2.15.2012

PSA -- And a layout I've been dying to share with you!

Please monitor your kids Internet Use.  Be VERY CAREFUL!  The truth is, you can't be too careful.  And if your child is at all rebellious, the risks are exponentially greater.

I don't know quite how to explain without going into details of what we experienced, but what I can tell you is that if kids are likely to be visiting a particular site, then you can be certain that sexual predators are as well.  It's a very dangerous world out there.

I don't want to scare you but.....well, I DO want to scare you, so that you'll take more care than you might otherwise have done.  So will you take a moment to consider some things??
  • Does your child have a cell phone with internet access? What kind of control do you have over it?
  • Do you know for certain who she/he is talking/texting/emailing/chatting with?  
  • Are you sure you know, or did your child just erase the call/text/email/chat?
  • Do you have any type of filtering software on internet devices that your child has access to?
  • Does the filtering software allow your child to go to sites where they play video/board games? (these sites are notorious for harboring predators)
  • Does the filtering software allow your child to be involved in social media? (this is THE way most predators will access your children online)
  • Do you closely monitor your child's social media? (can they delete things without your knowing?)
  • Does your child post pictures of themselves on social media? (do you know for sure what they may have posted?)
  • Do you have the passwords to all of your child's social media?
All of the things mentioned above are factors that could mean your child is at risk of being approached by a predator and you would have no idea about it.

Please take care, you'll be devastated if you don't.  I know firsthand what can happen because it happened to us. This was after we had placed filters on everything.  We did have passwords. But the fact is, we also have a rebellious teen who chose to try to find the loophole. There was a loophole and disaster struck.  

Please....be careful.

Now, on a lighter note, I present to you one of my favorite layouts in quite a while!  This is another layout using the 'Remember This' kit over at Scrapbook Circle.

The theme was to create a layout based on the title of the kit, Remember This.  It brought to mind an old 'Out of the Grey' song I used to LOVE.  (well, truth is, I love all Out of the Grey music!)  Soooo, I found a photo that 'felt' right and off I went.  Perhaps it'll only mean something to me, but either way, I love the mix of bits and bobs.








Thanks for stopping by!  I always love your feedback so thanks for leaving me the love as well!  Have a great day.



32 comments:

  1. WHOA! That's very bad news- I hope everything is working out for the best interest of your family- it's incredibly disconcerting- I hope you are ok as well.
    Beautiful page- love the details That MME line is one of my favorites ever. I feel like I shouldn't focus on it at all given the subject of your post but I appreciate that kind of real talk- it's very rare.

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  2. I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles - that must have been so scary! Your layout is beautiful! I love the interesting layers and the soft stenciling of "remember." Beautiful work!

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  3. Wow....super scary. I'm always warning my junior high students about this. On a nicer note, your layout is beautiful, and I too love Out of the Grey!

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  4. im sorry to hear that :( but I'm sure God has a way for you :)
    ooo.. and let me tell you what i love about your LO! your handwriting, the heexagon shape cut thingy, the color combo,... oh alright... everything :D!!!
    and btw, i was a bad girl for not passing the Liebster award on until the 3rd person who awarded me reminded me!!!!!! oh shucks!!

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  5. Parenting these days, in the world of the Internet, is a very scary thing! I'm so glad you have scrapbooking as a creative outlet because this LO is beautiful!

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  6. So sorry to hear of this and thank you for your honesty in your post! I love that LO too! God is real and awesome! All. The. Time!!!

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  7. your layout is beautiful.. and u are so right about never being too careful.. i hope and pray my teenage girls use their heads and are always careful. xo love love you

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  8. what a great layout. so well constructed.
    just some advice - i have 7 children. they are mostly grown. i will tell you that they will do what ever they want anyway. the most important thing you can show them is love (easier said then done when you want to kiiiiiiiiiill them! try not to take their behaviour personally. it's not about you. it's THEIR JOURNEY to take in this world. we all go through changes. heck! i still am and i'm already well grown up. be there. be alert. be connected. even without talking.

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  9. Your layout is gorgeous! I am currently obsessed with that line it's so beautiful! I have a 17 yo dd and for years I have sounded like a crazy broken record about the internet. She has friends who have had some scary situations and that has helped her to see it's not just mom being over protective...bad stuff happens on the net!

