The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

As the World Wide Web grows at an ever expanding pace, it is up to us to keep up with the changes as well as keep our lives safe virtually. Being virtually safe can literally lead to being physically safe . Chat rooms are dangerous places for adult, not to mention children. Meeting people online can be fun, but it can also be misleading. Keep in mind when online the following tips, consider it Social Networking 101 crash course . Use privacy settings. This is a no-brainer. Keep the strangers out of your profiles and photos. Don't make yourself an easy target for predators and for bullying. Check your privacy settings weekly to be sure they haven't changed. Think before you post. In the same respect, think before you hit send. Imagine a teacher, a parent, a family member, college admissions, potential employer seeing this post and consider whether it is appropriate or not. Trust your gut. If someone is bothering you, block them. If you have suspici...

Recently we read about whether parents should read their child's diary or journal. With the advances of technology, we need to take this a step further: Should you read their emails or text messages? Again we can go back to " when safety trumps privacy ." Our teens deserve to be trusted unless they give us reason to suspect something is wrong. Is their behavior changing? Here is a review of some warning signs (many are the same to determine if you should read their diaries). Is your teen becoming very secretive? Sure, teens do like their privacy, however if you have a "gut feeling" something is deeper than a secret, you may have to cross that line. Is your teen becoming withdrawn? Again, teens will develop some attitudes of not wanting to be with adults, however when it becomes extreme, it may be time to cross that line. Is your teen changing peer groups? And this is not into a better one, however to one that is less than desirable? You will again atte...

I was just introduced to this "remarkable" website full of great information for parenting today in today's techy world! Remarkable Parents offers valuable, educational and great resources. Take the time to read their Blog and articles and become more informed on today's technology. About Remarkable Parents: Twitter. Google Docs. MySpace. Facebook. When you hear these words, does it sound like a foreign language? Is MySpace your idea of outer space? Better Communication Try to communicate with your kids using these new social media and software tools and you’ve probably thought Forget it Don’t Forget it. Get it, with the help of Remarkable Parents. Use technology as an ally, not an enemy . Remarkable Parents don’t fight the flow, they roll with it. You already know that everything is happening now on the web. It’s where your kids are interacting with their friends. What you may not know is that it’s also a forum that allows us to be in contact with each other, and m...