Tag: "parenting"
Two Solutions to Help You Detect Cyberbullying on Your Child’s Smartphone
I’ve said it time and time again: face-to-face communication with your child or teen about issues like cyberbullying and sexting, and the consequences of such actions, is the key to helping them make the smartest digital decisions. Of course, not all teens are willing to listen, let alone talk about the issues, and most young [...]
Thanks to Facebook Sims Game Your 10, 12, 13 Year Old Is Now Rewarded for Having CyberSex
The Sims Social, a Facebook game and a franchise that has been around for years, has recently been in the spotlight for rewarding and encouraging players (including your child) to build a romantic relationships with their Facebook friends. The Sims Social refers to your Facebook friends as “Neighbors”, and gives players virtual currency and recognition [...]
Ten Ways to Keep Kids Safe Online
One question I’m always asked is, “As a parent, is it possible to keep up with technology and make sure our kids are safe when they often know their way around technology better than we do?” And my answer is always an emphatic yes! There are steps you can take, but those steps depend on the [...]
Dealing with the Bullies – Avoiding, Recording and Reporting
Unlike physical bullying, where parental intervention or school intervention can help address the problem, cyberbullying is a bit more complex to deal with. The first question that needs to be answered is: How do you define cyberbullying? Well, for the most part, cyberbullying occurs when your child feels that their safety is being threatened due to [...]
Join the Cause to Help Build Positive Self-Esteem in a Young Girl’s Life
Help support Dove's Movement for Self-Esteem this weekend by taking an hour to talk to your daughter–or other young girl in your life–and based on what you know now, share with her what you wish you knew when you were 13.
Why Digital Allowances Aren’t Too Far-Fetched.
In the midst of the online cultural shift that we’ve seen in the last five years, it’s no secret that online shopping is becoming more of a social norm every day. Though online shopping can be extremely convenient and user-friendly, it can also pose a whole new set of rules and guidelines that parents have [...]
An Expert’s Advice on Bullying, for Schools and Parents
When it comes to bullying, whether it’s online or in real life, there are many factors to consider, and Dr. Elizabeth Englander, a professor of psychology and founder of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, has dedicated her work to providing anti-bullying and anti-violence training to schools and families to help them better understand these important [...]
Gradspot.com’s Guide to Life After College – My Thoughts and Why I Recommend It!
As avid readers of my blog probably know, I always stress how important it is that kids and teens take caution when posting personal information about themselves online. Though posting their home address, phone number, or email address on their social networking profile isn’t the smartest of ideas; it’s also important to consider how certain [...]
Parent-Child Conversations: The Forgotten Topic
So, I thought I was being a good parent by proactively talking to my kids about what I often blog about: being kind online to others; discussing what online bullying is; how to help others that may be bullied, and how not to be a bully. I’ve talked a lot about sexting, (all at age-appropriate [...]
Safety Tips and Parenting Musts – from Dr. Michele Borba
I tweeted this article as a must read when Dr. Michele Borba wrote about it late last week. Because this article provides such invaluable advice for parents I will present the article in its original form to avoid cutting corners. What research says keeps kids safer online & 5 parenting musts! – Posted May 28, [...]
Cyberbullying 101
With a lot of the attention in the media focused on horrific bullying cases, I thought it was important for us to step back and take a black and white approach to sharing the basics of cyberbullying, and why coming up with a solution to end cyberbullying involves so many complications. These complications have put [...]
What to Say When Your Under-Age Child Wants a Facebook
Meryl, a friend of mine, shared an interesting story with me the other day. It was about her 11-year-old cousin, who, like many 11-year-olds, is starting to show interest in social networks, more specifically Facebook. The good news was that Meryl knew about Yoursphere; she knew that it was perfect for kids just like her [...]
Parents Teaching Parents How to Deal With Cyberbullying
For parents, knowing how to deal with bullying (in any form) isn’t as simple as reading a “How-To” pamphlet. All instances of bullying are different and can be handled in different ways. Sometimes it’s as easy as talking to the parent of the other child, or presenting the problem to school administration; but as I’ve [...]
Teaching Our Kids Internet Safety – Parents or Teachers Responsibility? How About Both
As we all know, kids today have something that you and I didn’t have when we were younger—an endless encyclopedia of information called the Internet. Kids can use this information to their advantage both on and off of school grounds, but it’s obvious that as online communities like social networks become more and more popular, [...]
Mary Kay is a nationally-recognized Internet safety expert and the founder of 
