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. 

Conner and Cayden Long Win Sportkids of the Year and Inspire Many [Video]

For many brothers, running around and playing sports is how they spend time together and bond- but for most siblings in Conner and Cayden Long's situation, this would not be possible. Conner Long is nine years old and his little brother Cayden is seven.

 At just four months old Cayden was diagnosed with hypertonic cerebral palsy, a condition leaving him unable to walk or even talk on his own. For many years Cayden was not able to participate in any sports-related activities and his parents were advised to put him in a home, but even such grim news didn't stop Conner from ensuring his little brother would have those opportunities. 

A year and a half ago, Conner and Cayden began participating in triathlons together. Since then they have travelled up and down the East coast competing in races. While Conner swims he pulls Cayden behind him in a raft, while he runs he pushes Cayden in a little trailer, and then when he bikes he pulls Cayden behind him in the same trailer.

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

 Although often finishing in last place, the two brothers always finish with smiles on their faces- never feeling more like winners. This touching story of the human spirit and the incredible heart of one little boy is what landed the pair in Sports Illustrated Kids as the 2012 Sportskids of the Year. 

Since Conner first got the idea from seeing an advertisement for the Nashville Kids Triathlon, he and Cayden have competed in 14 races, varying from "fun runs" to triathlons. 

 Now when Conner and Cayden attend races, many people stop and tell them how inspiring they are or ask for a picture. Their Facebook page receives tons of new posts of encouragement each day from strangers, especially parents of special needs children. 

When asked about how he feels about being referred to as a hero, Conner says he doesn't really understand all the hype, that he just sees these races as an opportunity for him and his brother to have fun together. 

Conner may not see himself as a hero, but his actions for his little brother have inspired countless people. The Long brothers provide hope for people who may have been told there isn't any and a reminder that kids with special needs can also be a part of the same activities that other kids are doing everyday. 

Click here to watch the inspirational story of Conner and Cayden Long- and get your tissues ready!

Japan Takes A Day Off for Coming of Age Day [Part 1 of 2]

Excitement is building throughout Japan in anticipation for the rapidly approaching national holiday, Coming of Age Day. Occurring the second Monday in January, this annual celebration is a day filled with rich culture and tradition.

 The significance of this nationally observed holiday is to congratulate and honor all those who have reached twenty years of age, also referred to as the age of majority. Festivals and events honor those who have recently turned twenty and welcome them to adulthood. 

Coming of Age ceremonies are held at local office buildings throughout Japan and after-parties are thrown by friends and family. 

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

These ceremonies date all the way back to at least 714 AD. They began when a young prince changed his appearance in order to mark his transition into his twenties. This created a new trend that was made into an official national holiday in 1948.

 It was originally established to be celebrated each year on January 15th. It was not until 2000 that it was changed to become the second Monday in January. Throughout history it was mandatory that all those who attended the Coming of Age ceremonies had to be precisely twenty, but recently it has not been uncommon to find those just shy of twenty years old in attendance. 

NFL's Adrian Peterson and #APCallBlake Show the Power of Social Media

 Blake Cognata 

Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are often heavily criticized by parents, teachers, and other various people, being labeled as a "distraction", an "obsession", and an "irrational use of the web." 

But we at ONCEKids believe that social media accomplishes its original purpose -- to connect us. When experiencing moments of doubt in my previous statement, which i admittedly occasionally do, it is stories like the story of Blake Cognata which lift me up from this momentary hesitation and make me a supporter and believer in the power social media. 

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

Blake Cognata is a high school senior at Fairport High School, a suburb of Rochester, New York, who received life changing news last February when he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that attacks the bones. This diagnosis forced him to give up playing the sports that he loves, football and lacrosse. His condition took another turn for the worst when in October, with just one remaining treatment in his chemotherapy, the doctors found that the cancer had spread throughout his entire body. The pain became too much to bear and he was admitted into Strong Hospital over the weekend. 

