Online Privacy and Your Kids

The New Facebook Privacy setting called “Instant Personalization” is now in effect. The new setting shares your data with non-Facebook websites and is automatically set to “Enabled.”

To update your settings go to:

Account > Privacy Settings > Apps & Websites > Instant Personalization > edit settings and uncheck “Enable.”

 If your friends don’t do this, they will be sharing info about YOU as well on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Pandora, etc., so make sure they know about the update too.

Don't forget to share this info with your kids. Many parents are "hands-off" with what their kids are doing online, either because they aren't computer savvy or don't want to know what they're doing.

Make sure you talk with them about not posting sensitive information that could hurt them later. Once it's online it's available for everybody to see and it may never go away. Posting certain things online could hurt them in sports, academics, and job applications - now and in the future.

It may not be easy to talk with them about this but it's every bit as important as that talk you keep putting off about sex and drugs.

Awkward Family Photos Now in Book Format

Awkward Family Photos started life as a website in 2009 and is now available in book format. I'll admit, I used to spend a bit of time on the website LMAO. I wonder how they got the rights to publish all these photos. 

Amazon shows quite a few juicy pics if you look inside.

Teach Me Kindergarten iPhone App

The Teach Me Kindergarten iPhone App is great for parents with kids just entering school. It teaches math skills like addition and subtraction as well as spelling and sight words.

As kids master the game they earn coins and stickers which keep them playing and learning as they go.

TeachMe: Kindergarten is available at the iTunes store  for 99 cents. Well worth it. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/teachme-kindergarten/id336689375?mt=8#

Dyslexia - Developmental Reading Disorder

Unlike what many people think, Dyslexia is not caused by vision problems. It is a Developmental Reading Disorder in which the brain has difficulty processing, or recognizing, symbols.

Many people with Dyslexia have overcome learning and reading difficulties such as Richard Branson in this Dyslexia Video.

Although Dyslexia presents as a lifelong problem, it is possible to treat it with with the help of an IEP and individualized tutoring.

If you think you or somebody you know may be dyslexic, it's important to have an assessment. There are websites that can offer an initial assessment and depending on the outcome may lead you to a more professional dyslexia test.

Sir Ken Robinson - Brilliant TED Video About Children and Creativity

"We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it." - Sir Ken Robinson

Website: http://sirkenrobinson.com

His book is available on Amazon: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin!

How many times have you felt like this?

Think you know your children's books? See how many of these you can identify from, "This is Your Brain on Children's Books."

Ten Best Children's Museum Lists - Great For Kids on Holiday Vacation

What's a parent to do with bored kids home for a few weeks from school on winter holiday vacation?

Chances are, the weather isn't great and you probably don't want them tracking in a day's worth of wetness when you're planning for a family dinner soon.

It's tempting to let them hang out on a computer or TV but after a few days they'll soon be a bit restless and their brains and bodies need something more stimulating.

Why not send them off to a museum for a day? There are plenty of them around and although many are free, even the ones with paid admissions aren't too spendy.

 

 

Google "The 10 Best Children's Museums" and you'll come up with plenty of suggestions.

Parents.com has their 10 Best Children's Museums list.

Babble.com has a similar list with their 10 Best Children's Museums.

Faqs.org takes it even further with their list of the Top 50 Children's Museums.

There are plenty of museums out there for kids and they're not too bad for parents either. Most of them don't allow cameras in sensitive areas but take one along anyway as you'll find plenty of things you can shoot. And when you get home, have the kids put together a slideshow on the computer to show what they did on vacation.