DH saw me playing Carmen Sandiego with DS8 yesterday. DS was actually standing next to me and we were talking about what I was doing. DH later suggested setting up a FB account for the boys (collectively) to let them play games like that on their own. He thought it would be a good way to teach DS8 to browse the web; since you and the search bar get pretty well acquainted when you play Carmen Sandiego. I'm leery, though. I mean, it takes me a while to sift through the random junk to get to the correct facts. I never come up with anything inappropriate, but still. Am I being overprotective here? Or is 8 too young to play on the web? I mean, I occasionally let the boys take a turn on various sites, but they are strictly prohibited from leaving that site. Is it time for me to lighten up on DS8?
My youngest who is 10 now, has been playing games on my fb page for years! She loves the farming games, which has taught her much about money! I let my girls go to a few sites, but that is it... btw your child would have to be 13 to get an account on fb, or they can play on yours like mine does... I let my older one, now 13 do more online, but only have been doing that since the summer
I've allowed my boys to surf at a young age without me right next to them (age 3-4). I also have a filter in place that filters out content I deem inappropriate. I use K9 Web protection, but I think I will switch to something that offers even more protection. K9 still allows Google images search.
I let mine play games at hubworld and Lego and on BigFish. They have links to the first two from the favorites bar [and they have to get to it and then navigate those sites to get to the games they want]. The BigFish games is something they access from a desktop link; they have to navigate to the kids' games and have learned how to download the demos. My kids are 8 & 9. I don't let mine openly surf the web without me or my husband standing by watching where they're going and what they're doing., but we also have no filtering systems on our net. I'm reminded of what happened back when I taught at a private school. The elementary kids were apparently doing a report on marine life. They had the kids do a search for 'crabs.' The teachers said the most appalling sites came up for things that definitely had nothing to do with marine life! LOL
ok, how bad of a mom am I that it never occured to me that they would be too young to be on the computer alone? My kids are 8 and 10 and they have been browsing on their own for a while now. I never once thought they shouldn't. Now I'm wondering if I should be more vigilant about their computer time. I don't even know if we even have a filter! Ugh. I'm so naive. But the only place my kids go is Disney websites and the like and fishing and hunting gamesites.
My boys do go to specific websites alone. Like, they'll type in lego.com or whatever. I'm more asking about searching. Carmen Sandiego will give clues like "I heard him say he wanted to see the house where August Shlegel was born." So he'd have to figure out to search for August Schlegel in some search engine, then weed through the links to find one that actually gave the city (Hanover, Germany, for anyone who cares about influential theatre theorists).
Rachael is 16. She's been on FB for almost two years now. But her dad and I were her first friends, she's not permitted to have a FB friend that she hasn't met in "real time", and she's not allowed to play games on it (because you sign over your privacy rights to do so IMO). The "real time" rule has some exceptions...like if there's a kid that many of her out-of-town friends know in "real time" or something. Computers are downstairs in a central location, and the kids are not permitted on-line unless Carl or I are home. Faythe has not expressed a desire to get on FB, which is fine with me. Rachael uses it more to keep in touch with her many out-of-town friends from camp, etc. I have run into bad sites in the past. Rachael did once, but she was little and had no idea what the problem was. My kids have been told that if they were to accidently come across a site like that, they were to turn off the monitor immediately and come tell either me or their dad.
If I set up a FB page for them, it would be a completely fake page just to allow them to play games. That's it. I wouldn't put any information at all about them on it.
I actually think that is a pretty good idea Amie...a collective fake page. I didn't have a filter with the girls, and (as far as I know) they didn't have a problem...we laughed at some of the pages that come up for seemingly innocuous searches. We did have an issue with the oldest boy...and placed a filter; but quite frankly it was such a pain that I took it off after about 8 months. The computer is in a central location and we check the history, which I know, as he gets more sophisticated will not be enough protection...I guess we will just talk; ALOT.
