Promoting Family Togetherness With Communal Computing

Families are often fractured these days, whether through work or social commitments, marriage breakdown, the social lives of children – the list goes on. However it is so important for families to do things together, even when they are amazingly busy. One simple thing to do is to bring establish a family computer for use in a communal family area like the living room – it allows the family to learn and interact together, and is one simple way to promote togetherness as a positive thing.

Every member of the family can get something out of it. Not only is the family spending more time together, but they are doing it in safety and together. The more a family does together, the closer they are, and that’s a simple fact. It is also beneficial for members of the family to see what the others are doing – sort of broadening their horizons and learning new skill sets and concepts at the same time.

For example, the kids could get a lot out of seeing Mom and Dad explore different investment options and comparing online penny stock brokers to try and get a better deal. Not only does it introduce important adult concepts such as responsible investing, but also comparison and analysis. Parents can also help the older kids out by helping to search for jobs for teenagers online in an effort to earn extra money and learn responsibilities and time management.

All in all, moving a computer to a central communal location is a good idea for the whole family. IT promotes togetherness and safety online, which is always the most important issue. It’s important to be a part of each other’s lives, and encouraging a communal focus on online activities is one of the best ways to achieve that – after all the online world is here to stay, it is us that has to adapt.

  • Tailgating Family Style (fryingpansports.com)

Making the Internet Safe for Kids

The Internet is a dangerous place for children and the scary thing is there is no real safe way to keep your kids out of harms way. If kids are intent on finding something on the Internet they will probably find it sooner or later. However there are ways to help protect your kids when they are on the home computer.

Google is the biggest Internet search engine and is used my almost everybody out there. In the future it wouldn’t surprise me if people started to call the Internet, Google!

As far as your kids are concerned this can be a good thing because Google has some features that make the Internet a bit safer.

Google safe search limits the searches that are returned to only the ones that Google deems as safe and suitable for children. These settings should be activated on your browser if you know that your children will be using the Internet. If you activate these settings and then choose to lock them so that they can’t be changed every time your kids perform a search on the Internet they will not be subjected to any kind of pornographic content or any other type of content that may be inappropriate.

These settings make Google for kids a safe place. You won’t have to worry any more. In fact, it’s probably a really good idea to teach your kids how to use Google. Let them know that if they want to find out any information, all they have to do is type their question into the search box and  they can find the answer.

By teaching them how to use Google (which you have already set to safe search) you are letting them satisfy their curiosity and keep them safe at the same time. If only everything for kids was that easy!

You can learn more about Google safe search by simply Googling it.

  • 10 Search Engines For Kids That Help Out Parents With Safe Browsing (makeuseof.com)

The Role of Online Dating Background Screening

In every moment of our lives, we all hope that we are safe at all times in whatever we do, wherever we go, and whoever we interact with. Complete background checks are everywhere: in the workplace, in landlord-tenant relationships, and in other forms of transactions. Many people today get involved with online dating, and even in this area checking on a person through a set of background screening processes are largely possible.

There are plenty of incidents where people, especially women, have opened themselves up to potential theft, fraud, and even sex crimes due to incautious relations with people they have only met online. When they divulge too much information about their personal lives without really getting to know the real person, they have put themselves to a lot of risk. There were the possibilities of violence, theft, rape, and even murder. Even men become subjects to a lot of lies when women learned that they are financially endowed. It would be best to check on a person’s background before spending more time on dates. Perhaps the first thing you should consider is becoming a member to a well-trusted and legitimate dating site. Don’t associate yourself with sites known to have members who are not sincerely looking for soul mates or potential spouses, but are only out to get some dirty fun.

When you are conversing with a chat mate, you can begin by asking sincerely their full name. Of course, that only happens when they have found confidence in you. Don’t be fooled immediately by what they tell you about where they work, how much they earn, which organizations they belong to and so much more. However, you can use those details for future reference when you have finally decided to make a background check on your chat mate.

Most dating background screening companies look for a person’s information on educational records, work experience, social security number, military records, criminal records, and even sex offender registry status. There are other forms of information that you can get access to, but attempting to get each and every type proves to be expensive and futile. Focus on the basics only that really test the character and integrity of your potential date.

  • Online Dating: Laws, Sites Aim to Ferret Out Mr Really Wrong (newser.com)
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Setting Teen Chat Room Rules for your Child

Every parent wants to protect their child from harm and as a parent of a teenager, you are acutely aware of the dangers of the internet.  The news is rife with reports of children who have been targeted by internet predators.  It’s enough to want to make you ban your child the web completely.  You know that is not a feasible solution to the problem, but is there anything parents can do to help protect their children when they are visiting internet chat rooms?

How to Help Your Teen Stay Safe on the Internet

First, be realistic.  You know you can’t forbid your child from visiting chat rooms and make it stick.  Even if they don’t use a home computer, they’ll find a way.  Laptops, friends’ computers, even cell phones with internet access, are all too accessible to your teen.  Besides, the forbidden fruit is always more tempting and if you prohibit chat room use, your child will become more determined than ever to go there.

