Whether you are working from home or working out of the home, you will want to have piece of mind that your children are occupied. Winter break is short his year, so Kindercare is offering winter camps to keep your little ones occupied.

News from MomSelect…

Explore a Winter Camp that gives your children everything they crave now. KinderCare is proud to announce that this year’s Winter Camp is believed to be the best yet! Combining fun and learning, KinderCare offers programs that kids think are cool and parents know are smart — they balance loads of fun with a healthy dose of learning.

From December 19th – December 23rd and December 27th – December 30th, both preschool and school-age children can participate in KinderCare’s Winter Camp. Children will explore the science of chemical reactions and learn about the magic of flight through educational and hands-on themed activities:

• “Bubble Trouble”
• “Volcano Blast”
• “Helicopter Propellers”
• “Balloon Rockets”

KinderCare’s Winter Camp helps encourage and reinforce core learning activities such as

• language arts
• math and science
• creative expression

Winter Camp is specifically designed to offer a balance of fun and learning during winter break, while providing parents, who may need to work or simply catch up on holiday shopping and errands, with a simple solution for engaging their child in fun, educational activities.

For more information and to find a KinderCare camp near you visit http://www.kindercare.com. You can also find science experiments to do at-home by logging onto www.kindercare.com/camps.

Want to have more fun over winter break? Why not purchase a gift for the whole family to enjoy? Although once your kids get ahold of it, you might never see it again.

I was not compensated by Kindercare or MomSelect. I am providing this as a service to my readers. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

A week or so ago, I was invited to attend an event in D.C. Though I am quite happy to be a work-at-home mom every now and then I like to pretend that I am a professional working person. I dress for success. Leave my house early. Commute in to the city. After a few hours, I am good and ready to get home to my cozy, comfy clothes and my chilly, yet home-y home office.

AT&T was a sponsor of the Family Online Safety Institute annual conference. The Family Online Safety Institute or FOSI is the leading advocate for online safety. Like me, you are probably a strong advocate for making the internet a safe place for young and old. Truly, I could never have imagined the opportunities available to kids back when I was a mom of a newborn. Times have changed. That newborn is on the verge of turning 16. How on earth did that happen?

I attended Day 2 of FOSI. Here’s what I learned…

Frederick Lane — author of Cybertraps for the Young — is an attorney and computer forensics expert. He began his presentation by telling us what we all know to be true…that kids are now capable of doing things on the internet that they were once unable to do. A case in point, my oldest at 3 was able to use the computer if she sat on my lap. Many of the PC games were tough to play even with the mouse. My youngest at 3 was already playing Webkinz and other online games without help, but a whole lot of supervision from mom and dad.

Lane took us on a trip down memory lane when he reminded us that the devices of old were uni-purpose…typewriter, clock. Today’s kids are well versed in apps, smartphones, iTouch, iPad, and iPod, and other tablet devices. Lane, an attorney who specializes in computer forensics, explores the legal implications of online acts. What are the legal implications for kids, teens, and adults?

As a parent of 3 school-aged kids, I know all too well how damaging cyberbullying and cyberharassment can be. With the advent of mobile devices, kids can bully and be bullied from anywhere. I had heard about Phoebe Prince — in fact I saw Piers Morgan interview her mother last night, but I hadn’t heard about other victims like, Stephanie Burlingame from the U.K., Jeff Johnston from the U.S., Jesse Logan, Tyler Clemente from Rutgers University, or about perpetrators like, Eric Stenkel.

Lane explained that education is key, as well as observation and monitoring. As Lane put it supervision of your kid is not an invasion of privacy. Kids need to be taught how to become digital citizens. Parents, and teachers are their primary teachers.

Next up was a university lecturer from Bristol. Paul Howard-Jones’ voice reminded me of home. I’m originally from Manchester. Jones is a university professor and researcher on neurology. His site is http://www.neuroeducational.net.

