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.

Click, click, click. If you stopped by my home on any given day, you would hear someone clicking away on a PC or playing a game online or tapping on a laptop or playing the wii. As a mom of one teen, one new teen, and one almost tween, the sound of someone using an electronic device is never far away. What can I say…like many families we are connected.

Is your family the same? We live in a time when kids want to be online like mom and dad. Mary Kay Hoal — a mom of 5 and a dedicated internet safety parenting advocate — created a site for kids with kids’ interests in mind. Yoursphere.com is the social network for kids that Mary Kay created.

Kids can play age-appropriate games, earn prizes from playing games, play in a virtual world, and start their own web page all in ONE site — Yoursphere.com. That’s right, unlike other online sites for kids, Yoursphere.com lets kids do EVERYTHING in one site. No need for your children to switch from site to site when all they need is in ONE place — Yoursphere.com.

And signing up for Yoursphere.com is FREE. Kids can play free for as long as they want to. No exceptions.

With Halloween just a few days away, come join the Yoursphere.com Halloween Twitter Party. Talk about keeping your kids safe online with tips and resources from Parenting Internet Safety expert Mary Kay Hoal and founder of Yoursphere.com.Learn about what Yoursphere has to offer your child. Win cool prizes for YOU! Win candy for YOUR kids!

On Thursday, October 27, 2011, from 9-10 p.m. EST (6-7 p.m. PST) come party with the Yoursphere team. Follow hashtag #Yoursphere to learn more about the online safety network that puts kids first…Yoursphere.com. You will need to RSVP AND you need to be present at the party to win so RSVP now! Mark your calendar and attend the #Yoursphere Halloween Twitter Party on Thursday, October 27, 9-10 p.m. EST (6-7 PST)!

Awesome prizes will be awarded at the party. See details below! Come join the party by leaving your Twitter Name and Twitter url in the RSVP Linky! Must be present at the #Yoursphere Halloween Twitter Party to win!

The Party Deets! Date: Thursday, October 27, 9-10 p.m. EST (6-7 p.m. PST) Hashtag: #Yoursphere Follow panelists before the party: @Yoursphere @MaryKayHoal @YoursphereMom @MusingsfromMe

Share the #Yoursphere Halloween Twitter Party with your friends by tweeting this tweet to your followers:

Join #Yoursphere on Thurs 10/27 9-10 pm EST (6-7 PST) for a party! Learn abt Yoursphere.com. Gift Cards! RSVP: http://bit.ly/ncMoDK Pls RT!

RSVP and Attend the #Yoursphere Halloween Party to Win These Cool Prizes!

• $25 iTunes Gift Card
• $25 amazon.com Gift Card
• $25 Target Gift Card
• And the GRAND PRIZE — $100 Visa Gift Card!
  

Before the party: if your child is already a member or if you want to sign up your child for a free Yoursphere.com membership send an email to MomontheRun96@gmail.com with your child’s Yoursphere screenname to win a Yoursphere Mom t-shirt!

I am hosting this Twitter Party as part of a social media campaign for Yoursphere. I was compensated for my time and effort. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the 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.

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.

I was asked the other day about lost items. More specifically, kids and lost items. We all have days don’t we when we send our children off to school dressed in pants, shirt, socks, shoes, jacket, backpack, and perhaps glasses. Only to find these same kids tottering off the school bus without the jacket or missing a composition book.

Here’s how I handle lost stuff…by age:

For a preschooler and kindergarteners

• I assume that stuff will get lost all the time.
• I label everything with a Sharpie pen. Fortunately for me, all 3 kids and my husband and I share the same first initial and last name. Makes sharing hats, gloves, snowboots, so much easier. Less stuff gets lost if labeled.
• I talk to little ones about the cost of items, how sad they would be to lose a special shirt, and how much work is it for their preschool teacher to have to find missing items all day long.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Hawk.

