As in my kids LOVE it...and I hate it. I first bought a webkinz toy as a b-day gift for my daughter. My kids love stuffed animals to death, so stuffed animal gifts are pretty common around here. I ...
75MOMof3’s profile
- 3 kids: ages 5, 7, 9
What My Kids Love Now
House Rules
No TV's or computers in private locations. We have full control of what is seen in our home. We tell them they have a lifetime to be adults, don't wish away a carefree/innocent childhood.
When the Kids Are Asleep…
We love educational things, so the kids are usually welcome to view what we view...but I do like some music that I would never let my kids listen to. I reserve that for when they are not home at all!
My Biggest Challenge Is:
Titles You’ve Reviewed
Web site: Webkinz
I rate this titleiffyand give itMy concerns are:- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Love Hate relationship with this game...
Game: Wizard 101
I rate this titleonand give it- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Clarification of content and security from my last post
Upon further reflection, I feel it important to note that my children (the 7 and 9 yr old...who are actually very close to turning 8 and 10 years old) currently access only the FREE content. (My 5 ...
Game: Wizard 101
I rate this titleonand give it- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Not as bad as it sounds and is a good basis for ethics lessons
Lets talk security first. I have seen parents complain about kids buying crowns or subscriptions without permission. This amazes me. I would seriously recommend that you never let your kids get into ...
Game: Wizard 101
I rate this titleonand give it- My highlights are:
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Comments You’ve Made
- Article:
Are Kids Becoming Immune to Celebrity Escapades? Are Parents?
Your Comments:I guess it depends on who you ask. I have family that think nothing of the inuendos that their girls are watching on TV. I on the other hand, notice EVERYTHING and I am hesitent about a lot when it comes to my kids and what I let them view. I can handle the mild violence type stuff...its the inuendo to other things that really burns me up. I wish the media would let my kids BE kids without bringing up mature content at every turn! (What happened to the innocence of childhood? Trust me, I am no prude but come on people, how young do we need to indoctrinate them into the ADULT world???) I have to sit with the remote in my hand even at commercials because who knows what they might say or do??? Even the freakin perscription commercials. Do I really need to explain this stuff to my 5 year old??? This topic gets me all worked up, lol. I think the REAL issue is that parents need to wake up and realize that society has CHANGED...not just since the 50's...but even more so since WE were kids. I am only 34, but when I was a kid, commercials only sold stuff, not "extra" if you get my drift. TV shows did not use curse words and anything remotely inappropriate for kids did not even come on the cable channels until after 8 pm! Things have changed people. You can't just allow your kids to hop on every bandwagon, sit back, and then freak out when the newest "role model" has fallen. These are KIDS being role models to KIDS. What adult here has not made some mistake or another as a kid? Either use it as a teachable moment or don't allow your kids to idolize this stuff! I can't speak for kids because I am not one and I do not let my (still young) kids watch teen shows etc. My rule of thumb is if the person is older than they are, chances are they are going to be dealing with things my kids are not ready for yet. End of story. When my children are at those ages, then I will use these things as teachable moments, but I will always warn them of the idolization factor and how every person falls at some point in life.
- Article:
Should You Read Your Kids’ Texts?
