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

1 comment for “Yoursphere and My Kids

  1. SE'LAH...
    April 4, 2009 at 10:32 am

    Thanks for telling us about Yoursphere. I too am an avid supporter of online internet safety. Many people don’t like to talk about sex offenders but they cruise the internet looking for targets.

    Thanks for promoting this consciousness!!!

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