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.

Last week was quite a week. Last week was the second week of school…it felt like week 40. No honeymoon period for us. We are full tilt in to the whole school thing. Volleyball practice. One of the kids made the Varsity team. And swim team…you know that’s no small commitment. And we have a kid who literally wants to do EVERYTHING. I kid you not. That kid would sign up for sword fighting if he could.

So we’re busy. BUSY. VERY BUSY. Last year my husband was my go-to guy for the taxi service. 3 kids + 2 parents = Lots of driving. This year our car pool never took off. And the other car pool was too tricky to even contemplate let alone plan. So I am doing the lion’s share of the driving. What about Coach Dad? While I am ferrying our high schooler hither, thither, and yon, he is at his high school doing his part as one of the school administration team.

I knew when he accepted the job that it would mean a lifestyle change for me. No more picking up the phone and calling for backup. But, the perks of the job will hopefully outweigh the lack of driving assistance. The one perk I am super psyched about is that we can actually plan a vacation. He gets set weeks of vacation. We’re still tied to the school academic year, but will have a little flexibility here and there.

So what else have I been doing?

• I was quoted in this article about breastfeeding. I laid it on the line. I’m usually not that candid on my blog about what makes me tick.
• Earlier this month, I weighed in on RedBook on the weighty issue of to help or not to help your child with his school project. I was up against @SelfishMom in this battle. Who was the victor? What side did I come down on? Click here to find out.
• You know I am the Community Manager of a Forum — the MomSpark Forum — that is fresh off a successful promotion of all things BlogHer. I lived, ate, and devoured anything BlogHer11 related on Twitter, Facebook, and through emails and blog postings. No item too small. No detail too insignificant. So, now that BlogHer is over the Forum is open once again for you and the rest of the blogging community to post your giveaways, your tips and resources on Disney, your questions on blogging and social media, and deals. If you have a deal or a coupon or a discount, post it to the MomSpark Forum. We love our community of bloggers!
• And last but not least is Yoursphere. I’m running a Mom Ambassador Program. We invited a group of moms who blog to blog about THE place fot kids and tweens…Yoursphere.com.

So, what’s up with you? Kids back in school? Do you have a new job? New routine? Spill it…I would love to know about how you are doing!

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.

Passion? It’s a word I don’t use often. If you know me IRL or online, you’ll know I am not one to go overboard when talking…I’m too English…too reserved. I save the word “passion” for times when I completely support or love a person or a cause.

I rarely use “passion” when blogging about products, because well it would seem a little cavalier to get all passion-y about detergent. Phoney, much? No, when I review a product I write my review honestly with pros and cons. But, I rarely express my undying love for a product.

I can find a product useful, helpful, but only rarely do I find a product that I can gush about. Yoursphere is one such product. I have worked with the social networking site for kids and tweens as a spokesmom. My kids all joined Yoursphere. Yoursphere is FREE, too!

Yoursphere is a social networking site for kids by kids. No adults allowed. Why am I passionate about Yoursphere? Yoursphere allowed my teen to explore online in a safe environment with other kids her age. My tween joined after her sister because her sister talked about all the fun she was having on Yoursphere. Take it from me… If kids hear a friend or sibling talk positively and passionately about something…they want to do it. It’s the power of suggestion…the completely, positive, and uplifting version. Read on for a cool way to get more out of Yoursphere.

My son joined his sisters on Yoursphere. This little kid is not about to miss out on any fun. My kids have the best of both worlds online…they can join a social network AND learn how to explore online safely and positively.

And, Yoursphere is the perfect choice for the tween who is desperate for a Facebook account, but Mom/Dad say “No way!” Kids can get their feet wet in the kiddie social media pool…with Yoursphere. I don’t about you, but I don’t want my tween “playing” on Facebook especially since Facebook’s TOS specifies that users must be over 13.

The best part about Yoursphere is that it is FREE to join. How many things that your kids or tweens want are free? Not many, right?!