Your Comments:Katgirl, I grew up in a pretty similar environment. Now, I am a 34 year old mother with 3 of my own kids but back then.... I could not sneeze without my mother knowing about it. I was not allowed to leave my block until I was 16...and she had to make an exception when I was in 6th grade so I could walk to my bus stop!!! I never went to the movies with my friends, no parties, no sleep overs, etc. She snooped in all my stuff...read my diary behind my back, listened in on my phone conversations, etc. I went through some pretty embaressing situations...and I was a pretty good kid too. I had never done anything to warrant the strict rules either. I was very responsible and had a decent head on my shoulders. I ended up moving out early myself...trust me, its not an easy road to take. If I knew then what I know now...I would have talked to my mother about it back then. I would have asked her why. My childhood could have been...well, much more of a childhood. Perhaps they are only trying to protect you (I can understand parental paranoia as a parent myself now, and how strong the drive is to protect your children at every turn...but I really could not grasp that back then.) but maybe if they knew how it makes you feel...maybe something could change. Tell them you are hurt by their seeming mistrust. Ask them if they do not feel they have given you a solid foundation to make good choices. Ask them if they do not feel your past actions SHOW you to be a responsible and well adjusted person who is capable of making good decisions. Maybe if you had a real heart to heart with them openly, honestly, and without judgment it might help. What I did learn as I got older...my mother was abused through out her childhood. It all makes a lot more sense now...all the strict rules...but it did not make things easy back then. Of course, as my mother, she felt I was the prettiest kid in the world, lol. She was SO paranoid that something really bad would happen to me...just like what she went through for years and years of her childhood. She figured if she kept me in a bubble, nothing could ever hurt me. You see, it was not ME she didnt trust...it was the rest of the world. If only I had TRIED to talk to her, MAYBE she might have told me why. I could have reminded her that I am NOT her, and that her past is not destened to be mine...that she had taught me well...that I know how to speak up if something goes wrong. Well, maybe it would have all been different. It is worth trying to talk to them. The worst that can happen is nothing changes. You have everything to gain and nothing to loose. Good luck.
- Article:
Should You Read Your Kids’ Texts?
Your Comments:My kids are not yet at ages where this is an issue...they don't HAVE phones yet. (lol, a 5, 7, and 9 year old really do not require "privacy" of this sort yet...they are still learning right from wrong, safety, etc. and it is my job to teach them. When I know they have a solid foundation, sure, then they can begin to gain some privacy of this sort.) I have to agree though, communication is the real issue. If you have an open line with your kids and they know they can come to you (without fear) if something goes astray in their lives, then I don't think anyone would need to resort to "spying." Just ask if you are concerned! Now that said, if my kids were acting really funky and I kept the lines of communication open AND they still did not talk to me about it...AND it continued...yeah, for my kids SAFETY (and my own sanity that they are indeed safe) I would probably start checking things out. Not behind their backs though, right in front of them. I would tell them my concerns and why I am about to do what I am about to do...unless they want to start talking. If I found nothing of MAJOR concern, I certainly would not give them a hard time for anything I might find that was just private for the normal reasons. I really hope to never find myself in that position with my kids. So far, so good. They come to me about everything...crossing my fingers it stays this way.
- Article:
What's the right age for kids to go online?
Your Comments:I allow all my children (5, 7, 9 yr olds) online, but most of it is for educational purposes and it is NEVER unsupervised. They do play a few games, but I am always right there! That is my job as a parent. (They have 1 computer that they share, it is located in a cabinet with the monitor mounted on the wall in full view of any spot in the living room, i.e. no way to hide contents...though that is not a concern now, but as they grow older, they will be used to this being the spot for the computer and I have squelched that issue before it begins!) For example, my 5 year old uses starfall.com quite often. This is an educational site for learning letter sounds and reading. I think it is very important (speaking as a mother who left a career in the IT field to stay home with her kids, lol) for children to learn computer skills once they become "school age." For one, they are growing up in an age where life is going to revolve around computer usage. I am willing to bet that even the most menial of jobs will rely on some computer usage in their future. Heck, even current school work is going to employ the use of computers! I want my children to know how to navigate safely, how to find useful information, how to figure out software apps, etc. People forget, the online world is not just there to play games and pass the time! It is FULL of valuable information and I want my children to know how to obtain, check for validity, and USE that info to their advantage! I certainly do not think that it should be used as a baby sitter or that they should have unlimited access or time on it (and I happen to feel the same about the TV), but I do believe it is a benificial skill that they will use throughout life. Yes, by the time they are adults the "computers" we know will be obsolete and they will most certianly be using something very very different than what we know today. However, a good way to understand how something works is to know the history behind it, how it used to work, how it has changed and why it has changed. (What better way than to be a part of it first hand to watch and see how it morphs over the years??? Immersion! Its a great tool.) A person who understands the history, how, and why etc. generally has a much easier time using the current technology WITHOUT assistance...and is usually good at extracting the information they want efficiently and with accuracy. So for these reasons, I think once they are old enough to go off to school, that is an appropriate age to begin learning this valuable skill. After all, they will use it for life.