Instead, help your child find acceptable chat rooms. Look for rooms dedicated solely to teens.  These rooms should have continuous moderation and allow users to report offenders to admin if an unpleasant situation should arise.  Safe sites designed for teens should forbid users from giving out personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses, or locations.  Profane chat should not be permitted.

Talk to your teen about the importance of keeping personal information personal.  Not only should your child not give out information about themselves, they should not give out information about you, either.  Some predators want that info so they can hack into your financial accounts.

Make full use of parental controls and blocking software.  Check your child’s search history frequently and be observant when your child is on the computer.  If rules are broken, that is the time to restrict computer usage.

Get Involved

Don’t be ignorant to social media.  Get involved yourself and you’ll have a better understanding of your teen’s attraction to it.  Set up a Facebook page and get on your child’s friends list.  This gives you an inside look at whom your teen is chatting with and what they are chatting about.  Be cool, though.   You do not want to embarrass your child online.

Finally, talk to your child frequently about safe internet use.  Make it clear that they are never to meet a stranger from the internet anywhere, any time.  Make them understand that yes, it really could happen to them.

Keep your eyes open and the lines of communication unlocked, talk to your child about their internet experiences, and try to relax.  You are doing everything possible to protect your child.

  • Cyber Etiquette for Teens (psychologytoday.com)

Teaching Your Child Critical Thinking

Children who are critical thinkers are not afraid to be curious.  They have the ability to ask good grades that are higher than average; even in public school systems where individualized teaching is largely impossible, they thrive better than most peers because teachers have a better idea on how to address their academic needs.  While critical thinking may come naturally to some children, parents can provide guidelines and foster this skill as well.  Teach your child to think critically by allowing them to consider the following methods of inquiry:

  • What exactly do you mean by that? Clarifying meaning is a more active way of learning rather than simply accepting what you are told.  Asking for clarification indicates interest, and communicates the desire to learn more.  Children who are not afraid to ask questions when they do not fully understand something make the most out of their education.  Even outside the class, asking for clarifications fosters good interaction with other people, and helps curb the bad habit of assuming too much.
  • I wonder why that happens. Curiosity is the jumping board for learning.  It opens up the mind to new things and deeper knowledge.  Moreover, it shows awareness of the surroundings and sharpens the intellect.  The curious child is a learning child.
  • How can you tell? It isn’t enough to know information.  In a lot of academic subjects, the ability to arrive at the correct answer is important.  The child must learn the logical processes involved in order to be able to duplicate the solution to a particular answer.
  • Is there any other explanation? Critical thinking implies being able to discern things rather than just memorizing data.  If school is preparation for the real life, then students must learn to think for themselves.  In the adult world, one problem often has more than just one solution.
  • Am I explaining something or just labeling it? Book learning is somewhat heavily focused on categorizing things rather than truly understanding what it means.  For example, while a child knows that biology uses binomial nomenclature, he must also be able to know what it means.  Understanding what a thing really is and knowing how it works rather than simply knowing what it is called is the hallmark of analytical thinking.

Critical thinking goes beyond the mere accumulation of data.  It promotes comprehension and enhances the ability to appropriately apply gained knowledge to real-life situations and problems.  It is never too early, nor too late to teach your child how to think critically.  This is a skill that will prove valuable to him for the rest of his life.

Joana Chrystal Ventura-Moises RN is also our expert blogger on plumbing and shower screens.  She contributes home improvement articles to other websites as well.

  • Encourage Critical Thinking in Gifted Students (brighthub.com)
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Finding Unblocked Games for Kids at School

With so many things to do on the Internet today, it is hard to separate good from bad for our children.  If there is one thing children love to do, it is playing games online.  As parents we need to work together with our teachers that have our kids at school every day.  You should take more care in wondering what they can or can’t access online.  The last thing you would want is to walk into the classroom and see your son or daughter playing shooting games on the computer, but there is another avenue we can take, and that is with unblocked games for kids at school.

There are plenty of games online that are suitable for children, you just have to look for them.  For my children I am mostly a fan of math games, puzzles, strategy scenarios, and other games that work well with the mind and encourage a child’s learning experience.  There are a lot of ways to find these games as well.  Just go into Google and search for “educational games” and you will find an array of sites that offer fun, exciting, and entertaining games that simultaneously encourage brain development in young children.

Unblock Games for Kids

I have found that there are even a few unblocked games for kids that I would let my kids enjoy (depending on their ages) if they don’t want to learn and are tired from working hard all day.  They should be rewarded for finishing homework early in school, and I have found a few game sites that I feel should be accessible from school proxy servers, namely freeonlinegames.com.  This is a site that has a lot of arcade games that I grew up playing as a kid, and I also find most of the games on their to be totally harmless.  Just make sure you do your own research on the games before you suggest them to the school administration.

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