Adrian Peterson

All over Twitter his friends and family provided support and encouragement for Cognata with hashtags such as #findyourstrong and #staystrongblake, but it was the idea of Fairport High graduate, Dylan George, that truly demonstrated the power social networking sites like Twitter can have. With the knowledge that Minnesota Vikings' player Adrian Peterson was Cognata's hero, George decided to start the hashtag trend #APCallBlake. WIthin an hour and a half of starting the hashtag, the phone was ringing beside Cognata's hospital bed- and on the other line was Adrian Peterson.

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

Cognata's mother, Diane, reports that "he told Blake not to give up and asked how long he had been sick. Then he told Blake that he had his personal cell number and to call him anytime he wanted to talk to someone. He's a very spiritual man and talked to Blake about his faith." She also said how despite the fact that the disease had spread to just about every bone in his body and he was in a tremendous amount of pain, even just a five minute phone conversation with his football hero was enough to have him "glowing" all night. 

Learn more about acclaimed author and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker, click here

If it wasn't for sites such as Twitter, events such as these would be much more difficult, nearly impossible. Something such as a phone conversation may seem like a simple thing to some people, but to people like Cognata it can mean so much more. 

Are Mothers Out-Social-Media-ing Their Kids?

With 2013 upon us, it is seeming more and more like moms now aren't just jumping on the social media train -- but beginning to revolutionize how it's done. Social networking has become so much more than just a place for moms to keep an eye on their technology-addicted children. 

Does your family have a Nook, Kindle or iPad?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

In recent years, it has instead developed into a place for mothers to connect with other mothers, share their experiences and struggles, and even start up successful businesses. 

Much to their children's surprise (and often dismay), mothers have actually shown to be above average smartphone users, and the number of mothers owning smartphones is rapidly increasing. With 54% of mothers now owning a smartphone, it has surpassed the 50% of all mobile users in the United States. So that means that more moms are smartphone users than any other group in the U.S.! And smartphones aren't the only thing our tech-savvy moms are using. 

Moms are also showing tremendous skill in the social media world. Three out of four mothers reported visiting Facebook in one month, and even better news to our ears -- studies show that moms are 38% more likely to follow an online blog or become a "fan" of a webpage than any other group. 

Learn more about acclaimed author and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker, click here.

Nearly five million moms across America are a member or visitor of Pinterest -- making up more than a third of unique visitors in a single month! Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are attracting a large population of mothers, but what these women are really dominating is the world of blogging. 

Now, one out of every three bloggers is a mommy-blogger! This news could not be more exciting to us at ONCEKids, where we are all about the expansion of mommy-blogging. Simply googling "Moms in Social Media" or "Mommy-bloggers" will bring you to countless online blog sites where moms post their own personal blogs or feature other mother's blogs about balancing their career with their kids as well as their marriage and the stresses and triumphs that maintaining such a balance brings- a subject that no one could understand better than other mothers. 

Education: Integrating Social Media into Schools (Part 3 of 3)

Using Pinterest in the classroom

Throughout the past weeks, we've learned how Twitter, Facebook and YouTube help in classrooms.  

Social media is rapidly integrating itself further and further into our business and personal lives, so one can imagine it won't be long before it launches its way into academics. But despite this growing trend, many educators feel resistant towards the social media movement. Even the teachers who do not feel that the idea of social media use in school is negative, don't quite know how to go about using such technology within a classroom setting. There are countless ways a teacher could promote learning through social networking, even through sites less common than Facebook and Twitter, such as Pinterest and personal blog pages. 

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

For a teacher, Pinterest use can begin by simply inspiring them. Searching Pinterest can cultivate new and inspiring ways to keep organized, or even how to decorate and set up their classroom. Weave it into the lesson plan by searching, finding, pinning, and organizing projects, images, videos, and stories to share with students. Then, get the students involved! Allow them to use Pinterest to create projects and presentations. Pinterest also features the use of community boards, which teachers can bring into the classroom by creating them for students to brainstorm group projects and share ideas. It will give the group members a way to all save their resources and progress in one shared place.

