The most important things in my life are my children. Their safety is also a concern of mine. Especially online.
I get that things are just different today from when I was a kid. All three of my children are incredibly tech savvy.
My son (the oldest) was five years old when his grandfather bought him his first computer.
My youngest can work the iPad like no one's business. She watches Netflix, plays with various (parent approved) apps and even reads some books. None of this is with my help.
With all of the technical devices that we own, comes a responsibility as a parent. I do what I can to protect them in every aspect of their lives so their online world shouldn't be any different.
When my son asked to join Facebook this year at the tender age of 8, I immediately said, “Absolutely not!” I wouldn't even consider it.
What I did consider is giving him an online place where he can go to connect with other children. That place is Yoursphere.
WHAT IS YOURSPHERE?
Yoursphere.com is a kids-only social network offering its members a vibrant and uniquely engaging experience. Yoursphere offers its members all the best of the Internet – their own blog, hundreds of games, a virtual world, the fostering of shared interests through “spheres”, social interaction, contests, rewards and a scholarship program.
My son likes Yoursphere. He has joined a few Spheres and uploaded a couple of photos. He is even excited by having some new friends. He loves exploring and just clicking around.
When I asked him what his favorite part was so far, he said, “I like all of the pictures people have. It was cool to see where my friends went this summer from their pictures.”
He asked me to help him upload several pictures so he could share some information about some trips we have taken. Yoursphere is his favorite place to go when he wakes up each morning. He checks the weather for the day and heads over to Yoursphere.
Consider signing up for Yoursphere. Yoursphere.com is free and that kids can sign up only with parental verification by email. When you sign your kids up using my promo code YS11-HY3S, they'll get 75 credits to spend in the Yoursphere Gift Gallery!
Check out Yoursphere on Facebook
Follow Yoursphere on Twitter and @YoursphereMom on Twitter
Follow Yoursphere founder @MaryKayHoal on Twitter
Check out Mary Kay's blog where she helps parents teach their children about online safety.
Disclosure: I am a Yoursphere Summer Fun Mom and was compensated for my participation.
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This sounds interesting (you daughter is so cute!). I want to get my son an iPad also, and try out all the educational apps with him. Thanks for this info.
Your kids are tech-savvy!!! Wow. Way better than me, I’m sure!
Thanks for sharing this info with us… good to know there’s a safe and educational place for children out there in computer land 🙂
Visiting from http://dosweatthesmallstuffblog.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the info on yourshare! Although my youngest is 17, I’m always talking with moms & pops with younger children and more than once the conversation of a need for a G-Rated facebook. Seems this one may fill the gap (since most every child over 5 is tech savvy today).
yah. It’s amazing that my grandkids, mere toddlers some of them, that can navigate the computer, phone, and games WAY faster and better than I . There’s something to be said for learning young. But I agree, there can be some big safety issues. Bad enough when small children get into something they shouldnt. I am more scared for the tween and teens who try to get “around” this and get entrapped and tempted to search into the unknown. Good thing for social sites parents can trust.
Safety is such an issue with kids being online. I check out my younger cousins online activity every now and then (FB, twitter, etc) and am always suprised to see everything that they are posting! Love the blog!
Sounds interesting!
Hey there! Following you from Money Saving Mindy! I’d love a follow back!
http://moneysavingmindy.blogspot.com.
Have a great day!! 🙂
My daughter is dying to have an I-Pad. I am a new follower from the Boost Your Blog giveaway. Visit my daughter and I at our blog, Says Me Says Mom (http://saysmesaysmom.blogspot.com) where we talk about anything and everything.
Sounds interesting. I’m going to look into it for my son. He’s not old enough for Facebook like my daughter is and I feel like he’s missing out on the social interaction.
Thanks for the review.