Kids are getting an A for effort and bypassing their parents in learning how to manage their online reputations. According to a Pew Internet study, kids who use social media do, in fact, care about their reputations. “Young adults, far from being indifferent about their digital footprints, are the most active online reputation managers in [...]

What do kids really need when it comes to digital literacy and learning? And what are their ever-anxious parents willing to spend to get a leg up on the educational ladder?
For LeapFrog, the answer is the newly announced $69 Leapster Explorer. For the price, the features are awesome. It has a nice color screen (3.2 [...]

I like to remind parents that the Internet is not an all-or-nothing place for kids. Just like you wouldn’t give your kids the keys to the car and tell them to “grab a bunch of friends and drive across the country” on the first day that they’re licensed drivers, you don’t want to give them [...]

What if your life were just an example to be parodied? That’s how I felt when I watched this perfectly executed parody of an earnest mom explaining how she can keep tabs on her college kids. If you’ve ever been part of the Internet safety discussion you’ve got to see this clip from The Onion.

Never mind you, which netbook will your kids be carting to and from 1st grade this year? Will it be the one with SpongeBob or with Little Mermaid? This week Dell announced a new netbook designed for the 6- to 12-year-old: the Inspiron Mini Nick Edition.

Nothing wrong with a mindless game every now and then, but some games are more mindless than others. I’d have your kids steer clear of these. One because it’s grossly sophmoric, two because it was a terrible game that Michael Jackson’s death will resurrect. And three because it fuels the notion of jihad as something [...]

There’s a growing movement afoot to give the seal of approval to Dad, often the forgotten part of the child rearing equation. Not only are more dads staying home with the kids (80% of layoffs in the recession have been males), but they have a unique perspective on raising kids.
Just in time for Father’s Day, [...]

Have you tried shopping for educational toys  for young kids lately?
It’s a jungle out there.  If you’re looking to help them practice  reading, math, critical thinking, color matching  … whatever, there are hundreds to choose from ranging from the mundane to the sublime. And no way to know for sure much about what’s inside the box.
Leapfrog, [...]

There’s something really creepy about paying your kids to learn…or is there?
The New York Times recently ran an interesting piece on whether or not kids learn better when they’re given material incentives. Historically, educators have frowned on rewards. They want very much to believe that education, the pursuit of knowledge, is reward enough.

The first generation of Internet safety products to help parents protect their kids from the dangers of cyberspace were all about saying “no.” This next generation is all about negotiation and conversation. And that’s a good thing, since what most kids need is education about the Internet and not a lockdown.