Howard-Jones spoke on a topic near and dear to me — The Impacts of the Internet on the Brain. Haven’t you wondered what the effect of computer use will be for everyone down the road? 20 plus years ago, I had never heard of computers. Now I use a computer, laptop, or smartphone multiple times a day. All 3 of my children will more readily reach for an electronic device to answer a question than a book. Professor Howard-Jones talked about the elasticity of the brain. He explained that the brain will rewire for any thing we experience. Food for thought.

A recent social networking study found that social networks increases interaction and relationships. But, too much of anything is never a good. Howard-Jones explained that too much computer time leads to too little sleep. Ever see a teen or young adult texting in to the wee hours of the morning? We need sleep so that our brains can switch from encoding information to the consolidation of information acquired during the day. Teens who text at night are very likely to experience daytime sleepiness.

Of note…the AAP recommends 2 hours of screen for children. Are your children like mine? Depending on the day… one day my kids may spend a great deal of time staring at screens while the next day they are outside playing. Depends on the day.

Howard-Jones posited…are video games the environmental equivalent of Ritalin? Video games can be seen as “teachers.” Highly social games can teach empathy. As we know, violent video games can teach aggression.

So, the bottom line is…

• Excessive internet use, like any other activity that you do without taking consistent breaks, is not good for you.
• Excessive use can cause disrupted sleep.
• Violent games can cause kids and teens to exhibit aggressive tendencies.
• Practice moderation.
• Limit screen time for kids and teens. And for yourself!

After a tasty lunch, I chose one of the breakout sessions — Mom & Dad Bloggers Speak Out. My good friend, Leticia/@TechSavvyMama was one of the panelists. The panelists and audience agreed that parents need to be actively involved in their child’s online world. While teachers are there to assist parents, parents must be aware of what sites their children are visiting.

Seize teachable moments, like a Leticia’s suggestion of a dinner table conversation, to start a conversation. Get the ball rolling. Don’t be shy about asking kids to explain how a certain site or device works. Kids love to be the teacher. Chances are good that while you are chatting about your kid’s favorite app, you can talk to them about ways she can stay safe online.

One audience member likened the discussions between parent and child about online safety to the sex talk. You wouldn’t let a stranger give your child the sex talk, right? So why would you allow your child to play online without supervision? Of course, as your child ages you will want to pull back to give your tween and teen the space to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. But, for the preschoolers and kids, you will want to begin by sitting beside them as they navigate the web through online games, apps, email, or text messaging. I’m starting that process with my youngest as we recently gave him an email address.

One of the audience members was from Club Penguin. He explained that Club Penguin will email parents if their child is cyberbullying or acting inappropriately online at CP. A colleague of mine, Mary Kay Hoal founded a site online where kids and tweens can be well, kids and tweens! No adults are allowed on Yoursphere.com. Parents are contacted if their child is not being a good digital citizen on Yoursphere.com. Mary Kay, an online safety and parenting advocate, shares her online safety tips, resources, and practical suggestions on her blog.

AT&T is committed to investing in safety and parental controls. To learn more about AT&T’s safety controls and initiatives, check out the AT&T Smart Controls page.

I was compensated by AT&T for attending FOSI — the Family Online Safety Institute annual conference. I was also given an AT&T Impulse 4G phone. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

My oldest is always ahead of the game. As an almost-tween she “discovered” the Bobby Jack monkeys. For a few years she was all about those cute monkeys. Posters on her wall. Desk accessories. Many, many tees. Even a pair of sweatpants. And then nothing. No more monkeys. No more cute monkey pencils. Nada. Nothing.

She was the same way with the home computer. One day she was all about playing educational games on CD-ROMs where you shot a rocket to get the correct answer or followed a trail to find clues to solve a puzzle. No logging on to worry about…at the time our internet connection was painfully slow. And the next day she declared that the games were too babyish for her.