For elementary schoolers

• I introduce or re-introduce the concept of money. For instance, “Grandma bought you that fuzzy sweatshirt. You know it cost a lot of money. So you need to keep track of your stuff. If you want to take off your sweatshirt, you can put it in your backpack right away. I would hate to go to the Lost & Found shelf and not find the sweatshirt.”

For middle and high schoolers

• I don’t have to worry about them losing any clothes, shoes, or jackets that they either purchased with their own money or chose as an Xmas/birthday gift from a grandparent. My kids NEVER lose anything special to them.
• Now, we have had an issue with expensive electronics. I told my girls that they weren’t allowed to take an ipod/itouch/mp3 player to school for use on the schoolbus. I tell them that these items are costly and cannot be replaced.
• Once my girls started middle school I started loosening rules right, left, and center. First rule to go was the No ipod rule. My 6th grader begged to be able to listen to her music rather than having to hear all the kids talking loudly on the bus. She “got” the concept of money and the value of objects and still has the ipod she got as a 9-year-old.
• Next rule to go was the No Cell Phone rule. By the end of 7th grade I relented as my tween was coming home to an empty house every so often. I wanted to be sure she had a way to call me if she forgot her key. She was very careful with her phone. Her phone came in handy the couple of days when it was too foggy for me to see whether or not she got safely on the bus.

Back when my teen was 10, we drove to Williamsburg. We had a new van with very deep cup holders. As we pulled in to a gas station, I unloaded my youngest and my oldest’s ipod fell out of the van on to the ground. We had a long discussion about where to store an item…a valuable item…and how much it costs to replace a costly item. I also told her that although her name and phone number were engraved on the back of the ipod, it was unlikely that anyone would call us to report it. Sad state of human affairs, right?!

• I look at a child losing items as a way to teach the child the value of the money used to purchase the item. A case in point…when my 1st grader constantly left/forgot her composition book at school, I would drive her and her younger siblings to school to retrieve the lost book. One day I realized that I wasn’t helping her at all. I told her that I wouldn’t drive her to school again. I told her that she would have to call a friend and have the friend tell her all 20 spelling words which she would have to write down. Not surprisingly she  started bring home all her homework materials.

So how do you deal with kids and lost items? Leave a comment. Thanks!

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.

My teen first started talking about Facebook in 5th grade. I joined Facebook around the same time.

We don’t friend our Teen, BUT we have her password. She knows that anything she posts could be viewed by one of us at any time. She’s a conscientious student and all-around good kid who “gets” that the Facebook account is hers alone, but mom and dad need to know that she is using her Facebook account in a positive way.

The issue of friends comes up when I talk to my Teen. I’m friends with a ton of people because of my job, but I’m in social media. I want to friend or follow more people so that more people will see what I am writing about. If you know me on Twitter you know that I have many followers and I run multiple Twitter accounts. My Teen on the other hand should only be friending people she knows. Period.

We also made the rule that the Teen can only friend people she has actually met in person…school, sports, camp, church, but I don’t want her friending her out-of-town friend’s friends or random people. Facebook is a massive network built on the concept of friendship. For teens, there’s a problem with having access to too many friends. I want my Teen to only friend kids she knows.

But, what about younger kids? I saw a disturbing news report about an 8-year-old who has a Facebook account. 8! Her mom set up the account for her, so she could play games. Seems harmless enough to let a kid play Bejewled like mom, right? When this child was allowed to get on Facebook to play a game, she was friended by a bunch of people unknown to her and her mom. Before you knew it the little girl was having photos sent to her. Nasty photos, too. Bizarre and inappropriate messages were posted by unknown-to-her people to her wall. In fact what started as a harmless way to let a kid play games online turned in to a situation where a little child was exposed to images and language far beyond her years.

There’s a reason why the Facebook TOS specifies that all users are 13. But, where can younger kids get the experience of being online, but not be bombarded with inappropriate material and language from unknown-to-them people? Yoursphere

Two years ago, our family discovered Yoursphere.com. We have been with Yoursphere since our Teen was a Tween, and our Tween was a Kid, and our Kid was a Preschooler. We’re part of the Yoursphere.com family, that is for sure.

