So let’s say your grandchildren are coming to your house for a visit. They might want to “play” on your computer. Whoa! Wait! Is it secure? What if they inadvertently download a virus or delete a file? Is it safe? What if they accidentally land on a webpage on “the dark side” of the Internet? How can you keep your grandkids safe online?

Are you worried that your grandkids may accidently see something online that would be harmful to them?

Have you set up a safe environment for your grandchildren?

There are two concerns here. 1. Protecting your computer: keeping your hardware, software, files, documents, and bookmarks secure. 2. Protecting your grandkids: creating a safe environment for them that prevents them from accessing inappropriate content on Internet websites.

So let’s discuss some of these potential problems here in part one of this article. Then in part two, we will outline a plan — what you can do to protect your computer and your grandchildren, and alleviate your concerns.

Do you realize if it weren’t for Edison we’d be watching TV by candlelight?  ~Al Boliska

The Internet is a wonderful place for children to explore — lot’s of interesting sites, interactive games and activities, educational resources, etc. But like the real world, there are places on the Internet that are inappropriate for children. You’ve probably heard and thought about potential dangers for kids online. So, when your grandchildren come to visit, your computer needs to be safe. How do we help our grandkids get the most of this virtual cyberspace, while keeping them safe in it?

Over the years, I have personally used various techniques for protecting my computers and my children, and now my grandchildren. Since threats change with new technologies and modern computers, I have had to stay on top of the solutions. But the basic problems are always the same: bad people trying to do bad things to me and my family and to my computers. The basic solutions remain the same also: keep ahead of the bad guys. Install a shield between you and your computers, and the bad guys.

Now, I’m not trying to be paranoid. It’s like locking your front door at night. You don’t have to obsess over all the potential evil out there. You just lock it to be safe, and you don’t worry about it.

Throughout history, parents and grandparents have been concerned for the safety of their children and teenagers. It seems even more challenging the ever with new types of media and gadgets — radio, TV, music, computers, the Internet, mobile phones, iPods, iPhone…. But we can’t follow children everywhere, holding an umbrella over their heads. We need to teach them how to avoid the dangers in the world.

There are certain activities on the Internet that some adults participate in that are not appropriate for children, and other areas that are suitable for some children and not for others.

Pornography — there is sexually-explicit material on the Internet that it is not appropriate for children to view it or seek it out. And search engine results for innocent topics may occasionally include links to inappropriate websites. Email can be a potential problem, with sexually-explicit spam.

Sexual predators try to disguise themselves as a young person in order to befriend and attract children.

Don’t despair! Even though there are potential dangers on the Internet, it is fairly easy to create a secure environment for your family. In part two, you will find steps you can follow to help ensure that your grandchildren have a positive experience online.

- Shayne

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

We’d like to hear from you. What things do you do to keep your computer safe for children?

Christmastime is a delightful season! Especially when you share it with your loved ones. Grandchildren love to receive thoughtful gifts from grandparents. But more importantly, grandkids love to feel that special kind of TLC that only Grandma or Grandpa can give. Whether it’s through a personal visit, a package of homemade goodies, or via some form of modern technology — connecting grand-to-grand is a special gift grandkids look forward to with an anticipation to outshine the jolly ol’ elf in the red suit himself. There’s lots of fantastic resources on the web where Grandparents can get ideas for projects, crafts, stories, gifts, etc. Grammy Tanda and I share with you here, our favorite Christmas webpages for grandparents. Some of these links are from our very own subscribers — other grandparents who have websites or blogs — with helpful ideas and tips for that loving connection with your grandchildren. 

Uncles and aunts and cousins, are all very well, and fathers and mothers are not to be despised; but a grandmother at holiday time is worth them all. ~Fanny Fern

We know it can be frustrating at times to find what you’re looking for on the internet, so we hope these links will make it easier for you. Enjoy browsing our favorite Christmas web pages.

- Grandpa Shayne

(Tip: right-click or command-click the links to open them in a new tab so that you can refer back to this article.)

• Make a gingerbread house with your grandchildren
• Free Christmas gifts you can make for your grandchildren
• Nana’s Corner - Santa’s Favorite Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Nana Finds - Homemade Christmas treats and other ideas
• Insightful Nana - Free Christmas Printables
• Grandmother Wren’s Christmas Pages
• Advent Ideas to Share with Grandkids Near and Far
• Songs about Santa
• Free Christmas Activities, Puzzles and Crafts for Kids
• Create Christmas Photo Greeting Cards on your computer to mail to your Grandchildren
• A Review of the Childrens Book “Christmas Tree In The White House” with suggestions of other books by author, Gary Hines
• A story about a family who cannot even afford Christmas dinner, much less gifts under the tree
• Inspirational Poetry of Connie Arnold for the holiday season
• A short talk about Christmas traditions by Grandma Joy
• Online Shopping For Finding The Best Christmas Deals
• 13 Days of Christmas Giveaways
• The Ten Best Christmas Songs For the Kid in You
• Crafty: Shrinky Dink Your Christmas Tree
• Santa Claus Can Call Them For You

Let us know if you have a favorite Christmas webpage. Your comments are appreciated.

