Stardoll's Security Guide for Parents & Teachers

As in the real world, you need to teach your child how to avoid risks and how to handle different situations. We encourage you to set up your own rules together with your child on how to use the Internet. By taking responsibility for their children's online computer use, parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of being online. Our experience is that many of our young users are very aware of the ethics online, and react when someone breaks the rules. Please raise your child to become a good online citizen, to help us keep this a safe environment. Make it a family rule to:

• Get to know the web and any services your child uses. Have your child show you what they do online, and become familiar with all the activities that are available. Find out if your child has a free web-based email account, and learn their usernames and passwords.



• Don't be too critical towards your child's exploration of the internet. Children may come across adult material by accident on the web. If a child intentionally searches for such web sites, remember that it is natural for children to be curious about off-limits material. Try to use this as an opening to discuss the content with them, and perhaps make rules for this kind of activity. Be realistic in your assessment of how your child uses the internet.



• Encourage your child to be careful when disclosing personal information in a public message such as chats or newsgroups, and be sure you're dealing with someone both you and your children know and trust before giving out this information via email. Adults should understand that the Internet could be a positive meeting place for children, where they can get to know other children and make new friends. However, to avoid unpleasant experiences, it is important that children do not meet strangers they have met online without being accompanied by a parent.



• Never respond to messages that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter such messages. If you or your child receives a message that is harassing, of a sexual nature, or threatening, forward a copy of the message to your ISP, and ask for their assistance. Instruct your child not to click on any links that are contained in e-mail from persons they don't know. Such links could lead to sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate web sites or could be a computer virus. If someone sends you or your children messages or images that are indecent, lewd, or obscene with the intent to abuse, annoy, harass, or threaten you, or if you become aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography while online immediately report this to the NCMEC's CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com.
  
• Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children.
  Discuss these rules and post them near the computer as a reminder.
  Remember to monitor your children's compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your children spend on the computer. A child's excessive use of online services or the Internet, especially late at night, may be a clue that there is a potential problem. Remember that personal computers and online services should not be used as electronic babysitters.



• Check out blocking, filtering, and ratings applications together. Be sure to make this a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child's bedroom. Get to know their online friends just as you get to know all of their other friends. If your child has a mobile phone, talk with them about using it safely. The same rules that apply to computer use, also apply to mobile phones.



• Teach your child about source criticism on the net. Most children use the internet to improve and develop knowledge in relation to schoolwork and personal interests. They should be aware that not all information found online is correct. Educate your children on how to verify information they find by comparing to alternative sources on the same topic. Remember that everything you read online may not be true. Any offer that's too good to be true probably is. Be careful about any offers that involve you going to a meeting, having someone visit your house, or sending money or credit-card information.



• Encourage good Netiquette. Netiquette is the informal code of conduct for the internet. As in everyday life, there are informal ethical rules for how to behave when relating to other people on the internet. These include being respectful of others' privacy, being polite and using correct language.    
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• source : http://www.stardoll.com/en/help/article.php?sectionId=15&articleId=12

StarDolls Review

By Aldric Chang 

You may remember paper dolls from your own childhood.  If so, you have the briefest view of what Stardolls is all about.  Loosely similar to paper dolls of days-gone-by, Stardolls is one site amongst the many virtual worlds for kids that will give your youngster many hours of creative fun.
The brightly-colored graphics of Stardolls will put your child in the frame of mind that she is playing with her favorite celebrities.  Tastefully designed, your little girl will find opportunities to learn about a variety of hair styles, clothing, and nails.  She can experiment with styles and colors in this free online virtual world.  From doing this, she will learn more about mixing and matching, and what looks good together.  When she is able to experiment with all of these through this online site, it is an easy way for her to develop both a sense of fashion and her own wonderful individuality.
When your child plays with Stardolls, she will also learn about herself.  While expressing her creativity, she will be delighted in discovering what she herself likes the most.  From her favorite colors to popular styles, your little girl will learn how personal expression is the most important factor in deciding how to present herself through what she wears and how she uses cosmetics and hair styles.
From the long-popular American Girls dolls, to Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, and more, Stardolls is created with the young girl in mind.  The youthful dolls and celebrities are the ones which today's little girl can relate to the most.  This virtual world for kids puts the world of stars and fashion at her fingertips.
As the Stardolls site is made up of links, parental assistance is recommended for the youngest children.  A young child may need some help navigating the links, and choosing the ones she wants to visit.  After she has been shown how to find her way to the various game links, she will be in for a real treat.  Unlimited hours of fun has never been easier.  Stardolls is a learning experience which your little girl will truly enjoy.