Yoursphere lets our Tween play Bejeweled like Dad. Only our Tween is playing in a safe, secure online community only for kids, while Dad is playing on Facebook. Both have the same experience, but I know that my Tween is safe.

Here’s the deets on Yourpshere, if you’re interested:

• Yoursphere.com is FREE. Free!
• Kids and Tweens can not create an account without parental validation of that account. Peace of mind for this mom.
• Kids and Tweens can play games — Bejeweled, Diner Dash, Crazi Taxi, Space Kidnappers, and so many more.
• Kids and Tweens can join groups or Spheres with other Kids and Tweens who enjoy the same things.

Once your kids are signed up for Yoursphere.com, they can join Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell It’s Me or the Dog Sphere or get a little wild with the star of Wild Recon Donald Schultz’ Sphere. Are your kids in to watching fun game shows like mine are? Then they will love newest celebrity sphere:  Jeff Sutphen. You many not know him, but you will know of the two shows he hosts…Nickelodeon’s BrainSurge and our family favorite, 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show.

I am the Social Media Manager for Yoursphere. If you sign up for a FREE Yoursphere account for your kids, use code YSMA-JILL…your kids will receive 75 credits to spend in the Yoursphere Gift Gallery when you use my code!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I tweet about Yoursphere. Yoursphere has everything a kid…and a parent could need. What is new on Yoursphere for kids? Adults: You can click on the links below to see the pages, BUT the pages do not link back to Yoursphere as Yoursphere.com is for kids only. The pages are for viewing purposes only…no one can interact with the kids who are members of Yoursphere…except other kids who are members of Yoursphere.

So, what is new on Yoursphere?

Celebrity Spheres!

• Kids join like this one by Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell on all things dogs.
• Or join this one by Wild Recon’s Donald Schulz.
• For the fashionistas in your family…there’s sphere just for them!
• As always, kids earn free gems to get gifts, enter contests that are easy to win, and earn credits to shop in the gift gallery.
• Also, there are a ton of games for kids to play…my son LOVES the one about zombies and vegetables!

Contests!

• New riddle contest for Gold members. Yoursphere is ALWAYS free. Kids can upgrade to Gold anytime for only $2.50/month…that’s $19.95 annually. There’s a contest going on to win a family 4-pack of tickets to an amusement park near you!
• New contests announced every month!

What Mom and Dad need to know about Yoursphere.com…

• 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 keeping kids safe on the internet. 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…and what is the number concern for kids AND their parents about internet safety?
• No adult profiles because Yoursphere is just for kids.
• There is security through technology and human oversight on Yoursphere. — This is a huge plus in my book. I want to know that the site that my child plays on is monitored by an actual person, not a bot.
• Kids do not need to pretend to be 13 to be a member — on Yoursphere can be themselves.
• Kids not asked to provide information that puts their privacy at risk like other sites do. For example no request such as middle name, last name, IM, email, cell phone number, exact physical location, school, etc. — It’s a good idea to talk to your children often about the need to be supercautious about divulging information on the internet.  You’ll find tips for teaching your child how to be safe on @MaryKayHoal‘s blog.
• Children taught importance of being kind to others online. — As any parent of a kid, tween, or teen knows, cyberbullying is a huge issue for schools and parents. Yoursphere rewards kids for being good digital citizens.
  

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 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!

So the basics on Yoursphere…

Sign up for Yoursphere is FREE. Use my code when you sign up — YSMA-JILL. Post a comment on this blog that your child is signed up…I will choose a winner every few weeks for a Yoursphere Mom t-shirt!

Internet Safety Tips for Moms and Dads…read the blog postings of the founder of Yoursphere. Subscribe to Mary Kay Hoal’s Blog.

