I received this comment on yesterday’s post on internet safety. It contains a wealth of useful information for parents. I think it deserves it’s own post instead of being buried in the comment section, so I have copied the comment on internet safety here:

Hi Neena.

A couple more sites on Internet safety for you and a way to get involved.

I run www.wiredsafety.org, which is the parent organization of www.teenangels.org. we are the world’s largest cybersafety and help group, comprised entirely of unpaid volunteers. I am also a mom (luckily, the kids are now adults :-)), and founded teenangels.

check out www.stopcyberbullying.org, www.wiredsafety.org, www.wiredkids.org and www.katiesplace.org. These are all our sites, with slightly different themes.

In addition, we have a new mom-centric program, called wiredmoms. it is designed to get moms blogging and social networking or just involved, and will share tutorials, printable, hold classes and give moms the support, information and networks they need ot protect their kids and all kids online.

I see it as a cyberarmy of moms, an online equaivalent of MADD, but on cybersafety and responsible use.

I welcome your help and appreciate your mention of teenangels.

if you want to help us get the word out and create the network for wiredmoms, I welcome your help and the help of your readers. Drop by www.wiredsafety.org and fill out the volunteer form. Wiredmoms are exempt form our police clearance and training requirements.

Tel them I reached out to you and your readers. they will make it easier to get involved.

we can keep them safe together.

best.
Parry Aftab
Exec
Director
WiredSafety.org

Today I attended an internet safety presentation given at my kids school. It really is a scary place out there. I had posted earlier this month on internet safety, however, I realize that what I am currently doing may not be enough.

My children have not yet ventured into the world of instant messaging and internet chatrooms. And I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. But the oldest one has been asking because, I quote “all my friends” are instant messaging. I guess I’m from the old fashioned school where if you need to talk to someone - just pick up the phone or see them in class tomorrow.

I also want to trust my children when they are on the computer and not look over their shoulder at all times. But curiosity has gotten the best of all of us. It is human nature, after all.

I walked away from this morning’s presentation with a few more ideas and a long to-do list.

• First, there is no substitue for parental involvement. As I previously posted the location of the computer is KEY. It should be in a common area where you can always monitor what the kids are doing.
• Second, open communication is critical. Should you punish the kids if they come across offensive content? The answer is no. You should appreciate the fact that they were upfront with you. But, at the same time you need to work together to avoid a repeat.
• Third, I could use a little help from a software program - perhaps to restrict the time allowed on the internet or the sites visited.Clearly I have some homework to do.

  The following sites provide some tools and food for thought: www.isafe.org, www.netsmartz.org, and www.teenangels.org.

  This is a software program that provides parental controls on Windows based computers. Read more about it at www.mysafekeeper.com.

Today dinner is ready - already! Due to a very under appreciated appliance of mine called The Slow Cooker.

I often forget that I have it there - in the back of the cabinet. But when I put the slow cooker to use - I always think that I should use it more often. What could be better than making dinner in the morning when I have a little uninterrupted time. And having food ready to feed the crowd that arrives home in the afternoon.

Surprisingly, a lot of regular recipes can be adapted to the slow cooker. Soups, stews, chilli, curries, roasts, chicken, beans - you name it. I have even found some fantastic vegetarian slow cooker recipes and vegetarian soup recipes, which can be hard to find.

The slow cooker is a must have for busy families and one of the most simple and best parenting tips around.

“Mom, what’s for dinner?” is the question that I hate the most.

Probably because it is hard for me to think that far ahead even if it is already 5:30p.m. Add afterschool activities and sports to that and cereal begins to look like the only option.

Recently I purchased a calendar for the SOLE purpose of meal planning. It is a two page per week layout. Every weekend I sit down with this meal planning book and write down what I plan to serve each evening.

Making kids lunches can also be challenging, so I make notes regarding this as well. By laying it all out I can easily see if they plan to buy lunch, if I must make lunch, or if they can take leftovers from the previous evenings dinner.

If I am feeling really organized, I can even grab my coupons, the grocery store circular and my recipes and put together a shopping list at the same time.

I must stress that I use this calendar for meal planning ONLY. I do not clutter up the space with daily activities and appointments. This helps me to stay focused on my task and is also easily referenced throughout the week.

The calendar that I have chosen for meal planning is the Mom’s Plan-It Calendar. The great thing about this one is that it has a bookmark sized grocery list on the left hand side that is perforated. So, you can make your list as you plan and easily rip it out and take it with you when you go shopping.

So, is there always a hot meal on the table in our house? No - but we have definitely seen some improvement!

“Turn off the lights! You’re wasting energy!” - It used to be every parents mantra. But I don’t hear it as often anymore. I try to remind my kids - but there are so many other things to nag them about. In picking my battles, this one often gets left behind.

Lately, I have been wondering how much it really costs to leave those lights on (environmental impact aside). There is an excellent explanation at the U.S. Department of Energy.

The bottom line is this:

• One 60 watt bulb burning for 1 hour translates to .06 kWh (kilowatt-hours).
• On your electric bill you are charged a certain rate per each kWh used. (On my last bill this was made up of a bunch of different rates for generation services and delivery services. When I added all these together my total rate was about 18 cents per kWh)
• To leave one 60 watt bulb on for 1 hour costs me about 1 cent (.06 kWh x 18 cents = 1 cent)That doesn’t seem like a lot.

  But I rarely have just one bulb on. In my average sized kitchen I have 10 recessed lights. If I left these on for 8 hours a day (we are in the kitchen a lot!) for a month, it would cost about 24 dollars. When I consider all the other rooms in the house the costs just add up.

  To make the numbers more real, count every light bulb in your home. For this example just assume that it will cost you 1 cent per light bulb for each hour it is on, then do the math.

  I will definitely be scouring Home Depot this weekend for more energy efficient options. And “don’t forget to turn off the lights!”