Safety Archives - Page 11 of 19

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014

How to Receive Automatic Alerts with MamaBear When Kids Arrive/Leave School

When you give your kids the freedom to take the bus, walk, or ride with friends to school, it can be a little unnerving. You send them to school for the day, but you don’t actually see them walk through the doors.

Did they make it on time? Did they . . . detour? Are they safe?

Without confirmation that their kids made it safely to school, many parents are left with a series of uneasy thoughts. Those feelings can be even worse if the child was supposed to send a text and check-in but forgot.

There’s plenty to worry about during the school year. Concerns about your kid getting to and from school shouldn’t be one of them. So MamaBear Family Safety App created a system that automatically notifies parents when their kids make it to their destination — without any effort from the child.

The free app takes the stress out of school travel, and it’s easy to set up.

How to Set Up Location Alerts on MamaBear

From your phone:

Install MamaBear (available for both iPhones and Androids).
Register and create profiles for your family
On the main menu, select “Add Child.”
Enter your child’s name, cell phone number, and birthday.
Under settings for that child, select “Location Alerts.”
Under Safe Places, select “Add New.”
Add a safe place by entering the name and address of the location. May we suggest adding addresses for school and your home before the first day of school.
By default, alerts will be set for both arrivals and departure but you can toggle the buttons to change the settings.

From your child’s phone:

Install MamaBear.
Select “this is a child’s phone” and log in with their phone number and family password.
Review device settings to be sure location services is on, background refresh is on and wifi is toggled on.

Related: Getting Started With MamaBear App

Once you go through these steps, MamaBear will take it from there. The app uses GPS and combined location services on your child’s phone and automatically sends messages to you when your child arrives at or leaves one of the saved locations.

How to Protect MamaBear App From Being Deleted

Locations alerts only work if the MamaBear app is installed and logged in from your child’s phone. It will not work if the app is uninstalled.

To make sure that the app is not deleted, you can add a password to set a restriction on removal for iPhones. Android users will need to explore other parental control options.

For iPhones:

Go to the general settings in your child’s phone.
Tap general.
Scroll down.
Tap restrictions.
Enable restrictions.
Create a passcode.
Toggle “Deleting Apps” to OFF.

With the help of MamaBear, parents can give their kids the freedom to go to school by themselves without having to call or check in when they reach their destination. It offers parents peace of mind knowing that their kids are at school and making it home safely.

Give you and your kids one less thing to worry about this school year, and download the MamaBear Family Safety App.

August 12, 2014August 11, 2014

8 Back to School Internet Safety Tips for Kids

As students head back to school, many will take their own smartphones for the first time. Others will enter classrooms where they will start regularly using the internet for school projects. So this year, it’s time to add one more item to your back to school checklist — discussing internet safety tips for kids.

Here are eight important online safety conversations to have with your child before the first bell rings.

1. Use the privacy settings to keep your account private.

Each social media account has their own features for keeping your account private. Go through each account to make sure you are only sharing information with close friends and family and that all personal information is hidden.

2. Don’t give your password to anyone but your parents or primary caregiver.

If a friend, teacher, or babysitter asks for your password, say no. If an adult insists, tell them you need a parent present before you can share access to your account. Friends don’t need your password, and no adult should request it without a parent’s consent.

3. Don’t share sensitive information about yourself or your family online.

Sensitive information includes your: address, name of your school, phone number, and age. If someone repeatedly asks for such information, tell a parent or adult.

4. Don’t share photos or posts that would embarrass or expose you or anyone else.

If you can’t tell what is embarrassing or racy, ask yourself, “Would it be okay if this was shown on television news or attached to a job resume?” If the answer is no, then don’t post it. Images and words create a lasting digital footprint that can be hard to delete, so always think before you post.

5. Don’t accept requests from anyone you don’t know in real life, even if you have multiple mutual friends.

Only accept people that you personally know, and don’t accept someone just because many of your friends have.

6. Never agree to meet in-person with someone that you met online.

People that you know online are strangers in real life, and they are just as dangerous as any other stranger. If someone asks you to meet them, remember the stranger danger rule — say no and immediately tell an adult.

Related: Protecting Kids from Internet Stranger Danger

7. If you see any type of cyberbullying, don’t respond or participate.

Go tell a parent immediately. Even if you are trying to stop someone from bullying, it is better to not get involved. Instead, notify a parent or adult so they can address and help solve the problem.

8. Talk to an adult if you encounter anything that makes you uncomfortable.

Cyberbullying may be easy to spot and identify, but there are other internet dangers that may not be as obvious. If you have any internet encounters that feels weird or unusual or awkward, tell an adult.

It’s important to have open communication about social media and online safety with your child. In the real world, have regular conversations that discuss both the upsides and the downsides of the internet. Then connect through MamaBear Family Safety app to stay connected in the digital world. The free app is available for both Androids and iPhones.

August 1, 2014

Social Media, Bullying and What You Can Do to Help

Statistics from DoSomething.org show that nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online and another 70% have seen bullying online. But with only one out of ten victims reporting this type of abuse to an adult, cyberbullying isn’t always an easy problem for parents to identify.

Parents must be proactive and prepared to protect their children from social media bullying.

Keep an Eye on What’s Going On

The best way to know what’s going on in your child’s social world is to see it for yourself.