And so she moved on to the land of cute Arctic creatures. At about the same time my younger daughter — then a tween, too — discovered an online world of plush animals that you could buy at a store and play with online. Both girls also found their way to an online site where kids can play games, start a webpage or sphere, play in a virtual world, earn credits, etc.

In a matter of a few short months, I was faced with not one but two kids who wanted to play games online. We talked. We discussed. We educated our kids about online safety. We made it clear that playing games on online was a privilege not a right. If grades dropped or attitude waned or chores were neglected, the computer and any online privileges would disappear. No discussion.

I was adjusting well to this when my oldest then an almost teen requested a Facebook page. I hemmed and hawed and debated whether I should allow her to get a page until finally relenting when she turned 14. Her sister wasn’t far behind in asking for a Facebook page.

Having a Facebook page is a privilege and not a right for my girls. I keep track of their passwords for Facebook and email. But, I don’t check their accounts each and every day. I trust both girls to act responsibly with their pages. But, I want to know for sure that both are acting responsibly.

Recently, I was asked to check out a service called Safely. Safely offers a number of services to parents:  Safely Locate, Safely Drive, and Safely Social Monitor. I was asked to review the Safely Social Monitor service. Safely Social Monitor helps parents AND kids stay smart on Facebook. The Social Monitor is a free service for parents.

The Safely Social Monitor service is now available for parents to keep an eye on their child’s Facebook page. I found the service to be very easy to use. Here’s what I did:

• I opened the Safely Social Monitor using this invite code link. Remember there is no fee to join Safely.
• I created an account for our family. I shared the password and email that I used to sign up for an account with my husband.
• I added the email that my oldest child used to create her Facebook pages to our family Safely account.
• Safely Social Monitor prompted me to log in to my oldest child’s Facebook page. I keep both of my children’s Facebook passwords handy. The children know that I have their Facebook passwords and may log in. I’m not spying…I’m letting them know that I trust them to act responsibly, BUT I want to be able to log on from time to time.
• Once Safely had logged in to my child’s Facebook page, a Safely Report was generated that gave my child a score for safety including:  a score out of 100 for overall safety and a letter grade for the following categories — Connected to Safely, Number of Alerts, Appropriate Language, Friends’ Ages, Mutual Friends, and Number of Friends.
• I repeated the process with my middle child.
• The process was easy.

I am pleased to report that both children scored a 98 out 100 on their overall safe use of Facebook. I am so pleased as this means I (and my husband) have done a good job educating them about Facebook. Both kids “operate” their Facebook pages using safe practices.

One interesting feature is that I can see any new photos that the kids have added. I can also see the number of friends each has by age. The majority of their friends are their age. I like knowing that they are associating with tweens and teens their age, rather than young adults.

I bookmarked the Safely Social Monitor site so that I can check in regularly to see how the kids are doing on Facebook. I shared the log in details with my husband so that he can check in as well. Oh, and I sent an email to both kids letting them know that I was proud of them for using their Facebook pages in a safe manner. Kids love praise.

I would highly recommend that parents use Safely Social Monitor to keep track of their child’s Facebook page. I would also suggest that parents should not allow their children under the age of 13 to get a Facebook page. Facebook terms of service specifies that children should be over 13 before starting a Facebook page.

Want more information about online safety for kids, tweens, and teens?

• Like the Safely Facebook page.
• The Safely Spotlight — free digital parenting guide with tips and advice — will be regularly published and made available on the Safely Facebook page.
• Learn more about Safely Social Monitor by watching this YouTube video.

I was compensated for this review of Safely Social Monitor through a compensated post campaign sponsored by Location Labs. The views expressed in the post are my own. I follow tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Blog posts, sign ups, and an announcement of a Twitter Party! But first…

Yoursphere founder and mom of 5, Mary Kay Hoal has a blog…not just any old blog. Mary Kay’s blog is chockful of tips and news and advice on teaching parents how to help their children become good digital citizens. Mary Kay writes not only about Yoursphere, the free social network she created for kids and tweens, but also writes about…

Three ways kids can becomes good digital citizens

What the number concern is for kids AND their parents about internet safety

A disturbing Facebook game called Sims Social where kids as young as 10 can play risque games.

