Yoursphere and My Kids

My 13-year-old wants to be on the computer. All. the. time. Sounds like someone else in the family. Why yes, that would be me. She likes checking her e-mail. She likes going online. She has decided that Coach Dad’s laptop is in fact hers. She gets a little miffed if he takes it to work with him. If she comes home from school and the laptop is missing — watch out as there will one madder than a wet hen teenager on the loose. The nerve!

When she was younger she was an avid player of CD-ROM games like Jumpstart Kindergarten and Preschool. I can still recall some of the phrases — “all aboard the Jumpstart Express.” She’s beyond CD-ROM games now. In fact, are computer games even called CD-ROMs anymore? She’s discovered Yoursphere through me as I’m a Mom Advocate. I’m passionate about keeping kids safe online. Yoursphere is an online world for kids and teens aged 9 through 18 — she’s found a place to meet new friends online and do a bit writing while she is at it. I’ve found a business to promote that I care about.

Her 10-year-old sister also played the Jumpstart games and is dabbling on the internet in a limited way. Few of her friends have e-mail addresses. She frequently complains about the Shutterfly e-mails that clutter her inbox — sue me if I signed each of the children up for Shutterfly so I could get 10 more prints per child. You would so do this! She’s played Yoursphere a few times, but prefers Webkinz. The proud owner of an absurdly large menagerie of Webkinz — Webkinz is a fun place for her to play games.

By the time my 5-year-old was old enough for the computer games, the CD-ROMs were either scratched or the PC would freeze up. Playing games on the computer was a very frustrating experience for him. He’s is our wii-guy — the go-to guy for all things Lego Star Wars or wii Play tank game. At “will be 6 in a few hours” he is a lover of video games. In an odd twist I did a product giveaway for Jumpstart online — yep, now he has an online place to play as well.

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In other news MaryKay Hoal reported that “Yoursphere’s Been Featured On: The Daily Buzz, View From The Bay, ABC’s KXTV10,Fox40, KCRA3, ABC5, ZENIT, Comstock’s, Sacramento Parent Magazine, Mogul Mom, Drupal.org, National Catholic Register — I gave an interview, Yahoo News, Google News, Google News UK, Davis Enterprise, Sacramento Business Journal, t&T, WAC, Vanilla Pumpkin, Mom On The Run — and this would be me, NetFamily News, Chron.com, Forbes.com, Los Angeles Times, Yahoo!Finance, WAFB.com, WDUN-AM, WLVF-FM, Sirius XM Satellite Radio Network, WCCO-AM, WOCA-AM, KFUO-AM, TalkStar Radio Network, WACK-AM, KAHI-AM, Issues with Walt Show, KCTE-AM, WOGL-FM, The Bishop’s Hour, A9, World News Network, Africa Towerson

Here’s part of the National Catholic Register article: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/17075