Yoursphere is free for all kids. Kids can upgrade to a Gold Membership on Yoursphere for more credits and gems, exclusive contests, and scholarship opps. And it’s only $4.95 per month!

Moms and dads can connect with Yoursphere on twitter. And with Yoursphere’s founder @MaryKayHoal for timely and relevant social networking safety tips for your kids and tweens. Yoursphere is on Facebook, too.

Oh, and you can follow me as I tweet about online safety for kids and tweens at @YoursphereMom.

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.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I tweet about Yoursphere. Yoursphere is our family’s go-to social network for my Kid, Preteen, and Teen. Yoursphere has everything a kid…and a parent could need. What is so special about Yoursphere? I’ll tell you.

What Mom and Dad need to know about Yoursphere.com…

• No adult profiles because Yoursphere is just for kids.
• Kids do not need to pretend to be 13 to be a member – Yoursphere wants kids to be themselves.
• There is security through technology and human oversight. — This is a huge plus in my book. I want to know that the site that my child plays on is monitored by an actual person, not a bot.
• Kids not asked to provide information that puts their privacy at risk like other sites do. For example no request such as middle name, last name, IM, email, cell phone number, exact physical location, school, etc. — It’s a good idea to talk to your children often about the need to be supercautious about divulging information on the internet.  You’ll find tips for teaching your child how to be safe on @MaryKayHoal’s blog. She founded Yoursphere, too!
• Children taught importance of being kind to others online. — As any parent of a kid, tween, or teen knows, cyberbullying is a huge issue for schools and parents.
• Children taught the importance of learning to think about what they post before they post it. – Many college admissions departments do online searches on prospective applicants. Kids need to watch what they post online.
• Children taught it’s okay to connect with their online friends if their parents are involved. — I can’t tell you how much I worry when I hear that a young friend of one of my kids started an email or social media account without the permission of their parent. Parents need to know what kids are doing online…at all times.
• Kids are taught how to protect themselves from a cyberbully.

What kids want to know about Yoursphere.com…

• Hundreds of free games for kids to play…my son LOVES the one about zombies and vegetables…
• Kids join and make spheres like this one by Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell on all things dogs or this one by Wild Recon’s Donald Schulz.
• Kids meet others just like themselves
• Kids earn free gems to get gifts
• Kids enter contests that are easy to win
• Kids earn credits to shop in the gift gallery
• Kids can create their own avatar
• Kids can play in their own virtual world
• Kids can share photos and watch great videos
• Yoursphere is 100% all about kids. Yoursphere is meant for, inspired by, and is created by kids.

As a mom of a 8-year-old, 12-year-old, and 15-year-old I cannot avoid the internet. The big kids want to be online. Even my youngest clamors to be on the computer. Whether kids are home from a day of school or on Spring Break, the lure of the screen is huge. I monitor the TV shows they watch. I decide which movies are appropriate. I encourage all three to go outside, but the reality is that my Preteen and Teen get bored easily when playing outside. So why wouldn’t I do the same for the internet? Yoursphere is the place for my kids.

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 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!

So the basics on Yoursphere…

Sign up for Yoursphere is FREE. Use my code when you sign up — YSMA-JILL. Post a comment on this blog that your child is signed up…I will choose a winner every few weeks for a Yoursphere Mom t-shirt!

Internet Safety Tips for Moms and Dads…read the blog postings of the founder of Yoursphere. Subscribe to Mary Kay Hoal’s Blog.

Yoursphere is free for all kids. Kids can upgrade to a Gold Membership on Yoursphere for more credits and gems, exclusive contests, and scholarship opps. And it’s only $4.95 per month!

Moms and dads can connect with Yoursphere on twitter. And with Yoursphere’s founder @MaryKayHoal for timely and relevant social networking safety tips for your kids and tweens. Yoursphere is on Facebook, too.

Oh, and you can follow me as I tweet about online safety for kids and tweens at @YoursphereMom.

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.