Why Mom's Really On Facebook

With the popularity and significance of social networking and social media sites reaching an all time high, more and more parents are tuning in to see what all the buzz is about. The results from several studies showed that around 90 percent of parents reported creating a Facebook account in order to monitor their children's online activity. These parent's indicated that being able to have access to their child's Facebook page was their initial reason for creating a page themselves- but since social media has become increasingly popular for people other than teenagers, are adults beginning to have other reasons to stay online? 

As hard as our kids may find it to believe, we aren't becoming part of the social media world solely to ruin their social life and drive them crazy. Joining Facebook provides parents the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, possibly track down an old flame, maybe even check out what became of that jerk on your track team in high school- ah with modern technology the possibilities are endless! 

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Facebook makes it easy for adults to keep in touch with far away relatives and friends, sharing pictures and comments with each other with the click of a button. 

Facebook is even creeping its way into the workforce. Countless companies are creating and maintaining Facebook accounts, blog accounts, Twitter accounts, and so on- so nowadays it wouldn't be terribly unusual for you to have to make a Facebook page for your job. 

Since 2010, the amount of mothers in America who are on Facebook has made the jump from 50 percent to over 72 percent- and is most likely only going to go up from there. 

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Comment below and tell us your reasons for being online!

The Four Practices of A Cyber Savvy Parent

With the use of cellphones, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and countless other forms of technology rapidly increasing-and the ages they are being used at rapidly decreasing- many parents are beginning to worry about being left in the dust of this social networking storm. 

Various parental controls have proven themselves to be relatively effective, but it's not the entire solution to keeping your kids safe online. The variety of software devices parents can use to limit their children's access when surfing the Internet or turning on the TV are definitely helpful, but kids' seemingly infinite knowledge has allowed many of them to figure out ways to get around these boundaries, far exceeding our own knowledge of such technology. Luckily for parents, there are certain practices to try and limit sneaky online behavior and emphasize safe Internet use-five of which we've laid out for you!


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1. Communicate

Opening up a dialogue between you and your children is key when it comes to appropriate use of the Internet, cell phone, television, and other various forms of technology. Make sure to be clear with your children what sites and shows you consider acceptable and appropriate and which you do not. 

2. Familiarize 

There are so many sites that are popular for kids and teens, with new ones popping up every day, that it can seem overwhelming. Ask your kids to take you online and show you what sites they are surfing and how they work. Becoming more familiar with what they're up to can minimize confusion and maximize supervision. 

3. Centralize

Put the computer so it is in a central, open space in your house. For example, in the kitchen or living room. This way it is easier to view and monitor what it is they are getting up to and limits the amount of unsupervised Internet use. 

4. Create Awareness

Along with the increasing use of technology comes increased exposure to potential predators or cyber bullying. Be sure to stress the importance of never ever giving out personal information online about themselves or family and friends. Explain to them the dangers of talking to strangers online and why it is crucial they don't engage in such risky behavior. Also talk to your children about cyber bullying. It is important they understand that whether they are being bullied or if they are the bullies themselves, that such behavior is not acceptable in any way and they need to tell an adult they trust if such behavior is occurring. 

Teaching Kids Internet Safety

The Internet and other forms of technology are becoming an increasingly important part of our daily lives, a trend that will only continue to grow. For this reason, it is crucial to teach your kids how to use such technology safely and appropriately. If used in the right ways, the Internet can actually be quite beneficial to education and provide many tools for learning. 

Parents often fret over the horror stories they've heard about kids and the Internet, but so many of these worries can be eased by simply teaching children acceptable Internet usage. 

Many schools are incorporating Internet safety education into their curriculum, but don't rely solely on that for teaching your children how to use the Internet. In addition to school education it's important to monitor and inform when allowing your child to use the computer and other technology. 

Jerry Crystal, the technology coordinator at Carmen Arace Middle School in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is taking steps to increase Internet awareness and safety that exceed simply having a block on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Every teacher at the school is informed and educated about the uses of technology and incorporates it into daily lessons. In addition to that each student is issued his or her own laptop and taught how to appropriately use it. Crystal also feels that it is important to create awareness about the negative outcomes of things such as cyber bullying, sexting, downloading bootlegged music, and sites that can introduce viruses into computers. 


To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter

It is critical that parents understand that even if they just ban the use of Facebook and Twitter, their children are probably going to use it anyway. So instead of having your child sneak around behind your back, potentially opening up even more doors for inappropriate Internet usage, try to create an environment where your children feel comfortable talking to you about what it is they are up to online and stay involved in their Internet activity.