Alright, I have somewhat of an issue here and thought who else to ask but my smart tech-loving mom readers.  We had domains registered for each of our children and created email addresses for them there.

These were originally created for them to give out to friends whom they know at school or activities – in person friends. It worked well for a few years but this summer, thanks to grandpa, my kids now have a computer all to themselves. Because they are also older they are beginning to use game sites that require an account be created e.g. Disney, Club Penguin etc.

Creating an account also means you have to enter an email address and they’ve been using mine. It’s not a huge problem but it is a pain when they keep asking me to reset their password. Also, they’ve been begging to have their own accounts.

I’ve been thinking of finally creating a Gmail account for them because it’s easy to use but I’m still hung up on the ads. I just don’t want them clicking on those ads – who knows where they go to?

How do you handle your children’s emails? I could use some ideas.

Hey I just saw this posted on Twitter and thought I’d share. Very simple and kinda novel concept. Makes you want to smack your head and ask why didn’t I think of that.

If you have an errand you need run but can’t do it, you can go to Task Rabbit,  post your task with the amount you are willing to pay and runners will contact you to offer their help or counter offer. Once you all decide on the rate, you hire them to get the task done. You can also be a runner and earn some extra pocket money.

Too bad there are so limited markets at the moment, only San Francisco and Boston. But from what I understand this is a start-up so it might likely expand given time.

Obviously children (and us too) can get lost on the Internet for hours without us interacting with each other. But instead of viewing it as a bad habit. Why not sit down the the little ones to do something together online? We also made sure these are free so no expenses involved. Here are some ideas.

1. Find a recipe to make together
   It is always so much fun to cook with the kids. Look up a recipe together to find something totally new not in your cookbooks. It will also help kids learn to search for information, and expose them to good websites.
2. Challenge each other to a game
   So many games to play together. Shockwave.com itself has plenty – you definitely want to be with them generally they are pretty clean. My little ones love to play the dentist and spa game. You can take turns playing and see if you can beat each others score for a prize of ice cream.
3. Watch a movie together
   Did you know sites like Hulu have full feature length movies that are totally kid friendly? Some examples are Puss In Boots and The Emperor’s New Clothes. Sure some are pretty old but hey it is free.
4. Write a blog together
   Blogs are so easy to start and free too! You can always go to Blogger.com or WordPress.com to get started.
5. Find a craft to make
   So many crafts, so many ideas online. Part of the fun is choosing a craft together.
6. Read a free book together
   You know I love eBooks. There are tons of classics and not-so classic ebooks out there. In Gutenberg.org itself, I am always coming across books appropriate for tweens and teenagers. Plus, since many of the books were written so long ago, I’ve always found them to be pretty clean. No foul language or explicit suggestions. Mysteries are the best – of course, I am biased here.
7. Research things to do together like plan an outing or find local attractions and events
   This ought to be fun. Teach them how to do local search and read maps and make their own local ‘tour’.
8. Watch video clips together
   There’s of course YouTube which you have to watch like a hawk. If your child is older and perhaps you want some more stimulating material, check out TED.
9. Look at Flickr pictures together
   Pick a topic that might be educational e.g. Sequoia trees then research all about the trees online
10. Bid on an auction together
    While spending is not always a good thing, but spending wisely is. Show them how to spot deals, look for something they want and learn to buy it cheaper than regular retail.

Just watched this video. I haven’t checked it out yet. On the surface sounds good but doesn’t it need you to be logged in in order to work? Anyhow, thought I’d pass on this video.

I’ll still take it over nothing. Wonder if it works on AppleTV. Will find out soon. Meanwhile, watch the video to see how it works and how to turn it on.

I’ve recently become a co-leader of a Girl Scout Brownie troop. Another co-leader suggested Brownie bucks that the scouts can earn for various things throughout the meeting – like helping out or paying dues or being on time and paying attention. It has worked remarkably well!

At the home, since I planned on starting the kids out on an allowance, I went ahead and used real money instead, giving them a set amount and deducting if they missed a chore or mis-behaved. Thing is… I like the idea of rewarding positives more than punishing negatives. And, I had read somewhere that it’s best we don’t pay kids to do chores because in real life, we all don’t get paid to do chores – wouldn’t that be swell?

So when I saw this personalized money generator today, I knew I have to give it a try. I bet they’d get a kick out of that too. Generate money with mom or dad or their own pictures and ‘pay out’ to them for positive behavior and chores. You can later set up a ‘store’ of your own or maybe set up a ‘cash in’ policy. Maybe, you could even draw up a chart with pictures of the things/toys they really want and put your own price on them.

On the site, you can generate Singapore Dollars, US Dollars, UK Pounds, Canadian Dollars and a whole list of other ‘currencies’. These are NOT legal tender of course.