FaceBook for Kids

Worried about your kids being online? You should be. A June 2010 study commissioned by internet security giant, McAfee, reports that "almost half of youth (46 percent) admit to having given out their personal information to someone they didn't know over the Internet."

FaceBook for Kids (FBFKids) is one site that's trying to help parents protect their children online by providing  -- and I quote -- "a non profit, safe, secure, monitored and moderated children's social networking site."

Apparently started by a mother of two, FBFKids is not related to Facebook. It's an alternative to Facebook, and has the following stated procedures to keep the site as safe as possible:

• complete editorial control - they review input content daily and will delete if deemed unsuitable;

• will investigate any messages deemed to be in violation of site and/or safety rules;

• will delete anything deemed questionable;

• will warn a child if s/he is engaging in questionable safety practices (ie., sending personal information or off-site contact details).

• their "meeting room" has a live person as site monitor, but private chat rooms do not. All chats, however, are recorded and will be reviewed if deemed necessary.

I don't have personal experience with FBFKids -- if you do, please leave a comment. What I do like about the way the site presents itself is that it repeats several times that although FBFKids monitors the site 24/7,

we do not monitor any paticular child. It is up to you as a Parent or Gardian to monitor your own child.

Words to live by.






Related post: Internet Safety for Kids Online

Interesting Animal Facts

The Animal Facts page at a site called Vegan Peace asks you the following questions:

• Did you know that seals can sleep under water? 
• What's the difference between a donkey and a mule?
• Can you tell the difference between a frog and a toad? 
• Do you know how to tell African and Asian elephants apart? 

If you're like me, your answers for all of the above would have been an unenlightening series to the tune of: no, I don't know, no and *sigh* no.

At Vegan Peace Animal Facts, you'll find out the answers to these questions and a lot more. I like the simple, clean approach used by site owner Wanda Embar and the choice of images (some of them, like those of the turkeys, taken by her at a rescue organization called Farm Sanctuary).

NOTE TO PARENTS: Vegan Peace has pages regarding animal cruelty, children's sweatshops and other abuses that take place in the world. Although topics worthy of discussion, these are inappropriate for and would be upsetting to young children to see, so visits to this site should be supervised.