Setting the parental controls on your wii.

The Top Ten Ways to keep your kids safe online.

No adult profiles because Yoursphere is just for kids.

After you check out Mary Kay’s internet safety blog for parents, why not check out all that Yoursphere has to offer parents and kids?

When you sign your child up for a free account on Yoursphere, don’t forget to use my code… YSMA-JILL …during the registration process. Yoursphere is FREE to join…so no worries about membership fees. Oh, and after you sign up for a free account for your child, come back to this blog to leave a comment. I’ll choose a winner every couple of weeks for a super cool Yoursphere Mom t-shirt!

Save the Date! Party with Mary Kay and @Yoursphere! Yoursphere will host a Halloween Twitter Party on Thursday, October 27, 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST! Come join the fun. Learn about Yoursphere.com. Chat about how to keep kids safe online. And win some super cool prizes and Halloween candy! RSVP Linky is live! Stay tuned!

I am the Social Media Manager for Yoursphere. I was compensated to write this post. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog with Integrity.

In the grand scheme of things, I can deal with a noisy computer and a teeny screen far better than a virus. I will never forget the time a virus attacked our home PC. It was in my pre-kids days. Even though I didn’t use the computer for absolutely every household and family task except cleaning the house, my computer was a much-needed device in our household. Once the computer was wracked and essentially wrecked by a virus, we were at a loss. We had no handy flash drives or external hard drives for backing up data. Essentially, we hadn’t backed up our harddrive nor had we installed a virus checker.

Basically one virus damaged 0r deleted every single thing on the harddrive. Gone. Just gone. The local big box computer/electronics repair department was unable to help us. We learned our lesson that day. Always back up files. And always run frequent virus scans.

I was recently asked to review ChicaPC-Shield from Chicalogic. I was game to try it. I wanted to see how it would do with my new desktop computer. While the computer is very new, I have downloaded a ton of toolbars, files, and other gadgets to make my new computer look like my old computer. I was anxious to find out what was lurking beneath the shiny exterior.

The process for downloading ChicaPC-Shield was an easy one for me.

Once you have downloaded ChicaPC-Shield, do a scan. The first scan will take 10 to 15 minutes. For subsequent scans, you can choose the Basic Scan, Full Scan, or the Quick Scan. The full version of ChicaPC-Shield costs $24.95, and you can add a Backup CD to your order for $7.95. I found the whole process of downloading and scanning straightforward. And, the new computer is as clean-as-a-whistle even with all my downloads.

Want to find out about ChicaPC-Shield? I have FIVE free one-year subscription keys to ChicaPC-Shield — a $29.95 value! I will choose the first 5 readers who do two of the following AND leave one comment stating what they did. Use one comment for both entries. Here’s what you need to do to win:

1. Tweet this: I entered @MusingsfromMe’s #giveaway 4 @Chicalogic software 4 women by women 2 keep computers running smoothly. Enter> http://bit.ly/qcM9lh.

2. Visit ChicaLogic Tips & Tricks. Share one article that you found interesting in the comments below.

3. Share a computer nightmare that Chicalogic could have helped prevent.

For more information on ChicaLogic:

A few years ago my friend told me about a game her toddler son played all the time. The game was a “simple tap of the keys and watch what happens” type of game. A simple concept to adults, but the game allowed kids to make choices and decisions about how the game would be played. Kids — even kids as young as 1 — crave power over their surroundings. The game was on a site called Kneebouncers.

Ever tried to put a sock on a 1-year-old? Only to have him push the sock off his foot. Mom and dad are thinking why is he pushing his sock off? We have to go out for a walk. Why is he doing this? He needs to wear socks. Your one-year-old is not concerned with your agenda at all. He wants to wiggle his toes. Suck on his toes. Rub his toes against the carpet. He’s asserting his will to be in control of his environment. Little ones like making decisions for themselves.