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  10. OMGoodness, I hope everything is OK!! This, among other things (war, school shootings, gangs, etc) make me not want to have children. Things have changed so drastically during my lifetime, I can't even imagine how things will be in the next 20 years. It scares me so much.

    Your layout is beautiful, as always.
    xoxo

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  11. What great advice, I am so scared for when my son gets on the computer alone. You just never know. But what a great layout, so that made me smile:)

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  12. Such a GREAT reminder of how dangerous the internet can be for kids, so sorry you had to go through something like that. I am dreading the day my children are old enough to use the internet, especially when I think about my rebellious teenage years when there wasn't social media :(

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  13. Gorgeous work, as always, Ursala! We always monitored our son's computer activity, never let him close his bedroom door when he was on the computer, my husband would periodically check where he had been online. More for his protection, he was a good kid!

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  14. The world can be such a scary place, hope everything is ok, and I love the LO.

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  15. I love this paper line and what you did with is incredible.

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  16. Really beautiful layout. I love the photo and the misted title.

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  17. wow thanks for the layout i'm going thru something posted it on my Blog but you layout can right on time...

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  18. Love your LO and how the paper is cut. Great job!

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  19. Very pretty LO.... sorry something happened but I hope your PSA makes someone take notice in their own world before it turns ugly.

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  20. Beautiful! Light and airy. And good PSA... it's really scary out there.

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  21. Great- PSA! I met the man of my dreams 7 years ago via internet when I was 18 however there are SO many precautions people need to take. I was nervous back then, met in a public setting with friends along with me. I make sure to tell my neices and nephews continuously even though I met someone wonderful online there is no way you can trust anybody-- teens think they know it all, I am sorry to hear this has happened to your family!

    Beautiful Layout & Thanks for sharing your experience!

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  22. Boy, I am not looking forward to when my child grows up. My mom thought I was out of control when I locked my diary in my drawer lol!

    Can you elaborate a little bit when happened? I really can't fathom what would happen when a child have internet access? Other than if a girl logs into a chat room and agrees to meet a stranger for coffee, or send him naked photos of herself? Are there subtler things that may happen?

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    1. I'm sorry, I"m not really at liberty to explain further, but I assure you that there are all manner of things that are subtle and not so subtle and the lesson really is to beware and keep track of what your kids do and who they talk to and what they access. You can't be too careful.

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  23. As an extra word of caution, text messaging without internet access is still a way for p*rn to be distributed. I know a young teen who was texting the words "hot t*ts" to ChaCha, ( a question & answer site that all the teens use) and was being sent pictures. After several months of this, he confessed to his parents and asked for help. They had the unlimited texting blocked from his phone. He didn't have a smartphone, just your basic phone with texting.

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    1. You make a good point. The trouble is there is a lot of junk and it's way too easy to access.

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  24. Nice page Ursula!
    I agree- you can never be too careful with computer time and kids.

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  25. ursie, ( i love that name!)
    so sorry for whatever happened! i know all to well the dangers!! jake had access to way too much! and we tried to monitor him closely. but he found a way around our blocks. social media and being "connected" are so so dangerous for our children! it is too easy for them and for those who would try to corrupt them!! the temptations are just too great. so thankful for where he is now!!! praying for you!

    now, WOW, i LOVE your page!!! all of your pages for Scrapbook Circle are incredible!

    p.s. did you get the pm i sent you a few days ago at jbs. no need to answer, i read your post at two peas. great advice.

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    Replies
    1. you know what, I did get your email and didn't respond because I think I've answered that question like 5 times in the last few weeks and thought I'd answered you. LOL Sorry I didn't respond directly.

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  26. i am thinking about subing to SC. should i??

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  27. Hi Dear, I feel your pain! This is my 3rd computer, my 1st one I LOVED, it was a DELL, and worked great, till my nephew came to live with me and downloaded a bunch of Cr*p from "those" sites! It never worked right again, despite several anti-virus programs, etc..I never knew until it was too late!
    As for the layout great, I loved the tiny flower, the twine frame and the sewing! Great job! Love Penny Scrap-aholic@blogspot.com

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