I think the kids could be a little less I’m-a-very-sad-refugee-and-can’t-smile, but overall I like the message of this video:
I’ve been looking for safe search options lately – both professionally and as a father. Since Google is the leading search engine, it’s one place you need to check.
Google’s SafeSearch feature is supposed to cleanse search results of adult content. As the Google blog recently commented:
When you’re searching on Google, we think you should have the choice to keep adult content out of your search results. That’s why we developed SafeSearch, a feature that lets you filter sexually explicit web sites and images from your search results.
They do admit that no filter is 100% accurate and safe … but I expected better than this:
I watched a re-broadcast of Growing Up Online tonight. This is an excellent, nuanced treatment of issues with kids online, including cyber-bullying and online predators.
This chapter on Ryan Halligan rips at my heart:
My daughter Gabrielle is in middle school as well, and the thought of her being attacked online is difficult to think of. I’m glad our computers are in public places, and I think she’s a smart kid who knows what’s right and wrong, and knows how to take care of herself … but social pressure is intense at this age. It’s something we’ll have to discuss – perhaps after watching that chapter together.
On a brighter note, it was neat to see danah boyd on the show (in other chapters) supplying some good insight on what’s going on in kid’s online worlds … which essentially, are their worlds.
I just let the kids watch Gever Tulley’s video 5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kid Do. One of them is driving your car.
Immediately Aidan, our 5 year old, asked if he could drive my car tomorrow. I said no, maybe on Saturday, though. Right away he went off to Teresa and told her that Daddy had said that he could drive the car on Saturday.
When that statement was greeted with a somewhat strained silence, he added with great assurance: “it’s perfectly illegal!”
Here’s the video. Enjoy!
[ update August 21 ]
So I did it – I let Aidan (5) and Ethan (8) drive my Mini. Kind of gave my heart a good workout.
I found a nice parking lot, let them sit in the driver’s seat (I actually had to sit behind them) and drive the car. Ethan freaked me out when he pushed the gas pedal hard, but fortunately we were still in Park. Of course, they loved it, and maybe we’ll try it again sometime … in a decade or so.
Aidan recently entered a coloring contest at a local store.
The prize was a 5 kilogram chocolate Easter bunny, and Aidan was 100% sure he was going to win.
Sure enough, on Friday last week we got a call from the store. Aidan, Ethan, and I went down and picked up the bunny, which is bigger than Aidan.
As soon as I saw it, I was thinking … hmm … probably from China, the chocolate probably tastes like wax. Actually, it was made in Montreal, and the chocolate – while not exactly gourmet – is not bad at all.
Good thing it’s hollow, but I still have no clue how we’re going to eat it all!
Here’s a shot of him actually inside the box …
Now the question is: what on earth are we going to do with 5 kilograms of milk chocolate?
Anybody want some chocolate, cheap?
Just overheard in the dining room …
Teresa (my wife):
“Aidan, what’s your address?”
Aidan (my 4-year-old son):
“Aidan.com”
Funny little man … funny little man.
Ethan (my 8-year-old son) has made a jersey that he’s selling for big bucks on Cafepress.
Voila:
It can be yours for a mere $18.99 – $5 of which is Ethan’s profit. Hopefully there will be no pyrotechnical antics in Ethan’s future … at least until he’s grown and out of the house!
(This is a story by my son Ethan, who is 8 years old.)Chapter 1Once upon a time there was a boy who loved to swing.One day he swung so high that he slipped of and flew though the air! Then a peregrine falcon stuck him down flying the fastest he could! He fell and fell until he fell into a lake! The lake lead to a river. A current swept him into the river. The river carried him from the lake to a swing. He swung on the swing and jumped off! But just as he jumped off he realized that he was just at his house! (He had gone around the Earth in one hour!)Now he was flapping his arms but that just made him faster because his name is Fly, he is four (But very good at swinging.),and he is one pound! Now because he hadn’t got hit he was up in space orbiting the Earth! His Mom was geting worried now. Just as he thought he was going to get dehydrated halley’s comet blasted him back to Earth! (He was saved!) He landed on his swing and it broke. Yahow he yelled! Because ofcorse he didn’t like swinging anymore.Chapter 2Fly’s parents got divorced because Fly broke the swing that his worked hard for. His Mom stayed but his Dad didn’t. Fly’s new Dad had very long arms so he needed to get to work on a weird bike because it was to much work in a car. His new Dad didn’t like to get to work on a bike because he got to tired. So they decided to make a car that he could drive to work but it cost 987′000′000 dolars! But he still bought it anyway! And that’s when they became poor! But he got more money because he got in the guienss book of world records!Chapter 3Fly’s parents had a baby girl that was not ordinary. It was born with teeth, hair and size two feet. Soon in three months the baby had lost a tooth, had long hair and was walking! When it was in preschool she knew what ninetyeight x sevendysix equals! (It equals 7,448.)So she had to skip a grade but she was still to smart so she needed to skip another grade. But she was still too smart so she needed to skip another grade! And another and another and another and another and another and another and another and another and another and another until it was time to go to College! But she was still to smart so she had to go to universery and that’s just right for her even though people laugh at her for being so smallTHE END- by Ethan Koetsier
The kids all got their medals today from the Fraser Valley Regional Library summer reading club challenge.Aidan, when he came home with his, said now he’s got his first medal “so he can feel like a winner.”
Ethan’s instructions:
1. Blow both balloons up first (to stretch the balloons)
2. Let the air out of both
3. Blow up the balloon that’s supposed to be bigger (on the outside)
4. While holding the outside balloon put the other balloon inside it
5. Blow up the inside balloon6. Blow up the outside balloon just a bit more
7. Tie them both
Picture:
Welcome to Sparkplug 9, John Koetsier's blog on technology and social media.
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