Why not give us a gift by bookmarking or emailing this to a friend!

Recently, Grammy Tanda and I have been wondering and discussing what all of us can all do to help encourage more grandparents to get online — particularly elderly grandparents. Several of our readers have written insightful comments lately about this concern. They have given examples of grandparents who use computers and technology to connect with their family, and those who don’t. See the discussion -

Connecting with grandchildren: Technology brings instant gratification

Technology-Love-Connection – “Reaching out” using the internet – part two

One reader tells of her 93 year old friend “who is on her computer everyday emailing her family.” Another reader reports that her “94 year old mother will not allow anyone to [help her get] on a computer. If she would, she could see her great-grandkids.”

Perhaps you are a grandparent who is privileged to have one or more of your parents still living. Or maybe you are a parent who would like to facilitate a healthy relationship between your children and their grandparents and great-grandparents. In any case, it’s a fact that many older grandparent are left out when it comes to using the latest communication devices. Sometimes this is of their own doing.

Why doesn’t everybody welcome new technology?

Lack of desire? Lack of knowhow? Lack of money? Fear of the unknown? It couldn’t be stubbornness?

Would you agree that much of the problem has to do with fear? What is it about technology that is so intimidating to some folks?

Throughout history, some folks have been slow to embrace new inventions — the horseless carriage, the automatic washing machine. (Do you know anybody who still had an icebox years afters the refrigerator was invented?) I’m not trying to be critical here, just pointing out human nature.

Is it important for grandparents to accept new technologies for communicating?

We’re not just talking about conveniences that make life a little easier; we’re talking about communicating with our family, with our grandkids! Hey, isn’t that what life is all about — love and family? If technology can help bring our family together, then let’s find ways to use it! Let’s help older folks see what they’re missing out on, and help them get set up.

When we refer to technology here, we mean good technology — newfangled gadgets and devices, websites and services — that can bring joy to families and bring them closer together.

Do you realize if it weren’t for Edison we’d be watching TV by candlelight?  ~Al Boliska

More readers’ comments: Jody says “Just a little hello via email can really keep your relationship alive.” Joy wrote, “Internet communication [is] great for video calls, sharing pictures, emails, etc. Grandparents need to keep up with the times and communicate with the younger generations on the media the kids are comfortable [using].” Do you agree?

The benefits if communication work both ways. Grandparents have so much wisdom, life experience and love to offer. Grandchildren crave and deserve to know them better. Don’t you think so?

What can we each do to help?

We live in a marvelous age where technology abounds. We need only to find it, adopt it, and enjoy it’s benefits. That’s our mission here at GrandparentsTLC, to help grandparents discover technology and show how to use it.

Often what I’ve seen is that folks just don’t know what they are missing. There have been times that I wanted to convince someone that they just had to try something new, but they resisted. The more they resisted, the harder I tried. (Sound familiar?) I’ve found that it’s better just to show them what they’ve been missing without trying to “sell” them on it. Pretty soon they’ll say, “I want that!” Take a lesson from the car salesman: don’t tell them about the features, show them the benefits. Then let them test drive.

Here’s an idea I was thinking: Take your laptop over to their house. Show them emails from family, digital photos and albums, family sites, etc. Imagine their delight when they say, “Oh, how adorable!”

We would like you, our dear readers, to help brainstorm solutions by commenting below. Let’s come up with ideas for helping more grandparents get online.

As always, we will continue exploring more websites, digital tools and devices that can have a positive impact on our family relations.

We appreciate you! Grandpa Shayne

Please help us reach more readers by bookmarking or emailing this to a friend!

[Editorial note: This week at Grandparents TLC, we are pleased to welcome our featured guest author, Grandma Edna Henke. She is an author and popular blogger, who enjoys the instant gratification technology brings to stay connected with her grandchildren.]

There’s a tiny little plaque sitting on my shelf that reads:

If I’d have known that grandchildren were going to be so much fun, I’d have had them first. ~Bill Laurin

Grandma Henke and family

How much better can it get than having 17 grandchildren? Being a grandmother has been the best thing since the invention of penicillin … not that I was around that long ago … but you get the drift. It took about a minus twenty seconds for me to be madly in love with the squirmy little bodies that came to this earth yelling for their NaNa. But, of course, with all the good there had to come some bad and that took place when two of my children moved from Utah to Seattle with half of my litter. I don’t think I would have survived the empty feeling in my heart had I not had the powers of the Internet, cellular phones, and a new digital camera that didn’t even take film!

