So, When can I get a FB page?

This morning Jay and I were doing a little yard work when she came over to where I was pulling weeds out of the cosmos flowers and asked, "So, how old do I have to be to have my own Facebook page?" Of course I felt a bit of anxiety creep in because I knew she would not be happy with my response, which meant I would feel obligated to explain.

"Well, why do you want a Facebook page?" I asked her, glad my sister's wisdom of "ask lots of questions first!" came to me.

"I don't know," was Jay's response. This is one preteen response I detest, by the way.

"Well then it doesn't really sound like you need to be on Facebook if you can't articulate why you want a page," I said. "Do your friends get on Facebook?"

"Some of them do," she said, then proceeded to rattle off all of ONE name.

"Ahh, I see. Well what would you want to do on Facebook?" I asked.

"I don't know, I like commenting," was the answer my 10-year-old gave.

"You can't have a Facebook page because you are too young. And you won't be allowed to use it until you are, probably, in high school," I said. "I've heard too many stories of girls bullying other girls not only at school, but especially via text and Facebook. When people talk online, it's very hard to tell the emotion behind what they are saying, that alone can cause a lot of problems among friends."

In short, Facebook brings about too many nuances that work against kids and the dynamics they have in their social circles. Some kids are fine using the social networking sites, I don't want to find out that my kids are unable to handle a social life in cyberspace. For me, keeping them off Facebook equals one less fire to put out.

Then I told her about the story I saw on Good Morning America about the teenage girl who had been tormented so badly on Facebook (at school as well) by other girls that she took her own life. That story alone was enough to convince me that it is all too easy to say something online to destroy a person, then hide out behind the computer screen - I've seen it happen among adults - and it seems easiest to keep my own children out of the fray.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share even if you don't agree with my take on the Facebook thing!

Summer Reading

Every year, since Jay could read, she has participated in the local library's reading program. This year, both kids have been choosing books to read and enjoy throughout the summer because if they do nothing else, they will read.

I have lulls in my desire to read - I love magazines, so they are always a staple in the house for me - but I'm not always in the mood to read a BOOK. But since summer has enveloped me in its lazy, all-too-hot ways, I've blown through two novels without a whole lot of effort.

As a kid, I didn't love reading. I often envied my father's ability to read book after book and seem to really enjoy his quiet time that way. But I wasn't a strong reader as a child, I could read the words just fine, it was comprehension skills I lacked. When that is the case, why read?? It's just not fulfilling when you get nothing from it.

Now that I'm older reading and comprehending come more easily, and it's my own personal getaway. One June summer day I decided to find a novel at the library while the kids did their thing in the kids' section. I don't like doing it this way because I rarely find anything good going all willy-nilly. But somehow I lucked upon a book called, "Everyone Else's Girl" by Megan Crane and it sounded like something I could relate to (that's a whole 'nother blog entry!) Needless to say I loved the author's style of writing and the story was a good one. I enjoyed Crane's style so much that I'm going to snag her other books from Amazon!

Then, whenever I'm in Barnes and Noble - one of my happy places - I see a display of books by Emily Giffin. After putting a few of her books on reserve I finally had one in my hands and I devoured it. If you ever watch "The Wendy Williams Show", you know Wendy often calls celebrities 'a friend in my head', meaning, they aren't friends but would be if they ever got a chance to hang out. I feel like Giffin is a 'friend in my head' for sure! Her writing is so easy, so cool chick, that I have to slow myself when I read her work - it's that fun to read for me! The first book I read by Giffin was "Heart of the Matter" which ended up being difficult to read only because I could relate so much to the characters' circumstances - but I couldn't put it down.

For me, reading has been such an integral part of summer because we have so much more free, easy time that have more time for reading. It seems Jay has taken advantage of the season as well because she's read about four books already! There's nothing quite like picking up a good book and losing yourself in it - after all, the rigors of fall really are right about the corner!