There was a huge thread about this on another forum and I Was shocked at the number of people who were totally against letting kids have (monitored) FB account just because FB says they have to be 13 to have one. I know MANY children under 13 with FB accounts. I also know all but one is VERY closely monitored (As in I don't even think the kids have their own passwords so they can't sign in without a parent present) Leissa-I don't think you're a bad mom. My concern isn't so much as them accessin somthing they shouldn't as much as them telling/sharing something they shouldn't. What I see as a bigger danger is them not knowing to not give out personal info, there are some BAAAAAD people out there and yes, they use the internet to stalk their prey. I do post lots of info on the internet about myself and kids, but I'm an adult. I know the risks. I'm aware of who can see my info and what they can do with it. I'm not a 10 or 13 year old posting that I'm home alone. And the stat on how many kids have posted nude/partially nude pics on the internet is SCARY and sad!
I don't think I was aware of that rule. If FB has that rule, then I think it needs to be honored. Doesn't matter what "other" kids are doing. No, I'm NOT saying you're a "bad mom" if you do otherwise, not at all. But what does it teach kids when lie to get around rules we don't agree with? Why shouldn't they do the same with OUR rules that they don't agree with? Doesn't matter for us to say it's "for their protection"...after all, this FB rule is for their protection, too....
Which is why, and I don't know if this is splitting hairs, I will not give them their own account. It would be an account that I set up and I manage (and sadly, I'm way over 13). It would just be the one on which they play games. A lot of parents let kids play things like Farmville on their account. The only difference here would be that it would be a secondary account (not my personal... 'cause I keep MY games to myself. lol). I do agree that if FB says 'not until you're 13' then I shouldn't let the boys have their own personal FB page until they're 13. But, again, I don't know if I'm splitting hairs.
The FB rule is 13. My oldest DS turned 13 this month and was dying for a FB account, so he has one now. DH and I insisted that DS "friend" us, and FB (and the computer) get shut down in our house at 9 PM.
We set up a facebook page for my ds so he could play farmville. However, he is not allowed to log into, post to his account, or friend anyone without our help or supervision. He has asked to post some pictures that he took as well. I think it is safe for him the way we have it. So far he has just family members as friends, and then it will be only friends he has met in real life if they also have a facebook page. We have a few sites bookmarked for him to play on such as PBS, club penguin, webkinz, and spellingcity. He's not allowed beyond those sights, but we don't have a filter, so it's an honor and supervision thing.
I would get a filter if you allow him to surf freely. My son uses Google and Wikipedia all the time to find information. Nothing takes the place of supervision, but a filter can prevent the oops.
Thanks Embassy. With three other active children, it's hard to watch any one of them every moment. I tend to plant myself at the kitchen table (right next to the computer) every time one is playing online, but sometimes I have to take care of something in another room or whatever. I think I will look into a filter before I decide one way or the other.
Mine have always been on computers. My 11 yr old learned the alphabet on Billy Bear. Our main computer is in the family room, so I see all. Also, my computer is set up to inform of every site visited that day via email & my kids know it. My oldest was in diapers playing on the keyboard way back when. Now she's in college at BW and everything is done on computers, so I'm greatful she has the skills. They all have FB. But it's blocked from pretty much everything & their friends are all family members. Want to know the truth: I got them FB so I would have more friends to send me Farmville stuff! ROFL! It's our obsession and it's fun. Alot of the games have all that holiday stuff & my daughter like sending me 'Christmas' gifts for my farm
OhioMom, I taught special needs children so I had porgrams that were simply "Hit a key and something happens". So my 16yo was "on the computer" before she was a year old. She learned so much from the Livng Books stuff that was so popular back then, especially Dr. Seusse's ABC's.
Yeah-if you want an account for a child-you have to put in a birthdate that says they are 13 or older or FB won't let you create it. Now-tell me what the difference is in.... Letting your child play your farmville on your account Creating your child their own account you monitor I believe the topic of a 2nd adult account for kids to use (like you are mentioning) was also brought up-and I think (technically) that's against FB rules too. Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:
I can't say enough good things about Norton Parental Controls. It is free, and it gives you so many options for settings. I have this on all of our computers, and can set the controls very differently for each of my kids. The kids each have their own password protected user on our computers. As they demonstrate self control in computer usage, I can give them increasing freedom. You can set time restrictions, block sites, allow sites, set filters, or just send warning that a site may have objectionable content. It also doesn't interfere with the running of our computer like Cybersitter and NetNanny did.