Who Says Moo?

My friend told me that her husband created Kneebouncers for little ones everywhere to enjoy. Kneebouncers has grown from one single game to a site with numerous games for the baby, toddler, and preschooler set…including Vroom, Bed Jump, Sight Words, and Run Puppy Run. My son loved tapping on these games. He was eager to start using the computer far earlier than when his sisters were his age. He wanted to do what they were doing…Kneebouncers games allowed him to have fun too!

Here’s how it works…

• Each week Kneebouncers offers about free games and stories to try out. This week your child can read “Who Says Moo? — a read long or read-to-me story?
• If your little one is anything like my little one, you will want to go and activate all the Kneebouncers games. My oldest loved playing the same computer game over and over again. I still know the words to ALL the songs even years later! So for only $2.95 per month, your little one can play all the games on the Kneebouncers site. If you are not sure, that you and your little one will like Kneebouncers activate the free trial…one week of free access to all the fabulous Kneebouncers games.
• And the yearly access pass, is a steal. The yearly fee for Kneebouncers of $19.95 is now only $11.97. This works out to only $1 a month for tons of fun for your little one. Offer good through end of October 2011. Great gift idea for the grandparents to buy for your child!

And for on-the-go access…

• Get the new Who Says Moo? story on itunes for $2.99 and Who Says Moo? the Android Market also for $2.99. You can even record yourself telling the story! Wouldn’t it be fun to record your child’s grandmother or grandfather reading the story? I know my children loved hearing a familiar voice reading a story when they were little.
• Also available on Kneebouncers first set of games on itunes for iphone, itouch, and ipad for only $1.99.
• On an Android phone? You can purchase Kneebouncers first set of games on Android for $1.99.

Kneebouncers first set of games includes:

• Choo Choo: A train, a car, a tractor and LOTS of fun!
• Big Top: KneeBouncers perform in a three-ring circus.
• Pop-a-Lot: You’re little one will love what pops up next!
• It’s Colorific: Bright balloons and amusing characters help make this intro to colors a whole lotta fun
• The Alphabet Game: Is it a letter-learning tool or just plain tot entertainment?

Want to win a Who Says Moo? app by Kneebouncers? Entering is easy peasy! To be eligible to win, you must do the mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry

Go to the Kneebouncers site and tell me what game looks fun. Don’t forget to leave your email so that I can contact you.

Optional Entries

Subscribe to the Kneebouncers blog, Kneeblogger. Come back and leave a comment.

Like Kneebouncers on Facebook.

Follow Kneebouncers on Twitter.

Friend me on Facebook.

Like my blog on Facebook.

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow my #onlinesafety account on Twitter.

Subscribe to my blog’s feed.

I was not compensated for this post. I happen to love the games. Giveaway ends October 28, 2011, 11:59 p.m. Giveaway is open to all readers. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

As a kid in England, technology meant nothing to me. I was as far away from being a tech geek as you could be. My neighbor was super cool as he had an Atari system. Even the little kid I babysat for had a simple computer through the TV. I remember a handful of kids doing a “computer” class. I am sure the computer was housed in some warehouse! But, my family was not techie at all.

The funny part is that my dad is a nuclear engineer. If I wanted to read up on power plants or nuclear fusion, I had scads and scads of books and binders at my disposal. Back in the early 80s we didn’t have a microwave, a VCR, or even a game system even though many of our neighbors had them.

My Walkman was silver.

My children would be hyperventilating to hear about a life before…

• ipods…I was given a Sony Walkman “4″ that played only cassette tapes in 1983. I lugged this somewhat portable device that came with a shoulder strap to college in Amish Country, PA, from my hometown in England along with Duran Duran Rio, Wham, and another tape I care not to remember.
• cell phones
• smartphones
• CD players…as late as 1981 I had a record player without a built-in tape deck or radio. To record music, I played a 7″ single or 12″ album while dangling a microphone over and recorded it to a small cassette player. And yes, you could hear all the noises of the room I was recording in…breathing, scraping of chairs, my mother calling me for dinner…
• personal computers…the Mac was introduced my freshman year of college.
• wireless internet…anyone else have a 100-foot cable to connect your personal computer to the home phone line? Just me?!

