Protecting Kids in Social Media

Social Media has been dubbed as the future of communication and has become highly depended upon by our students. The social media experience of a student is much more different than that of an adult. While adults may turn to social networking as a way to stay connected with family and old high school classmates, kids place a different spin on usage of the networks. It is important for parents to know these differences to effectively monitor your child’s safety.

Although there are more social media platforms popping up every day, there are networks your kids likely frequent. Believe it or not, Club Penguin is available to children as young as five years old. Your kids are likely using platforms such as Twitter, InstaGram, and Oovoo. Kids love these platforms because parents are not using them. Parents tend to be more active on Facebook. How do you protect your kids if you are not a member of these sites?

Each of these sites requires an email address or cellular phone to set up. Ask your student to list the sites with login and passwords they have set up membership with. Email is a usual tell-tale for which accounts they have subscribed to. Mobile applications are also an indicator of membership. Do not be afraid to log in and see what is going on, whom they are friends with, and what they are communicating about. Many adults pose as students to gain the students’ trust.

Start with setting ground rules for social media usage. Club Penguin is a trusted site which prides itself in keeping the child’s identity private. However, profiles on other social sites such as those mentioned above can be found from a Google search. Review your child’s privacy settings. Ensure kids only connect with people they know. Limit the time spent on these networks. Establish what is appropriate to post. Log into their accounts to see what is not posted publicly. Check their accounts periodically. Social Media Couple’s has provided an in-depth Facebook agreement for families you can download here http://bit.ly/RuHv4o to help get the conversation started.

Blog submitted by Sharita J. Lee, MBA with JusSharLee Management, LLC www.jussharlee.com

Five Fun Activities to do With Your Kids During Spring Break

Spring break is fast approaching, and while the kids are ecstatic, parents are doing the panic dance.  If you haven’t planned a week’s worth of activities, don’t freak out just yet.  We have five excellent ideas that will keep your children busy during their time off of school.

1.    Head to the beach!  While this may seem like an obvious choice, it’s relatively inexpensive and you can make a day of it.  Pack a cooler with subs and sodas, grab the car keys and head out!  If you live in Florida, you should have little to no trouble traveling to the nearest beach with the kids.  Just don’t forget the sunscreen and sand toys!  For a list of Florida beaches, refer to this directory.  http://www.awesomeflorida.com/beaches-of-florida.htm

 
2.      Tour a local attraction or theme park!  Plan a trip to your local museum, aquarium, planetarium, zoo or park.  Many attractions have kid discounts and can be a cheap way to offer a fun, educational experience that kids will surely love.  “Hands on” learning is one of the best ways for children to be involved and understand science, nature and history.  For a list of Florida attractions, select the area in which you live, and start planning your trip from there. http://www.touristflorida.com/
 
3.      Plant a garden and get outdoors! Head to your local nursery and pick out seeds such as carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, and cauliflower that bloom nicely in the northern parts of Florida in the spring.  Pick a sunny spot in your back yard, grab a shovel, and line your garden with rocks or stones.  Plant seeds that are in season and watch your children learn the science behind vegetable growing.  They’ll love enjoying their home-grown veggies after they’ve sprouted!  For more information about home vegetable gardening, follow the link below. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021
 
4.      Volunteer for a day!  Give back to your community by signing up at a local soup kitchen, nursing home or animal shelter.  It will be a rewarding experience for your child, and helping the less fortunate can help ground children and help them appreciate the smaller things in life.  It will teach them not to take anything for granted and maybe they’ll change a life. http://www.volunteerflorida.org/volnow/index.html
 
5.      Theme a rainy day “SPRING” and craft, bake, and play spring activities!  It is highly likely that at least one day during spring break will be rainy.  Take this day to stay indoors, craft spring arts and bake springtime snacks and dinners. For a list of spring-themed food and fun, check out the following site. http://familyfun.go.com/spring/                                   

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Start Your Child's Learning Early

Did you know…the human brain is most open for change in the first three years of a person’s life? It’s never too early to start your child’s education. By getting a head start on your child’s learning habits, you can get them on the fast track to success.

We’re not saying your six-month-old should be in a classroom for eight hours a day. There are numerous educational activities you can do with your child to give them a jump start on their education which are not extremely time consuming.

The Goddard School, a childcare franchise, came out with some tips for parents to work on with their children from infants to four-year-olds.

http://www.goddardschool.com/documents/GG_FamilyPlayTips.pdf