Recently, I overheard someone say that we parents are a generation of technology nomads, raising a generation of technology natives. Think about it and you'll realise how true it is.
Most of us grew up without having a television set at home. We didn't hear about computers until about 15 years ago. New gadgets are thrown at us everyday, and we do our best to keep up, but it's a struggle.
On the other hand, our kids-the technology natives-have been exposed to technology since birth and seem to master the working of the most complicated cell phone or the X-box in no time. Little wonder then that they also spend a lot more time on the Internet.
Internet for kids
The Internet can be a wonderful place for kids to learn new things and have fun at the same time. It also has its pitfalls, but there are ways to safeguard your tots. However, let's start on the bright side and look at some of the exciting places waiting to be discovered by your child.
Toddlers (Ages 1-3)
Toddlers love nursery rhymes, colouring pages, and listening to music. For all this and more, visit the following sites:
* Mother Goose Pages: This website has a collection of nursery rhymes, with tips on how to share them with children of different ages.
* Playhouse Disney: This Disney site contains sections for much loved cartoon characters such as Winnie the Pooh and friends, Stanley, Roly Poly Ollie, Jojo's Circus, Mickey Mouse, etc. Each section has games revolving around concepts such as alphabet and number recognition, stories to listen to, music, etc.
* Fisher Price: This website has games and activities arranged by age. You can get your toddler to play games on alphabet and number recognition, or let him colour online.
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Preschoolers and Kindergartners (Ages 4-7)
Children this age love playing games, learning new concepts, and having their own little adventures. Check out the following sites:
Nick Jr: Nick Jr caters to preschoolers with basic skills such as counting and identifying shapes, as well as more complex ones such as rescuing dogs, completing jigsaw puzzles, etc. The site has sections for most shows aired on the Nick Jr channel in India, such as Dora the Explorer, Diego, LazyTown, etc.
The site is easy to navigate for children of this age group-in a couple of days they should be comfortable navigating between shows and selecting which game they want to play next! The audio directions at every step help too. In fact, my daughter who sometimes plays a Dora the Explorer game with Spanish instructions has even picked up a few phrases of Spanish.
Seussville: Introduce your child to the world of Dr. Seuss and his characters by visiting this site. It has games, information about Dr. Seuss books, and much more.
Primary School to Tweenage (Ages 8-12)
So many subjects and so many boring textbooks to read make children sleepy. Check out the following sites for fun ways to learn.
* Learning about volcanoes in school but can't relate to the concept? Check out Discovery Kids - Pompeii, where your kids can create their own volcano and watch it erupt!
* If it's world history that is putting your child to sleep, watching documentaries or reading stories about world events might be just what the doctor ordered. Check out the History Channel Classroom.
* Math intimidating your child? Check out FunBrain.
* For information related to science and nature, check out PBS Science.
* These are just a few of the hundreds of great sites. To learn more about great sites for kids, check out K.E.W.L. - Kids Excellent Web Links. A Google search will also throw up several directories of great sites for kids of all ages.
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kids safe
Children, regardless of age, can be victims of both online and offline crimes ranging from the simple such as receiving spam, to the more serious crimes such as stalking, kidnapping, and child pornography. Recognise these dangers involved and take proactive steps to safeguard your children on the Internet. Here's a list of simple steps you can follow:
Don't provide an Internet connection in your child's room. Children should be using the computer and the Internet in a public area of the house, where you can check on them once in a while.
* Consider installing child-safe filters and monitoring software to prevent your child from accidentally stumbling across inappropriate content or pornography.
* For very young children, make sure you stay with them all the time they are online.
* Online chat rooms are the biggest attraction for young adults. However, they will not appreciate you watching over their shoulders. Set down basic rules for Internet use, such as not revealing personal information without your permission, not chatting with strangers, etc.
* Finally, regulate your child's online time. The Internet is such a mesmerising place that it's easy for adults and children alike to get addicted.
Happy surfing!
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