Visit http://www.virtualworldsforkids.info for more comprehensive virtual worlds for kids reviews.
This article was written by Aldric Chang - a creative entrepreneur who is at the moment building free online adventure games for kids and running a successful 3d animation studio - Mediafreaks. His creative accomplishments span across the production of several hundred animation projects, casual games, music compositions, cartoon animated series and a virtual world for kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

 

Bratz Star Singerz Doll

One of my daughter’s favorite Bratz toys is the MGA Entertainment Bratz Star Singerz Dance Stage With Doll Fianna. This is a set that comes with the a Fianna doll.

Fianna has long blond hair, this particular doll wears a pink head band to match her outfit, this pink band is also her ear piece like the ones you see singers with on stage, they sing into that instead of wearing a microphone. She wears a short pink dress with a long sleeved black top underneath it, and short tight silver knee length pants, as well as leg warmers, and special shoes.

The set also comes with a dance stage. To make it work you stick the doll on connector on the stage, then you actually push her toe on to it. The doll then spins on the stage. The stage has 5 different lights, and when the switch is turned on the lights flash and music plays. It plays the song, "We Can All Be Stars." The doll actually dances and moves by use of a remote control. Although this doll is supposed to be some kind of a rock star it looks more like she is doing ballet. I guess she is a rock ballet star.

The actual dance base or stage is made of hard plastic and you must switch it on using the first switch to use it. When the first switch is on the stage flashes. As mentioned above the stage has 5 different lights. When a second switch is turned on the music will play as well. The stage can also has a speaker and can be interfaced with an MP3 player. There is no volume control on this toy, but the volume it is set at is not too bad. It is loud enough to hear, but it is not super loud or over bearing. When my daughter is in her room playing with it I can only hear it if I am standing right outside her opened door.

The stage also has a another food spot where a second Bratz doll can get up on the stage and dance as well. You have to make sure you have the right Bratz dolls though. There are certain Yasmin, and Chloe dolls that will work with this toy as well.

The toy takes 6 AA batteries. But the batteries last for a long time.

The set also includes a hair brush, and an extra pair of shoes. Or in the case of Bratz dolls extra feet.

The toy is pretty nice but there are definitely some problems. The doll is only partially pose able, and she does not really dance so much as spins about. As I mentioned above she does not really look like a pop star on the stage dancing around and singing to a pop hit. She looks more like a ballerina than anything. Another problem is that the doll has to be very carefully placed on the base or she will wobble about, and will eventually fall of the stage. Even when she has been placed on the base correctly depending on the moves she is making she will still get to wobbly and eventually fall off. This can become increasingly frustrating especially if 2 dolls are on the stage and they each take turns falling off. My daughter once had an episode where she would put one doll back on and just as soon as she would get one doll on the other one would fall off this happened three or four times, and I thought she was going to throw the toy across the room. Luckily she is more patient than that, but she did get quite frustrated and decided she didn’t want to play with it any more.

The MP3 player hook up is quite easy, and my daughter has used the stage to play the music out loud even when the doll is not on the stage and she is not playing with it.

The toy is reasonably sturdy, and will last beyond the years that my daughter will actually play with the toy, which is pretty much coming to pass. The toy has lasted for at least over a year. The toy is kind of pricey at around $40.00 but, if the child actually plays with it, it is worth it.

The toy is appropriate for ages 6 and up.