It's been many years since my kids
lived with me and back then in the "Good Old
Days" they came in after school and did
their homework and
chores without distraction by something
called the World Wide Web. In contrast, my
10-year-old grandson proudly announced the
other day that he had won a $1000 Best Buy
gift certificate, an Apple computer, and an
IPod, all just for simply entering his name,
address, and telephone number on the Web.
Fortunately,
he didn't have his Mom's credit card or that
would have been tapped as well. Soon
thereafter, he began receiving late-night
calls from marketers and these stopped only
after I informed the callers of his age and
threatened them with bodily harm if they
persisted with the phone calls.
This is the same 10-year-old who not long ago
trashed his computer so badly with viruses
(virii?) that I had to do a total reformat.
It seems he picked these up by surfing
wherever his mouse takes
him. He often chooses his computer when he
could be
outside with his friends playing Kick-The-Can
or whatever kids play these days. He and his
older brother are "latch key" kids for a few
hours before their Mom gets home from
work.
Now, I'm not suggesting that the Internet is
something to be totally avoided. Certainly,
it's an excellent resource and, within
moderation, it can be a valuable tool. It
totally
replaces the many-volume hardbound
encyclopedia (when is the last time you saw
those?) What I am concerned about is
that our youth
(and likely we adults as well) spend entirely
too much time at the computer. In my
grandson's case I strongly suspect that those
minutes and hours following his homework are
what gets him (and his computer) in trouble.
You've probably seen press about childhood
obesity and computer/Internet addiction. Or,
maybe you know firsthand about teenager
obsession with Facebook and how these virtual
interactions replace real face-to-face
interaction with friends and family.
Recently, Justin Magaram, who lives in
Seattle, called to my attention a program
called TimesUpKidz that helps parents limit
the amount of time their kids' spend (or
waste?) on the computer. Justin worked at
Microsoft for 10 years and specialized in
designing software for "normal people" - not
PhDs in computer science. He set out to
develop a program that would end the
arguments he faced when he attempted to limit
the time his two boys spent on the computer.
I spoke with Justin. He admits that before
TimesUpKidz he sometimes let his kids stay on
the computer for a long time because it made
the house quieter and he could get stuff
done. Says Justin: Parents (myself
included) often aren't disciplined enough to
get the kids off the computer and to deal
with the inevitable power struggles that
arise. The kids say "I just need another five
minutes" and the five minutes turns into an
hour or more.
TimesUpKidz installs effortlessly on Windows
XP/Vista/7. You can set different limits for
each child, such as 2 hours/day on the
weekend and 1 hour/day during the school
week. You can block access late at night, and
require your child to take regular breaks. I
had it up and running in about 10 minutes -
it was all very straightforward. Your kids
will hear audible reminders like "5 minutes
left" and then get booted off the PC when
their time runs out. The program is very
tough to defeat, even if your kids are more
tech-savvy than you.
CLICK
HERE for a 30-day free trial (you
don't even have to give your email address).
If you decide to
purchase this handy peacekeeper, you'll get a
single license good for all computers in your
home. I've browbeat Justin into a 25%
discount for Neat Net Tricks readers, just
$22.46. To get the discount, use Google
Checkout (not PayPal) and enter
neatnettricks
in the "use a coupon" box. Any major credit
card can be used.
I know there are empty nesters reading this,
but you likely have grandkids or other family
members and friends who are faced with the
"too-much-computer" dilemma every day. Do
them a favor and use the "Forward this email
to family or friends" link near the bottom of
this email to send this message
to them. You can add your own personal
message if you wish and they will get the
same special discount because you cared
enough to send this report to them. They'll
thank you for it.
The end result of using this program? Kids
will benefit as they develop other interests,
and parents will certainly enjoy less stress,
fewer power struggles, eliminated
arguments.... well, you get the idea.
Give it a try, but remember this special
price is time-limited and the clock is
ticking!