If you’re like most parents, you want your child to ask permission before they get a snack or ride their bike to a friend’s house. So why shouldn’t they ask permission before visiting any site on the Internet? With Glubble, kids have to ask your permission to visit sites on the Internet.

What’s Glubble?

Glubble is geared to families with children under 12. Think of it like “Internet training wheels.” Glubble offers a safe online place for families where parents can be involved with their children’s Internet usage. By doing this, Glubble hopes parents can teach kids the how to use the the Internet in a positive and safe way.

Also, children are going online at a younger age. My five-year-old is constantly coming to me with requests to go to www dot something or rather and watching Sesame Street videos on YouTube with her dad. With Glubble, parents are able to choose web content for their kids the same way they choose books, television shows, clothes and movies. Glubble makes it easier for parents by packaging over 2500 kid-friendly websites like Discovery Kids or Sesame Street into “glubbles.” Parents can add to this list by easily adding sites they like.

Finally, you can see what Google search terms your children are using. What they’re allowed to search on can be filtered based on parent created lists as well. It’s also a way to find out what they’re researching for school. Think of it as a conversation starter, “So tell me more about your Greek mythology paper. Who’s this Zeus guy anyway?”

How Glubble works

First, you sign up for a FREE family page at Glubble.com and email all the adults you want to participate – mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Then like other social networking sites, each adult creates an online profile including screen name and picture. Then the adults adds their children and create a profile for them.

Once the family page is set up, you need to activate the kids’ profiles, by installing the FREE Glubble for Families software. If you use Firefox® as your default web browser you can download the Glubble for Families™ extension for Firefox. If you do not use Firefox® as your default browser we have a conveniently packed Firefox® 3 with Glubble for Families™ extension. (It works for Windows, Linux and Mac based computers.)

You then switch it into kids mode by clicking on the Glubble Lock icon in the browser toolbar or clicking on a child’s profile in your family page. The browser then switches to a full screen mode where your child will not be able to access any other part of the computer without you putting in your family password that is only know to you. Now it’s time to let your child drive.

Use Glubble as a family gathering place

Glubble has features that introduce children to social networking. There’s a calendar to remind them of important dates. And there’s a way to leave each other short messages – sort of like a family-only Twitter site. (Remember, you’re monitoring all activity, so if siblings start squabbling you can put an end to it, even if you’re online in your office. It’s also a great way to share pictures with extended family members like out of town relatives.

Glubble’s social networking features aren’t very advanced. The calendar section uses military time, for example, which could be confusing to kids. It’s fun to leave each other messages, and it’s a good introduction to IMing. However, it’s the monitoring and permission giving features that make Glubble a fantastic tool for parents. So, open an account, set up your family page and get your kids using Glubble TODAY!

It’s also a social networking site. You can create a profile, save your favorite films and blog posts in one place, and share your own responsibility story.

My responsibility story

Teaching children responsibility is tough especially when it doesn’t come naturally to your child.

I’ll never forget the time that Nathan came back visiting from the neighborhood school playground with his grandmother. He couldn’t wait to show me the treasure that he found. Was it a cool rock or a pretty wild flower? No, it was a three-ring binder filled with dozen of pages manga-style cartoons that some grade schooler had patiently drawn. Nathan brought it home thinking that he could keep it.

“Nathan, that belongs to someone else, someone who spent a lot of time drawing those cartoons,” I explained. “It’s not something to keep. It doesn’t belong to you. If you don’t return it, they’ll be very sad that they lost it.”

I was disappointed in the boy. He only thinks of himself and not how other people feel. Maybe this is normal for an eight-year-old boy. But I don’t like it. It makes me feel that he lacks a moral compass.

Also, I was puzzled that my mother-in-law didn’t insist that he leave the binder on the playground. She mumbled some lame excuse about “telling him to do so” but I didn’t care. She knows better too and I expect better from someone who was a former minister who worked with youth programs. At least she should could have suggested that they return the next day when the school was open. 

Bottom line was that Nathan shouldn’t have taken the notebook, and my mother-in-law should have insisted that it wasn’t his to take. So I made them both walk back to the school and leave it at the school’s front door, hoping that a teacher would find it the next day, and return it to the rightful owner.

Nathan came home upset after returning his “prize,” and I’m sure my mother-in-law didn’t appreciate having to walk Nathan back and forth. I didn’t care. The binder and the drawings belonged to someone else. Returning it was the responsible thing to do.

What’s your responsibility story?

Go to The Responsibility Project to share your story. And while you’re there check out their films. One of my favorites was Mandy & Lester since it reminds me of my responsibility story.

Even though I was bookworm, as a child I spent time outside. I walked to and from school. I explored my town by bicycle. I also played in the backyard, catching fireflies at night, digging for rocks, or playing on our swing set.

Zoom ahead almost 40 years later and my children are driven to a school over three miles away. Our backyard is boring compared to a fast food restaurant play land or the play area at the local indoor mall. TV and computers beckon, too.

We try to find ways to get them outdoors. In the summer, they help mow and gather berries and vegetables in the garden. We go camping and fishing in the Colorado mountains. My husband also takes our children hiking in our national park.

The National Wildlife Federation (those nice people who bring children those Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard, and Wild Animal Baby magazines) recommends that parents give their kids a “green hour” everyday – time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world in a garden,  backyard, or park. To support this they’ve developed the Green Hour website rich in family-friendly content that hosts a supportive virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures.

What’s going on at the Green Hour?

The first thing you should do at the Green Hour site so you can participate in their Member Spaces and Community Corner. Afterwards, subscribe to the Green Hour® e-Newsletter. The last issue I received featured 7 Ways to Spread the Green Hour Message from the Green Hour Blog.

The site also features a Parents’ Guide to help you find the best ways to make Green Hour work for you. It includes tips like discover nature together and be prepared by packing an explorer’s kit.

The Green Hour also features a link to NatureFind – just plug in your zip code or city and state to locate the green spaces in your neighborhood. I did and it gave me nearby state parks, museums and nature centers. Very cool! Finally, there are seasonal activity suggestions like Ice Sculptures or a Lazy, Hazy Reading Day.

Isn’t it time for you and your family to take a Green Hour?

What’s TodaysMama? Well, it’s a social networking site for moms that provides personal, professional and parenting resources designed to foster a greater sense of identity, empowerment and connection for women and mothers everywhere.

The site also provides exclusive columns, features and tips in its Expand Your Perspective section from established authors and experts. Mamas share aspirations and find inspiration on the site’s Dream Big section, and groove and sway to the music on the site’s MamasMix.

So if you’re stopping by, welcome!

And if you’re looking for some summer activities and book ideas, here are a few places to start:

You have to be over 13 to join Yummr, however. (If your child isn’t, make joining and participation a family activity! Or you could do it on your own.) Yummr allows members to create their own foodie profiles complete with blogs, photos, galleries, and friends.

This week I have a challenge activity up at Yummr called Mommy Knows Best:

Preparing a fun and kid-friendly meal can be tough sometimes especially if you’ve got some little picky eaters on your hands. Do you know of some great snacks or recipes that are great hits with the kids?
Share your recipes and photos in this challenge inspired by member AMNichols‘ blog, My Readable Feast and This Mama Cooks! On a Diet, where she provides great healthy eating ideas for the whole family!

Join Yummr and meet me over at the Mommy Knows Best challenge to submit your recipes, tips and ideas. See you there!