Making E-Mail Fun! - Page 2
© Irene Taylor
Emoticons are different way for your child to add "fun" to e-mail. Here are a few common ones:
:-) - smiley face
:-( - frown
:-< - very sad
<|:-)> - Santa Claus
Find more at Kid's Domain.
Free E-mail Just for Kids
If you want to set up an e-mail account for your child, there are many choices. Letting your child have his own account can be a good idea for several reasons. First, it lets the family e-mail be designated for the adult correspondence. It also gives kids the sense that they are responsible for their own e-mail.
TwoToads offers a very safe e-mail service just for kids. This free, filtered web-based e-mail works just like any other e-mail, but with one big difference - all of the incoming and outgoing mail is scanned by TwoToad's proprietary filtering software for inappropriate words or language. It replaces offending words with a "warning" and it will not allow e-mail with more than three offending words to be delivered. TwoToads keeps track of the number of times a user has violated the User Agreement. It is a great way to teach kids appropriate e-mail behavior.
TotMail is another safe choice. TotMail recognizes the importance of parent involvement when children use the Internet. At TotMail, children may only receive e-mail messages from those people that parents have put on their authorized list. If someone sends a message, and they are not on the authorized list, the parent will be notified before the child ever receives the e-mail messages. Parents can authorize or ban any person or e-mail address.
A Word about Safety
If you are going to let your child begin to e-mail on her own, it is a good idea to go over some rules for safe surfing and e-mailing. The Internet is a wonderful place for kids to learn and explore, but there are dangers they need to be aware of. Here are some ways to keep safe that your child should know:
1. Never give out your full name, address, phone number, school name and address or any other personal information without your parent's permission.
2. Do not click on any links that are contained in e-mail from anyone you don't know. Such links could lead to inappropriate web sites.
3. Do not give out your Internet passwords to anyone (even best friends), other than your parents.
