From  ConsumerReports.org : The Federal Trade Commission recently put together an excellent program for keeping kids safe online. Their brochure, “Net Cetera – Chatting with Kids About Being Online,” is available free from the FTC by visiting their OnGuard Online website. Hard copies are also available for schools. 

The Net Cetera brochure is chock full of a good advice for parents and caregivers. “We wrote Net Cetera to encourage parents to communicate their own values to their kids,” said Carolyn Shanoff, director of consumer and business education for the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “When parents are upfront about their values and how they apply in the online world, kids are more likely to make thoughtful decisions when they face tricky situations.” Here are just some of the tips:    

•    Talk to your kids as soon as they start using a computer, cell phone, or any other mobile device. Explain about the dangers of Internet use, perhaps by discussing news stories about cyber bullying and the like.

•    Keep the computer in a common area of your home, not a private one, so your child is cognizant of potential parental supervision while she surfs the Web.  

•    Check the sites your children are visiting to make sure they’re appropriate, and review the sites’ privacy policies. Find out what information a website wants from your child; websites are required to get parental authorization to collect personal information on a child. 

•    Review your child’s friends list on social networking sites, and have her “friend” you so you can see who she is communicating with.

•    Set the parental controls on the computer to filter out inappropriate websites, and privacy settings to restrict who can access and post on your child’s social media profile. 

•    Explain to your kids why they should post only information that they are comfortable with others seeing. Discuss how their electronic communications leave “footprints” that can’t be erased.

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INOBTR works in partnership with Project Safe Childhood and is a recipient of a grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency  Prevention.

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“A new Arab portal has been launched to help Internet users across the region stay safe.

The www.amanak.org portal was launched on the sidelines of the third annual Egyptian cyber peace initiative, which was held in Cairo last week, under the patronage of the Egyptian First Lady Suzanne Mubarak.

Bahrain Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Internet safety adviser Nick Truman was present at the meeting, along with other officials from around the region.

As well as offering tips and advice on how to stay safe on the Net, the new website will also showcase what neighbouring countries are doing to protect their young and old from the risks of online threats.

It comes as an independent report into the safety of Internet users in Bahrain, commissioned by the TRA earlier this year, is finalised.

Truman said Egypt had followed Bahrain’s lead in asking its Internet service providers to sign a memorandum of understanding for them to work together on ensuring the protection of young using the Internet.

TRA Information and communication technology director Ahmed Al Doseri said the meeting clearly demonstrated a closer unity between those countries represented on addressing issues relating to the safety of Internet users.” -TradeArabia News Service

Check out all of the tips from one teen to another!

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about 2,200 children go missing each day in the United States, or about 800,000 every year. The center created the “Take 25″ campaign to reduce those statistics. There are activities all over the world and the country. So join the Center and

TAKE 25 MINUTES TODAY TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS.

Here are some links to help you find ways to talk to your kids about their safety:

Order a Free Child Safety Kit from Polly Klaus Foundation 

Read About Plans From the NCMEC

Read About International Missing Children’s Day Activities

Enter a Poster Contest from Child Find of America

See What’s Happening in your state to Take 25!

We all know that great teachers can make all the difference in our kid’s lives.  They deserve every opportunity possible to succeed and that requires the best education and services available.

Our children’s quality education is under threat from budget cuts– music and arts programs, bus routes, sports, extracurricular activities, books, crossing guards and foreign programs are all on the cutting block–and teacher layoffs could mean perhaps as many as 35 or 45 students per classroom.   

This is not the answer!   Students need individual attention, not crowded classrooms and fewer educators, to succeed in the 21st century and help keep America competitive.  

The good news is that an education amendment has been added to the pending jobs bill in Congress, which will help schools avoid such drastic cuts.    I am asking that you help me get the word out.  We need to be one voice telling Congress to pass the Education Jobs Fund.   We must let our congressional representatives know how we feel about children’s education as well as support our teachers! 

 Here’s a link to help you send an e-mail directly to your representative  http://bit.ly/8ZBh8M.  This vote is coming up next week so please fill out as soon as possible and forward to all of your friends!

Alison Rhodes

“The Safety Mom”

Family Safety & Wellness Expert

www.safetymom.com

www.safetymomsolutions.com

Alison Rhodes, also known as The Safety Mom, has exploded onto the national scene as the preeminent voice on kid’s safety, wellness and healthy living. She is always on the lookout for the issues facing all children – newborns to teens as well as the entire family.

While Alison’s career began as a response to the death of her first child, over the years Alison has expanded her career platform to include the gamut of issues  facing children today from the importance of healthy eating and an active lifestyle to cyber bullying and toy safety. Alison believes that a child’s parents are their greatest safety advocate and coaches parents that when it comes to dealing with their children, it’s important to be parents first and friends second. 

Mary Kay Hoal
Founder, President, COO

A proud wife and mother of five children (both biological and adopted, ranging in age from 5-18 years old), Mary Kay faces the same challenges every parent does: keeping her kids safe; raising them to be good, happy and well-balanced people; and providing them with the tools and support to create their own future.

While Mary Kay readily admits that she didn’t “get” the whole online social networking phenomenon at first, she quickly recognized its importance in her kids’ lives. After researching the disturbing landscape of social networking sites—including endless inappropriate content and thousands of predators targeting youth—Mary Kay’s mission became clear: raise the bar.

Conceived and founded by Mary Kay, Yoursphere is the first social networking service for youth that parents can embrace. Drawing on her corporate entrepreneurial experience as a media strategist, advertising, marketing and publishing VP formerly with CMP Media LLC, Mary Kay built the Yoursphere team. (See “Cool Sites” for more about Yoursphere)

There are descriptions so that non-gamers can understand the difference in the types of games. There are also recommendations for safe games by age level. Check it out