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

A blog site may seem far fetched in an educational setting, but it is not only possible, but also quite helpful! The creation of a class blog for students to join, allows them to stay up-to-date on upcoming projects, due dates, events, and other various reminders. Teachers can post homework assignments and classroom updates so absent students can just sign on and see everything they missed that day and be prepared for the next class. Posting upcoming classroom discussions online will give students a few days to think critically and prepare any comments or questions for the next class. One of the most beneficial aspects of a class blog is the possibility for students to post their own work, further developing their own creative voice for their peers to read. Teachers can also post outstanding papers or writing assignments of students online for others to see as an example, encouraging students in addition to rewarding them for their hard work.

Learn more about acclaimed author and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker, click here.

Social media has often been painted in a negative light, being labeled as taking away from students' academic progress, when in reality it has the potential to add to it. Social media is a trend that has taken a life of its own, becoming increasingly part of our everyday lives. So instead of running from it or ignoring it, educators should be teaching their students to use it in a positive way that will enrich their learning experience. If used properly, social media can be a fun, innovative way to learn! 

Powerful Moms in Social Media (Part 5 of 5)

Dawn Meehan

Social media has become more and more integrated into our society. People all over the world are activating Facebook accounts, joining Twitter, and creating or following personal blog pages. Even businesses are jumping on the social media train, using sites like Twitter to increase their fan-base and connect with customers. But the group that seems to be rising to the top of the social media world is mothers. Mothers everywhere are dominating Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and more with their advice and mixture of series and humorous stories of balancing work, marriage, and life with motherhood. 


Learn more about acclaimed author and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker, click here.

More and more mommy bloggers are popping up online, but Working Mother has selected fifteen women whose talents for social networking have gotten them national -- and sometimes international- attention. We started with Queen Moms, then Modern Moms, Mompreneurs and Mommy Mavens.  Four women conclude the list of the most powerful social media moms, Dawn Meehan, Amy Oztan, and "dream team" Lisa Stone and Jory Des Jardins.

Amy Oztan

Dawn Meehan has become one of the most popular mommy bloggers in the social media world thanks to her witty blog Because I Said So, which describes life raising her six children. Her blog has grabbed attention for its witty charm, but also because of her occasional highly personal and touching posts, like one about her husband leaving her and another about two of her children being hospitalized for depression. Powerful blogs like these helped her gain the Best Parenting Blog nomination by the Blogger's Choice Awards in 2008. Meehan says her goal of her blogs is to "let other parents out there know that they aren't alone. I want to remind moms that we all experience the daily struggles, chaos, and joys of childrearing." Dawn Meehan has become an inspirational voice in the message that mothers are not alone and how important it is to support one another and use the struggles and triumphs of motherhood to connect to each other.

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

Amy Oztan's blogging career, which she describes as "totally accidental", has grown into much more than a personal hobby. This mommy blogger has changed the face of the digital media community through her surprising level of advertisement on her blog page. She offers full disclosure regarding her compensation by the companies she writes for. This choice has received a mixture of criticism and applause from businesses and the community. She became inspired to take her blog writing from business to personal with her blog Selfish Mom. Her purpose of this blog is to offer busy parents a full and brutally honest product review. Her honesty, along with her unwavering sense of humor, has gathered quite a bit of attention- and landed this mother of two on the list of most powerful social media moms. 

Lisa Stone, Jory Des Jardins

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

Our next social media mommy bloggers come in a pair. Lisa Stone and Jory Des Jardins are the founders of the very popular blog, BlogHer. These mommy bloggers are especially prevalent to our list because they starting blogging before it was cool. In 2004, the pair launched a site dedicated to building a community for women. Since then it hosts over 3,000 blogs and has more than 34 million hits a month. Wow!  BlogHer is also unique because in addition to its blog page, it also organizes conferences for other women bloggers. Since its beginning, BlogHer has built its way up to becoming the seventh largest blog network in the world! That is quite an accomplishment for these two moms (as well as for their third partner, Elisa Camahort Page who is not yet a mother!)