Question.... Tom has asked could he have his own blog. What do you think about that my friends? He is 12 years old. He wants to do this because it seems smarter than My Space, MSN and Facebook.
He wants to learn to publish, how to compose a post and what to do to upload images.
I said he "may" be able to, I will discuss it further with others. I also said that I would wnat to proof read each post before he publishes them, that is "if" the answer is yes.
15 comments:
I think as long as he exercises some caution, restraint, and common sense, it should be fine. Probably best if you do check his posts before publishing, especially at first.
Suggested rules: No mention of his surname, specific location, or the name of the school he goes to.
Thanks Stace, you have covered THE most important information...any further to that is welcome here.
I think its a great idea! Let him chose a nickname and proof read (only to the extent that he is not giving out personal info, we don't want to cramp his creativeness here!)
So much better than facebook (where there is NO privacy whatsoever! and Myspace, where my teenagers have hung out for years using their "real names" yikes! At least he is asking you and seeking your advice. Thats a very mature thing to do from the start. I think he is well and truly ready mummy!
I think it's a great idea. It would be a place for him to be creative and write and learn. As long as he doesn't give away important stuff like Stace said. And you might monitor comments too.
In fact, maybe getting him a Word Press account where he make people register before commenting which would allow you to have a little more control.
Nothing quite marks the passing of years than watching blogmates' kids grow up. Of course he should have one. It will improve his writing and computer skills no end. But I would only check his first few posts and if they are ok to publish, then trust him a bit, and of course read the blog yourself just to monitor that he is on course. "Mummmmm, why won't this picture upload? Help me Mum".
Oh, yes, I agree with not giving out personal info. Suburb might be ok, but not school, last name, friends names etc.
Some good advice here ;)
Along with everyone else i think it's an excellent idea. Follow rules about privacy and remember the entire world has access to what he writes. Blogging requires more thought and creativity that FB which can just be annoying. You will have to have the right to monitor his posts and check on comments. The advantages outweigh the risks as long as he uses a bit of restraint.
Absolutely, let him have a blog. And, I'll echo the other commenters who advise you to monitor it until he understands what's good and what's not so good to reveal. This will probably add to your work load for a while, but it'll be worth it in that it'll enable you to bond with him in ways that might not be open to you otherwise.
I Dunno....
Maybe let him start out by "Guest Writing" on your blog and see how it goes...?
Thanks so much for all your positive comments and suggestions, Tom and I are slowly creating his own place to be ...creative :)
I think its good if you monitor the content and probably the comments, too. Don't want some crazy girls on there I'm sure. I does seem a bit more educational than myspace, especially if he is writing his own stories. Good for him!!
I agree with Stace...no mention of age as well...he may want to write stuff you don't see which is fine and personal...but sit him down and have a solid talk about creeps and all of that. You are a good mum. Not a bad idea to ask can you be a "blog mate" of his...and you can participate...but not crowd him out if he wants to be silly...he may even be interested in having as blog mates some of your younger links...who you already know are good people...its good to have them when you first start out...and blogging is much more clever than facebook or twitter - he is right
I think our kids are pretty well schooled from the outset about not giving out personal info and being careful, but I know that I still have to monitor things and have caught them in a few careless mistakes.
I want my two to blog, under my supervision, as I think it's a great way to express themselves and perhaps make friends with like minded kids (unlike MSN, Facebook and MySpace).
I think this could be a very positive creative outlet for Tom. I like the idea of your being the "editor" and you could teach him how to put out his ideas and experiences without actually using real names and places.
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