The Digital Planner is a simple orgnizer for the younger set with some game features rolled right in. The play mode is, of course, the favorite amongst my kids. They get their own electronic pet to play with, take care of, and dress.

Using an adorable little LPS stylus pen that looks like a lollipop with a little pet as the dongle (did I just use that word?), the kids can customize their pets room, feed their pet (which is very cute), and clean up after their pet after they eat (too realistic maybe? but still cute. ) Periodically the pet will let you know what it needs, be it a grooming, something to eat, playtime, or something to wear. If it is playtime, your child get to take their virtual pet to the park and play one of fourteen different games. These games are a bit hard to navigate but my daughter enjoyed them nonetheless.

As far as dressing up goes, you press the present box icon to head to the store. Here your pet can pick out an outfit, snap a picture and save it to be displayed in the pet’s room on the screen.

Now back to the “organizer” part of the Littlest Pet Shop Digital Organizer. This toy includes an address book, calendar, and calculator. Input is relatively easy when tapping the keypad with the stylus. The address book is a basic version that has space for names, phone numbers, and birthdates. You can even attach a picture to the entry - but not a real picture - just the face of a little electronic animal. The calendar and calculator are similarly simple - just perfect for a child who is getting their first taste of organizing their own schedule.

If I had to have a complaint - it would be the screen resolution. The monochrome, backlit screen, is ages behind the technology that is available. Of course, the simpleness keeps the price right. And it let the kids be kids when using this toy and not having to handle it too gently, with kid gloves.

Overall, I like this new LPS toy. If you are a big Blackberry or Apple PDA user - then this toy will be your child’s version of mommy or daddy’s phone. The games keep it interesting for the younger set and if they are already LittlestPetShop.com fans then this is a great addition to their collections.

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Yup, my youngest started kindergarten.

And no, contrary to popular belief, I am not drowning my tears in my morning coffee.

Sure, I miss having the kids around - but the extra time thing is pure fiction.

Let’s see. Eleven days in school so far. And what did I do?

• 3 separate days of PTA meetings.
• 5 days of house guests
• 1 far away doctor’s appointment

And that leaves me with two days of “free time” to clean, cook, run errands and get my fledgling internet business aspirations off the ground.

Not to mention all of those projects that I have left for “someday when the kids are all in school”.

So, if you were worried about me, don’t fret. I have more to do now than ever before.

Stay tuned for parenting tips for moms that have too much to do!

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My kids are involved in many activities. Between the four of them we find ourselves at ballet, soccer, swim team, instrument lessons, playdates, math club, and more that I must be forgetting. In addition the activities tried and abandoned trail behind us. In our home, there is never a shortage of things to do, but a definite shortage of free time. As a parent, I like that the kids are involved in sports and activities. I have even offered parenting advice on extracurricular activities

My rule about kids activities used to be simple. I made the kids commit to a season (because I had to pay the bill) and then they had a choice whether to continue.

The problem that I am now facing is that the kids are now growing tired of some of the activities that they have done for years. Take instrument lessons for example. As parents, we have invested in the instrument and the lessons - not a cheap endeavor. The kids have built up their skills and play their instruments well. And now they are ready to call it quits. My parenting question to you - do you let them call the shots at this point?

Let’s talk sports. Say your child has been playing soccer for years and now they are pretty good at it - you, as a parent, see talent, definite potential. One fine morning your child announces - no more soccer, I want to play baseball (or football or badminton). What do you do?

My approach to parenting is very practical so this change of direction jostles my senses. “But you are so good at soccer (or guitar, or the ukulele)!”, I argue. Meanwhile, I am thinking, “And I spent so much money on those d a r n lessons.”

So, tell me, what parenting tips do you have for me when it comes to kids activities and the decision to give up or continue?

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The Apple Camp is basically a free 3 hour workshop for kids ages 8 to 12 on iPhoto, GarageBand, iMovie, or iWork. Did I mention one of my best parenting tips: Free? The workshops are offered at your local Apple Store and you must preregister.

I signed my kids up last year but for some reason our session was canceled. We could not fit an alternate session date into our schedule but Apple was very accommodating and sent the kids some T-shirts and patches anyway.

I will be signing them up again this year.

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To all you Mary Higgins Clark fans out there: she has published her first children’s book called Ghost Ship.

In addition, she has a new novel out called I Heard That Song Before: A Novel.

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While I was impressed with the kids technical know-how, it also made me wonder if the popular video hosting service is a good playground for 11 year olds.

The types of home videos that people can create and post there are largely uncensored. Youtube is not the only culprit - apparently Google, Yahoo!, and MSN also have similar type sites.

CNET.com in their Living with Technology section has posted an article entitled User-generated videos challenge parental controls. It is good food for thought.

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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.

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