School Days: Kids Email - A Crew Review

In our modern age of convenience, where we have every type of technology available to us, it's difficult to remember a time when that wasn't the case. When I take a moment or two, and consider my childhood versus that of my daughters', the difference in advancements still amazes me. We live in an age of instant gratification, whether we're speaking of shopping, researching information, or getting in touch with friends and family. I remember waiting days, and often weeks, for letters to arrive from my favorite cousin/best friend. I had two options available to me. I could either wait for the mail, which was often painfully slow, or rack up huge long distance phone bills. Forty years later (ouch, has that much time elapsed?), I am still struck with wonder as I use social media to chat with friends who live across the ocean! No waiting! Yes, life is very different for our children today, who have no idea what it's like not to have such luxuries. Email is one such example. It has all but replaced old fashioned letter writing. Now, I will admit that I still love a handwritten card or letter, but it's wonderful to have the ability to instantly connect with someone, whether for personal or business purposes. As it relates to our children, they need to learn how to navigate all of the technology in a responsible manner. That can be scary, as we frequently hear frightening stories of predators preying on the innocence of a child.

The good news is that there are safe ways to introduce kids to technology, which brings me to the subject of this review. My daughters have been using Kids Email Safe Email for Kids from the company, Kids Email . Why do kids need their own version of email? Why not just set up a regular type of account for your children? Well, there are very good reasons. Spam, ads, viruses, uninvited contacts, and yes, predators.

What makes Kids Email stand out from a typical email account:

* No ads!

* No spam!

* Parent monitoring - Parents receive notification for every email that comes in, or goes out.

* Mail Queue - This feature notifies parents when an unapproved contact sends your child an email. You may then approve or block/delete that contact.

* Time limits - You decide at which times your child is allowed to log in. There is also a setting that allows you to "ground" your child from email use for the time that you decide.

* Block feature- This allows you to block anyone that you choose.

Setting up your account:

You'll do an initial registration, after which you will be contacted via your email with instructions detailing how to activate the account. Then, you will be directed to the Parent Control Panel. There, you will select all of your settings, what you will allow to be sent to your child, regarding links, images, etc., who can email your child, and what times of day your child is allowed to log in. When choosing your child's email address, the last part of it will be either @kidsemail.org, for younger kids, or @kmail.org for teens. I'm sure that older kids appreciate the more grown up option. Once these steps are completed, your child can begin emailing! Their homepage looks like a typical email page, complete with settings that they can change to customize to suit their personality. For my youngest, that means a daily change to fit her mood, lol.

Kids Email Safe Email for Kids has been a fantastic option for my daughters. I had been considering when to open email accounts for both of them, but put in on the back burner, so to speak. So this review opportunity arrived at the perfect time. Both of my girls are loving Kids Email, but it's my youngest who is particularly enthusiastic. She gets on the computer throughout the day, checking in with me, her dad (my husband), friends, and family. I email her everything from simple notes to say hello, to her daily assignments and chores. She loves having the ability to converse with her dad during the day. Her best friend in the world recently moved to another state, and this has been a great way to keep them connected. I receive notifications for every incoming and outgoing email, which also includes a copy of each email, so I can keep tabs on her communication.

The notifications and settings work very well. When two different friends sent emails, they were not on the approved contact list yet. Before they could go through to my daughter, there was a notification in bold lettering (so I couldn't miss it), and I had the option to approve, approve and add to contact list, or delete and block. It's great, it really is.

This email option also has the benefit of being available as an app for your phone or tablet, so yes, you have access anywhere that Internet service is available. Is this sounding like a good fit for your family? Well, here is another incentive...you can try it free for 30 days, with no obligation, no credit card, no contract. If you like it after that period, you can set up a monthly or annual account. To borrow a corny phrase from commercials in a bygone era, what do you have to lose? Set it up!