The magic of those three items has taken an unbearable situation for this Grandma and sort of (not quite but sort of) erased some of those hundreds of miles that separate us.

When my son and his wife had their first little baby girl (six weeks early) while students at the University of Utah I was in the middle of an audit at work and there was no way I could dash up there in time for the welcome to our family celebrations. I sat at my desk anxious to hear everything was fine with mother and baby when I got a flash indicating I had mail. I clicked on the box and suddenly there before my eyes was a moving, true to life picture of our little girl kicking her arms and legs and crying loudly. I can’t begin to explain the thrill that went through me just before the tears of gratitude started pouring down my cheeks. I didn’t have to miss it after all.

Nothing thrills me more than to get a beep from one of my grandchildren – an instant message on my computer. The older kids and I have real life conversations. With the younger kids it goes something like this:

Luca: Hi Grandma, XOXOXOXOXO HAHAHAHAHA

Me: Hi Luca! I love you too, XOXOXOXOXO, HAHAHAHAHA

[XOXO = hugs and kisses] Luca then sends me all kinds of icons of smiley faces, dancing pigs, and broken hearts.

I love it … we are communicating and having fun. Sometimes we tell knock knock jokes.

My older grandchildren from Seattle have also talked me into adding text messaging to my phone so they could send me little messages. (They are now unaccustomed to talking on the phone as their fingers are so used to doing the walking). Typing on a cellular phone keyboard isn’t my favorite mode of communication but you have to keep up if you want to stay in touch with on the go teenagers.

We send photographs back and forth all the time, by email, instant messenger, or telephone. It keeps us in close contact and helps so much with the homesickness on both sides. I was unable to attend Luca’s 3rd piano recital after having been there for her first two. As soon as they got home her dad sent me the video and there she was … just as pretty and proud and smart as can be … playing her little heart out. I was so proud of her!

When my first baby was tiny my husband was stationed in Georgia in the Army. It took two weeks to send a letter and get an answer. I wished so many times Mom could see the cute and unique things he did every day. We took pictures but had to wait until we’d used the whole roll, then send them off to be developed … then make doubles of the ones we wanted to send. It wasn’t a very fast turn around. I feel so lucky to have instant gratification when it comes to staying in touch with my children and grandchildren. My motivation for learning about the new technology is because it keeps me close to my family but there are many other benefits as well. Nothing like trying to learn a new trick even if you are an old dog.

There is one more thing I do for my grandchildren that I probably would not do otherwise. I get on the Internet and find the cheapest airplane tickets I can find that will take me from here to there with no layovers.

Grandma Henke

Visit GrandmaHenke’s blog.

We want to here from you. What do you do for your grandchildren that you would not otherwise do? Please leave a comment below. 

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[Editorial note: This week, we are pleased to welcome back our featured guest author, Grama Barb, a popular "Lensmaster", who has authored over 150 articles at Squdoo.com.]

Photo by lyzadanger

Reaching out to family through the use of the internet has been one of the biggest blessings of this age of technology online. All grandparents should be online just for the ease and speed of communication. The internet certainly is a big factor in my life for staying connected and reconnecting with family and friends. I am not a very good telephone communicator and therefore email has improved communications in my family whether it is just across town or half way around the world.

Sharing family pictures is a really important activity in my life as a grandmother, especially when you factor in the other piece of technology that is a must – the digital camera! That little camera is perfect for all photograph-fanatic grandparents. Now we can take 100 pictures without going broke developing them. And the best part – we can share them almost instantly on the internet. Case in point – my husband’s sister just became a great grandmother to twins. I already have seen an adorable picture of them!

Don’t forget that by being online, you are making it much easier for your children and grandchildren to reach out and share with you. A few weeks ago there was an open house event at my granddaughter’s school that I was looking forward to going to, but my health was not very good at the time and I had to stay home. My son had his cell phone with picture taking capabilities with him and he took really cute pictures and sent them “instantly” from the school. It was almost as good as being there! Talk about experiencing TLC – Technology, Love, Connection! Reaching out is a two way street.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Technology, Love and Connection is a great way to ward off depression that often accompanies growing old and the feeling of being left out – cut off from friends and family. I see it here where I live at a seniors assisted living complex all the time. Those who have a computer and are online are doing much better as they are busy emailing family and friends all the time. Those who don’t are often sad that they don’t see their grown grandchildren very much anymore as often they are now living in other parts of the world. Even one “You’ve got mail” a day would cheer a grandmother and grandfather’s heart! It takes so little TLC to Reach Out!

Grama Barb

Part one: Technology-Love-Connection - How it all began in Grama Barb’s life

Read Grama Barb’s informative article on digit cameras and digital photo frames.

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