Tech wise my family was decidedly untechy. Today, my family is the very epitome of techy-ness. We have a number of itouches, a couple of smartphones, a regular cell phone, game systems galore, and several digital cameras.

As you know I am the Social Media Manager for Yoursphere.com. I have worked with Yoursphere from practically the start of my blogging career in some capacity or another. I clicked on a link — intrigued about a safe social network for kids and tweens — and here I sit today promoting the benefits Yoursphere.com to my followers online and friends and family offline. Cool, huh?

In the dog days of summer, I want to announce a campaign I am very proud of. Yoursphere launched the Summer Fun Campaign! A SUPER group of influential mom bloggers were chosen as Yoursphere’s Summer Fun Ambassadors. Each of these women is known online for her integrity and social media savvy. As Yourpshere’s Social Media Manager, I am very proud to announce our Summer Fun Ambassadors!

- @StacieinAtlanta — Stacie writes about searching for a safe place for her son to play online for her son.

- @onemomsworld — Jen writes about first impressions of Yoursphere — her first impressions and those of her daughter.

- @mommyality — Lisa writes about what to do on hot summer days.

- @centsiblelife — Kelly writes about what happens when your kids age out of Nick Jr. and Disney online sites.

- @ConnieFoggles — Connie writes about being creative and artsy.

Stay tuned for new posts from our Summer Fun Ambassadors on Yoursphere’s Gold Membership. While Yoursphere is FREE, upgrading to the Gold Membership costs only $4.95 per month.

For $4.95, kids with a Gold Membership have access to all the benefits of the FREE Yoursphere Membership:

• Play hundreds of games
• Share photos and videos
• Create and join spheres
• Play in a virtual world
• And earn credits for gifts!

With the Gold Membership, kids have access to all the FREE benefits being a Yoursphere Member AND the added benefits that come with Gold Membership…

• Earn triple gift credits.
• Enter contests.
• Win scholarships.
• Earn 150 free Gems per month.
• Join a Birthday Club.
• Have access to unlimited Gold Coins.
• Can participate in premium chat.
• And so much more!

Yoursphere is free to join. Your child can sign up for a free account, by clicking here. Once your child signs up for the free account, you will need to authorize the account. That’s right at Yoursphere, your child cannot be a member of Yoursphere unless you give your OK. Parents can monitor what their children are doing on Yoursphere through the Parent Dashboard.

Why not check out all that Yoursphere has to offer parents and kids?

When you sign your child up for a membership, don’t forget to use my code… YSMA-JILL …when you register. Yoursphere is FREE to join…so no worries about membership fees. Oh, and after your child signs up for a free account, your child will get 75 credits to spend in the Yoursphere Gift Gallery!

I am a Mom Ambassador for Yoursphere. I was compensated to write this post. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog with Integrity.

In our home, there is a pecking order. A system if you will. It all begins with the package. It actually begins before the package with the UPS or FedEx trucks. My kids spot the truck. They must have ESP or something. The kids can smell a delivery truck a mile off.
But back to the pecking order….
When a package arrives, the pounce. My tween wiill survey the package. Examine. It. Flip it over. Scrutinize it. And generally access what it is. She knows what she seeks. She wants a package filed with her type of stuff…makeup. knick knacks,gadgets. Je welry, funtween stuff. And of course electronic gadgets.
Electronic anything is the best surprise within.a.package of all. My tween will pounce on the box. Quite literally. Over the past few years that i have done reviews, my kids have become experts.
Today it is my turn to play with this HTC Flyer Tablet. And play I am.