Q: Vilma, tell us a little bit about your family:
I have one son, Noah, who is 6 years old. My husband runs his own business, and I’m in marketing. We’re both entrepreneurs, and being that we don’t have 9 to 5 jobs, the internet is a vital resource to help us manage our time, find inspiration for work, and to search for new opportunities to grow our respective businesses. I also act and model, and my son Noah has been modeling since he was two-years old.
Noah has been featured in catalogues and he has even appeared in a couple of movies! He absolutely loves modeling, and has a blast on every shoot. Finding jobs for him and staying in touch with agents seems like a full time job sometimes, but our speedy internet helps me track his work in an efficient way and discover new opportunities for him.
Q: Does Noah spend time online?
Yes, absolutely. Right now, Noah knows how to find his favorite websites; we’ve bookmarked some educational sites for him so he is always learning while he’s having fun. Noah is in the first grade and he also uses the internet to help him with his homework; every time he has math homework we fire up the computer to provide him with access to tools that make learning easier and to keep him engaged.
And, of course, he also absolutely loves his online games, and knows how to find his favorite movies.
Q: Do you monitor Noah’s internet activity for security and content?
We set up a system where all of his favorite sites and applications are right at his fingertips so he doesn’t have to search far to find what he needs. He navigates the web through bookmarks that are pre-approved by me or by his father. Additionally, someone is always in the room with Noah when he is online, and we haven’t had any security issues.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: As your child gets older, internet security becomes a more pressing issue. There are ways to keep your kids safe online: parental control software is available to ensure your child’s safety and keep him on kid- appropriate sites only.]
Q: Do you monitor Noah’s screentime?
We do, except for when it comes to his homework. We allow him to spend as much time as he needs online to help him learn new concepts, understand what he’s learning in schools, and to get his homework done. But, when it comes to watching movies or playing games, we limit him to about an hour to an hour and a half.
Noah He loves going outside to play with his friends and ride his bike. In fact, we get ideas online for fun games he can play with his friends and cool ways he can spend time outdoors.
Q: As a mom, what’s your internet usage like?
Oh, wow! I use the internet for absolutely everything. Aside from using it for my business affairs, I use it to help me around the house. I find almost all my recipes online. I have my favorite recipe sites bookmarked and I use these resources to find healthy and quick recipes to make wholesome family dinners.
As a working mom, I also use online tools to help me keep me manage my time and to get tips about how to balance my life. Things can get pretty hectic around here, so it’s good to have a resource at my fingertips to provide me with helpful information that actually makes my days run smoother.
I also go online to get ideas for family fun activities; we like to spend our weekends together having quality time as family, so I go online to find out what’s happening in our area, or to find activities we can do together at home. I’ve registered with a number of parenting sites that provide ideas for lots of cool family activities, and even when I forget to check them, I get handy newsletter in my email.
Of course, I go online to shop. It’s a great way to get the scoop on sales and deals and to get promo codes and coupons for discounted items.
We also use the internet to stay in touch with relatives who live far away. This is particularly important because with the internet Noah can form real relationships with relatives that he rarely gets to see.
Over all, having a reliable internet connection enriches my family life and makes my every day easier.