Help your kids set up their accounts. Kids want to be independent and sooner or later, they are going to set up their own social media profiles. Instead of waiting for them to sign up, get involved early. Help them set up their accounts, and use that opportunity to tour the site together, set privacy settings and discuss the dangers as well as social etiquette. When you set up their profile, explain you need a copy of their password and username, not because you want to snoop, but because you want to keep them safe. It’s responsible parenting.
Make monitoring a habit. Being on the social site yourself and friending or following your children make your presence known as a form of monitoring but also providing a sense of security to your kids. Plus, it will keep you up-to-date on social sites so you are more educated on their trends and purposes. Using third party services like MamaBear App can help save time filtering need to know information with customized word list to monitor with timely mobile notifications.
Put limitations on phone and computer use. Setting boundaries is important in all relationships. Set limits on time and place for device use. Limit computer use to a central location where you can periodically pop in and see the screen. If your children have phones for games and emergencies, they don’t need their device with them 24/7. Here are some ideas for a cellphone contract that can guide you in creating these boundaries.

Related: Helping Your Teen be Safe on Social Media

Save the Evidence

If you happen to find an indication of bullying on your child’s social sites, make sure to save the evidence.

Many online sites make it easy to take down messages, so be sure to capture proof while you still can. This evidence might be vital in filing a complaint, so take a screenshot that includes the date and username of the bully.

Block and Report the Bully

Block and report any user that shows signs of bullying directly from your child’s account. You can also file a complaint separate from your child’s account. Many popular social sites also allow you to file a report even if you don’t have your own account.

Twitter: Report an Abusive User
Facebook: Report a Violation
Snapchat: Report Harassment (Need an Account to File a Report)
Instagram: Report Harassment or Bullying
Vine: Contact Support to Report Abuse

Talk About It

Talk to your child about what happened. Discuss that bullying isn’t acceptable and reassure them that you are there to listen and answer any of their questions about the situation.

By planning ahead and properly addressing the problem, you are teaching your child how to protect themselves in the future. But as a parent it’s up to you to be proactive and make sure they stick to the plan.

Download the MamaBear Family Safety app, available for iPhones and Androids, to connect with your child’s social media accounts and ensure that they are engaging in a safe and healthy social media environment.

July 18, 2014July 17, 2014

7 Smart Things You Must Know About Online Safety For Kids

The number of teens on Facebook has fallen by about 3 million in the last two years. Which social media sites are now trendy among our youth that you should know about? Here are seven smart things for parents to know about teen behavior on social media and online safety for kids.

1. The Risks of No Parental Supervision

It is estimated that about 80% of teens have the ability to hide their online activity from their parents worried about the natural consequence of access being taken away with unacceptable activity. However, parenting experts argue that instead of punishment, a much more open and collaborative attitude will help share the risks and provide more opportunities to teach the basic safety skills of accessing the Internet.

2. Get Up to Date on the Trendy Sites

The number of incidents regarding cyberbullying and sexual harassment is on the increase. The likely reason is that photo sharing on Instagram, Snapchat, Vine and others has become so easy and popular. The so-called ‘quick delete’ on Snapchat is not as secure as many people think. The Internet trolls and bullies have never had it so good. For example, the Ask.fm site ( 80 million users), allows a teen to have a public profile page. It is not uncommon to find abusive questions there like “when are you going to commit suicide?”, for example! Aside from these, check your child’s devices for kik, whatsapp and any other app that doesn’t look familiar. As always, open the dialogue and find out who they’re chatting with and why, which apps they use the most and then keep a close eye.

3. Vlogging is Cool

Some teens love blogging about their lives on video and this trend is known as ‘vlogging’. Obviously,YouTube and also Google Hangouts are the places to be. Ask to see any videos your children have made and check to see that there is no personal information shared or inappropriate content that could be reputation damaging or an invasion of privacy. The good news is that there are lots of video tutorials from legitimate sources to help kids learn the right way to vlog. Parents should not forget this fact.

Related: YouTube Parental Controls and What Every Parent Needs to Know

4. Cyberbullying Risks

Talk to your kids about the serious risks of cyberbullying and monitor it. It has been estimated by the Anti Bullying Alliance that about 30% of parents are not talking to their children about the risks of cyberbullying. In addition to talking, use tools like MamaBear or be aware of the need to know risky content by filtering with keyword search and notifications. Many parents require their children to share their social media username and passwords. We support and encourage this sharing of information.

5. Sexting

With the increase in the number of selfies and instant porn sites, the rise in sexting among teens is scary. Again, parents need to talk about the risks of leaving a ‘digital tattoo’. The consequences can ruin your child’s reputation for years to come and subsequently affect getting into preferred colleges and potentially job acceptance.

Related: Taking Responsibility for Kids and Sexting

6. Texting is Trendy

Many parents worry that their teens are becoming digital zombies when they see them texting like crazy. About a third of kids send less than 20 texts a day but roughly 20% are sending more than 200 texts daily! There is good news though from the US Pew Research Center whose research shows that the texting teen is just as active socially in real life. Parents can insist that mealtimes are phone free in order to catch up and bond as a family. They can also keep an eye to make sure that their teens are not relying entirely on virtual friendships. If their best friend is no longer present, that could be a red flag.

7. It is not All Bad News

More good news comes from other research which indicates that teens are not necessarily less literate because of their frenetic digital participation. There are unlimited opportunities for kids to express themselves either in a video such as Becoming YouTube or in self publishing content. Some teens have claimed that they have become more socially adept and less timid because of social media.

Although our children face more risks with increased exposure and parents have more responsibility to teach and monitor safety, it’s a great part of their worlds today. Acceptance with boundaries and accountability is our take.

Need help connecting with your kids and ensuring they are safe on social media sites? Try the MamaBear App for free and see how easy it is to connect with your family with just a few simple steps.

Category: Safety