NON-Kids Websites: Where NOT to let your children visit!

I think this is an important subject that concerns kids websites after hearing horror stories on the radio driving to work in the morning. Apparently, there may be a few parents who believe MySpace is another harmless website, especially since it is a fairly big company now. Big websites and companies seem to be more legit than smaller ones.

Now, MySpace is still completely legit and can definitely be used in non-harmful ways, but the problem I heard on the radio was described by a terribly worried mother explaining her daughter posting provocative photos on her profile page and portraying herself as a nineteen year old, when she was in fact only twelve. The way the mom found out about this is even more disturbing! After repeated phone calls to the household from older men (in their twenties and thirties), the mother learned the daughter had put her phone number on her MySpace profile for all to see! What a scary thought. And she wasn't the only panicked mother to call in about this same exact problem!

MySpace states in its terms and conditions that you must be over the age of fourteen to even use their service, but this doesn't seem to faze the younger teenage crowd. After all, they are invincible and nothing bad could ever happen to them!

Now, if you have run into this situation yourself or are now skeptical of your teenager using MySpace you are probably asking how do you stop this careless behavior?

• Download parental controls software such as Spector Pro so you can monitor your children's behavior while using the internet
• Encourage children to spend less time on the computer and more time socializing or enjoying the outdoors
• Make sure other parents are keeping tabs on their kids' computer time also so your children don't have a place to retreat!! This is a big one!
• Sign up for MySpace yourself and see what information your kids are putting up there.

The main conclusion here is to maintain control over your kids and the internet! Sometimes they may not know what harm they are getting themselves into!

Thanks for reading kids websites, comments are appreciated!

New Kids Websites Review

We hope you are enjoying our reviews of kids websites. Let us know if they are useful or leave your own review by leaving a comment.

We review the Discovery Channel for Kids website:

Maybe I'm still a kid at heart, but I love learning about our great earth and the animals that live on it. Whether the TV is playing Man vs. Wild, Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters or shows about our earth and wildlife, I have always been interested in Discovery Channel's great shows. I will say glued to the TV for a few hours, but only to come away with some new knowledge to impress people. The Discovery Kids website has some challenging games for the mind such as Whizzball and Temple of Puzzles and other great stuff for growing brains.

A few more kids websites are listed in our EZineArticle.

Should your Child Join Facebook?

Facebook is a new phenomena in the web 2.0 world. Originally open to college students to network with their peers, facebook is now open to everyone. With that opens doors for recruiting companies, simplifies meetings friends online, and keeps you updated on all your friends' lives.

The question is, should you let your child join this new massive network? We have all seen the effect of myspace and some of the chaos it has created with the younger generations; however, facebook seems to be much more tamed than myspace. You can actually find people by their first and last name on facebook, and parents can keep a watchful eye on their student's profiles if need be. Some might say Facebook creates another way for kids to join cliques and/or gang up on the less popular kids in school, but bullying may just be a fact of life.

In my opinion, if your son or daughter is in high school, I would let them sign up. Make sure they know that you will be checking up on them once in a while but let them join in the fun with their friends. If they run into a sticky situation, they should be able to tell right from wrong from all your hard work parenting!

New Kids Websites - Club Penguin

Club Penguin is a new social network for kids! Designed for ages eight to fourteen, this new club is a great way to keep your kids socializing with other kids online. You can play with them too if you like. There are games like sled racing inside countless stores, restaurants, night clubs, coffee shops and more. It's a virtual world for your penguin character. Sign up for Club Penguin and see how much fun it can be!

"Chatting and gaming are the two most popular online activities for kids, yet most virtual worlds are focused on an older audience. We wanted to create a fun, online world that we'd be comfortable letting our own kids visit."
- Club Penguin Guide for Parents.

Hope you find this another great one in the record of kids websites!

New on Kids Websites - Webkinz!

Say hello to new kids websites that will keep your children occupied for hours! If your kids haven't begged you to buy one for them already, Webkinz is the new way to combine stuffed animals and an online journey. You can buy the plush pets for around $14 at the store and use the secret code from the new Webkinz to activate its virtual life. Then, let your children name the pet, play games with friends and custom design a room for it. Fun for hours!

"Webkinz pets are lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash, and play the best kids games on the net!"