Yoursphere is running a contest right now for those who want to maximize their Yoursphere experience with a Gold membership. By upgrading to a Gold membership through Monday, your kid can get 50% off Gold membership AND if he/she is the 43rd person to upgrade they can win RockBand! By the way Yoursphere Gold Membership is only $4.95 per month!

Want to learn more about Yoursphere?

• Sign up here.
• Follow on Facebook.
• For online safety information for parents, follow @MaryKayHoal, founding mom of Yoursphere.
• To hear all about Yoursphere, follow @Yoursphere
• Oh, and you can follow me, too! @YoursphereMom

I work for Yoursphere on social media. The views expressed in this post are my own or those of my Kid, my Preteen, and my Teen. If you decide to sign your kids up for Yoursphere, you can use my code: YSMA-JILL. I receive a monetary reward for signups.

If you read me on twitter, friend me on Facebook, meet me in the corridors of the local schools, or read this blog, you will know that I have MY topics. You know the ones I blog, chat, ramble on about time and again.

I blog about eating dinner as a family. Not that I am a great cook or anything like that. No, I’m fair-to-middling at best. But, eating dinner as a family is important to me so I give it airplay on my blog.

Ditto for any chances I get to involve my kids — 7 yo, 12 yo, and 14 yo — in the same activity. We all saw Tangled and MegaMind…enjoyed a day out at Port Discovery…ventured to Harpers Ferry, WV…whatever it is as long as we are together as a family I’m excited.

Another passion of mine on this blog is online safety. I’ve been known to chat about online safety at school, too!

Before I ramble on, let me tell you about an awesome contest running at Yoursphere. If your child signs up for Yoursphere by December 15, your child could win a wii, or Rock Band, or Dance Central with Kinect, or a shopping spree at Justice!

I have been online in one way or another since the early 90s. Back then my husband and I bought a PC that was a custom designed model. It had an 80 MEG HARDDRIVE! We actually had a discussion in the computer shop about whether we would need such a large hard drive!

So much has changed since I had to use a 1oo foot telephone cord to hook up the computer in our spare bedroom to the telephone jack in the master bedroom. Oh and it was dial up back then, too. Just because I had the extension cord hooked up did not mean that I would get online. And once I was online there was no guarantee that I wouldn’t be knocked offline. Checking e-mail could take 15 minutes and then there was no guarantee that I would have e-mail. It was the early 90s…how many of you had e-mail accounts back then?

I never thought about the online safety until my oldest was about 8. She was bored with the CD-ROM games and was desperate to get a Club Penguin account. She might have been closer to 9 or 10, but she was young anyway. She begged for an account. A friend gave her a membership to Club Penguin as a birthday gift and the rest was history for my oldest.

She loved Club Penguin. I had it set up so that she could play. She rarely interacted with any other Club Penguin-ers as she was content to dress her penguin, earn points, and decorate her igloo. She soon begged for a Webkinz animal and an account. Soon her brother and sister got in on the act…which meant we had a menagerie of animals overflowing the toy box. It wasn’t long before my 5th grader asked to start a website. I had never heard of a blog back then. She started a free webs account.

All was well with her “5th grade newspaper” until she received 1 or 2 and then quite a few more negative, disrespectful, and curse-laden comments. It was with great sadness that I had to shut down the comment feature. She was crushed. Her website languished while she refused to post.

Sometime in her 6th grade year, I saw an ad online for “Yoursphere.com.” I’m a clicker so I clicked and the rest is history. I have represented the Yoursphere brand at three blogging conferences. I tweet as @YoursphereMom. I write frequent posts about how I love that my children have a safe place to hang out online that is for them and not for adults. Yoursphere is where I want my kids to be!

To find out more about Yoursphere, go to the parent page.

Yoursphere has a fabulous contest running where your child can win a wii, or Rock Band, or Dance Central with Kinect, or a shopping spree at Justice if she/he joins Yoursphere by December 15!

At #TypeAMom 09 there was one person I had to meet.

I was a new blogger. I decided to travel to Asheville, NC, at the last possible second. I found a roommate and a couple of travel buddies. I got not one, but two sponsors. Once at the conference I was a learning, promoting, and meeting people machine. I am not an extrovert by any means, but give me a purpose and I will meet as many people as I can.

