Hi Friends – today producer Lynne and I talked how we are sick of “snack.” Now used as a plural as in “mom – you have to bring ‘snack’ to the game on Thursday.” And nobody is talking about carrot sticks and water bottles. How did we get to the point where our kids can’t exercise for 30 minutes without getting a sugary treat and drink at the end of it? Sheesh.

Then Lynne and I spoke with Monique Nelson of www.webwisekids.org about internet safety for kids. How do we keep our kids safe on the internet? During summer, that problem becomes an even bigger one for most parents. Well, Webwise kids has some great games for different ages of children to SHOW them what can happen in the real web world. In other words, your kids can play a game and help a detective solve a case, for instance, involving a real child who disappeared for a time because he was lured away by someone on the internet! Go to www.webwisekids.org to learn more.

Ahh, but what if you have a child who thinks being lured away might be kind of fun? (Lynne and I have a couple of those.) Well, on top of policing the internet in your home and teaching your kids some basic safety rules, you need a great internet filter. But different filters will work for different families. It depends what your needs are. You can check out the pros and cons of filters you are considering, or just determine what kind of internet filter will work best for you, but going to www.filterreview.com.

But remember – when it comes to kids and the internet, there too it takes a parent.

And this week we have a great giveaway: the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois – west of Crystal Lake – is providing a family 4-pack admission in August for a special festival and exhibit they are hosting, including Thomas the Tank Engine. I’m definitely going to make a day of it there with my kids. The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the United States. This is a $60 value. You can find out more here: www.irm.org. As I announced on the show, the first person to let me know here that you’d like that family four-pack wins! I’ll respond to you in person, and announce your name on the air July 12th. Good luck.

As always, thanks for listening. Please tell your friends, and learn more about our sponsors at the right. If you would like information on becoming a sponsor, please let us know at sendtohart@comcast.net.

Next week Lynne and I will talk about kids and phone answering machines (I say don’t try this at home) and letting our kids learn to handle adversity and not panic ourselves.

Have a great week – Betsy Hart

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