keep your family organized, informed, well-fed, and entertained. Read more...
Parents get new weapons in war over kids’ phones
Parenting is war. As the father of two adult children, I have the battle scars (if not the shell shock) to prove it.
But I had it easy compared with the parents of young children today. Mobile consumer technology, especially the ubiquitous cellphone, is putting a world of risks into the hands of very young children.
It's an arms race. And finally, parents are being offered an arsenal of powerful weapons to protect their kids. Read more...
Kickstarter: Turn Your iPad Into An Etch-A-Sketch
Looking to relive your childhood or turn your iPad into a hackneyed political pun? You’d best get over to Ari Krupnik’s Kickstarter project. For $60 you get a red or blue case that simulates the actual Etch-A-Sketch knobs, allowing you to perform all of the deft maneuvers to which you’re accustomed. Stair steps? Easy. Long curve? Go for it. Horrible script writing? Bingo. Read more...
Kids TV networks take a hit as youngsters fall in love with Netflix
Do you have a Netflix account? It seems like answering "no" to that question puts you in a smaller and smaller group by the day, and according to some new statistics, kids are quickly jumping on the bandwagon, too. Analytics firm Bernstein Research used TiVo viewing data to compare the TV habits of families with Netflix to those without, and found that in homes with Netflix programming available, childrens' TV networks took a major hit. Read more...
60 percent of US parents spy on teens’ Facebook accounts: survey
To spy or not to spy on your teen on Facebook, that's the question for parents, and most seem to be okay with it. According to a new survey, 60 percent of U.S. parents of teenagers seem okay looking in their kids' social accounts without their knowledge. And moms are most likely to be the ones doing the spying.
The information comes from security software company AVG Technologies, which surveyed 4,400 parents with children ages 14 to 17 in 11 countries. American parents aren't alone in their snooping, but they seem to be more aggressive about Facebook spying. Globally, only 44 percent of all parents said they spy on their teens' Facebook accounts. Read more...
7 smart toys for today’s connected kids
The price of admission to this year's hottest toys list is a touch of tech. Not that old double-A battery and an on-switch kind — today's toys come equipped with capacitive screens, augmented reality, and the assumption that you already have an iPad, an iPod touch, or an iPhone in the family. You know what that means? There's a good chance our youngsters are (or will soon be) more tech-savvy than we are.
The good news? Many of these toys will do more than just suck those little brains in and get them glued to yet another screen. Choose right, and their favorite new tech toy could help teach them about math, science, physics, digital photography, computer programming, or even motivate them to go outside and learn more about good ol' Mother Nature. Here are some of the best teaching toys that I've seen and tested so far this year. Read more...
Microchipped school uniforms notify parents when kids skip school
In Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil, 20,000 grade school students have recently started wearing uniforms embedded with GPS chips similar to those used in pet trackers. The chips automatically send parents a text message as soon as their children enter the school grounds, or if their children are late for more than 20 minutes. Read more...
The death of American sci-fi
My evenings during the school year as a kid were pretty much scripted. I’d get home from school, go mess around with friends, come home for dinner, do homework, and then watch Star Trek on TV. I was into Firefly before most people knew what a Browncoat was, and to this day search the web for a Qualta blade replica that will shift from blade form to gun form. It’s a fascination, a love, and, for some, and obsession.
The beauty of science fiction is that you can escape reality long enough to enjoy the adventure. All growing up, I felt like there was always a show on that was worth watching. In college there would often be heated discussions about the “best” sci-fi show on television. So, what happened to the “good old days” of sci-fi on American television? Has the “Golden Age” of televised science fiction ended? Read more...
A little bird told me your teen is on Twitter
While many parents are trying to keep up with Facebook’s ever-changing privacy policies, their kids are quietly taking their private conversations to Twitter. They are using multiple and anonymous accounts to communicate unobserved.
Teenagers are increasingly using Twitter because, according to my own teenage son, “Adults aren’t on it.” A survey conducted in July 2011 by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which explores the impact of the internet on families and civic life, found that the number of 12- to 17-year olds on Twitter doubled from 2008 to 2010. Read more...
Sites that build your child’s math and reading skills
As an elementary school teacher, I’m always asked the same question, “What can I do at home?” There's a wealth of educational sites that can help you build your child’s reading and math skills in fun and motivational ways, but the following are my favorite resources.
Reading sites
Leading to Reading
Get your pre-reader moving, singing and on the road to becoming a fluent reader with Leading to Reading. There are two levels of this site: “Babies and Toddlers” and “Preschoolers." The first section contains music, read alouds, lullabies (in different languages), games, and videos. When your back is aching from “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” turn on one of the videos, referred to as “Finger Plays,” which uses popular rhymes and hand gestures to teach coordination. “Preschoolers” offers activities that are a step up from “Babies and Toddlers”, as it focuses more on letter recognition and reading comprehension. Along with sing-a-longs and games, there are books and an exploration section that features nonfiction videos, fun facts, and videos about animals. The “Grown-ups” tab contains articles and ideas to get your child reading, author interviews, and featured books. Also available and free are downloadable coloring pages that reinforce the alphabet. Besides having stories and lullabies in different languages, this entire site can be translated into Spanish. Read more...
Software helps parents oversee children on Facebook
Internet security firm Check Point on Tuesday launched software that lets parents watch over offspring on Facebook without being "friends" at the online social network.
ZoneAlarm SocialGuard alerts parents to signs of trouble in a child's Facebook account without them being privy to all posts, comments, pictures, videos or other digital content shared between friends at the website.
The program scans Facebook profiles, communications and "friend" requests and uses algorithms to identify potential bullying, sexual overtures, or talk of drugs, violence or suicide. Read more...
New Games Link Tech and Reality
Both major media companies and start-ups are experimenting with new tools that combine technology and reality in a bid to get children to engage with real-world objects. And researchers are already investigating whether the new tools help kids learn better than regular computer games do.
Brendan Smialowski for The Wall Street JournalSenior Web designer Jon White demonstrated a mobile version of the PBS Kids website last March.
Last month, children's media giant PBS Kids, part of the Public Broadcasting Service, began testing games that use "augmented reality," or computer-generated content that is combined with images from the real world. Using augmented reality, a computer or smartphone can detect objects and provide information about them. Children can also move the real objects to make something happen in a computer game. Read more...