When not chatting about all the cool activities kids and tweens (no adults allowed) can do on Yoursphere, I tried to meet as many bloggers as I could. I met the women behind MomCentral, MomSelect, MomBloggersClub, One2OneNetwork, Buzz Cooperative, and 5MinutesforMom. I met DC bloggers. I met bloggers from California and Washington.

One blogger I had to meet was @MomSpark. Amy AKA MomSpark let me guest post on her blog. I was her “Can’t Live Without It Saturday” person. I had to meet her. I was too shy to tweet her, but I did ask a couple of people to point me in the right direction.

On the morning of the second day, I found her. I was excited to finally put a face to a name I had only interacted with online. Amy was as sweet and encouraging in person as she is online.

I’m proud to say that, a year later, I am now working with Amy.  I moderate and promote her Momspark Forum. MomSpark Forum is a free discussion group for moms to post questions, promote their businesses, ask for comment love, and so much more. MomSpark Forum was the go-to place for BlogHer. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran blogger, finding friends with shared interests is essential before heading to a massive conference like BlogHer. Amy and her biz partner Haley connected many of us so that we had people we knew at BlogHer through connections made on MomSpark Forum.

Amy is not just a blogger. She now has a media company, which she founded with Haley. I am proud to be a member of MomSpark Media! Great people! Great company!

Here’s the skinny on MomSpark Media. The membership fee is $40 per year, but that works out to about $3.33 per month — which is very reasonable for what you get. As a Momspark Media member you get:

• Special access to Mom Spark Media Group Forum–members only
• Online blogging 101 courses and classes–taught by experts
• Product review opportunities
• In-home parties
• Sponsorship programs
• Survey & focus group services
• Blogger events
• One-on-one blogging consultation
• In-depth blogging and monetization tips
• Monthly member newsletter
• Blog & web design consultation
• Live streaming events
• Sponsored posts

Don’t miss out on this exciting experience…join me!

You know when you meet someone and you click? You talk in person or on the phone, connect online, in e-mail, or on twitter. Whatever way you connect you instantly know that you and this person click.

I had this experience when I “met” Mary Kay Hoal over a year ago. We first exchanged e-mails, then chatted on the phone, and now we “talk” to each other on twitter and Facebook. It wasn’t long before I clicked with her.

Mary Kay founded a social network for kids and tweens. At the time I met Mary Kay my kids were 10 and 12. Both girls loved playing on the computer, but had grown tired of the same old, same old online game sites for kids. The older of the two wanted to get a Facebook page. My response to her request was an overwhelming “No way!”

Mary Kay founded Yoursphere.com. As a dedicated and devoted mom to 5 children, she knows all to well that parents need guidance to keep their kids safe on the internet. For our family, Yoursphere gave my girls and now my son a place to play online. Yoursphere gave my husband and I peace-of-mind. We knew that our kids had a place to go online that was designed for kids. No adults allowed.

Tomorrow I will finally get to meet Mary Kay. We’re both at the TypeAMom Conference. Mary Kay is here with Yoursphere — Yoursphere is a TypeAMom sponsor. I am at TypeAMom as a Yoursphere Mom.

If you are at TypeAMom stop by the Yoursphere booth. If you see me in my Yoursphere Mom shirt…stop me and say Hi! Oh and don’t forget to give me your business card for a chance to win a Yoursphere Mom t-shirt.

If you are at home, you can still win a Yoursphere Mom Kid t-shirt. Leave a comment at the end of this post letting me know that your child (6 and over) is signed up for a Yoursphere account. I’ll choose a winner October 8. To sign up for a Yoursphere account for your child, go here. 

For extra chances to win:

Tweet the following and leave a comment at the end of this post.

Enter for a chance to win a #Yoursphere #Mom Shirt. Yoursphere.com is a social network designed for kids. http://tinyurl.com/2e48dps

Leave a comment that you are following @MaryKayHoal — founder of Yoursphere — on twitter.

Leave a comment that you are a friend of the Yoursphere on Facebook.

Yoursphere is my sponsor for TypeAMom.