An email address is almost as important these days as having a social security number. Because this is an integral part of how our society communicates, I am happy to find a service like as Kids Email Safe Email for Kids. The one year subscription plan from Kids Email is a fantastic solution for giving our children a safe place to learn the how’s and why’s of internet communication.
Normally I am not one to rush my children into the online world. We take it slowly when it comes to turning them loose on the internet and with electronic devices. It’s a scary thing, that cyber-world. So, with a bit of hope and a little skepticism I accepted the opportunity to review this email service designed for kids. And I must say I’m happy with our experience.
Set up was easy. My 12 year old daughter and 14 year old son each chose an email account name and we chose the appropriate level for them. There are three levels: a simplified level for younger children, the basic default level for most elementary children and an advanced mode for teens.
At the simplest level there are no folders. They can customize using simple templates but there few extra features. This Works great for young children or those who are easily distracted. The middle level allows your child to make their space fun and unique, and gives both child and parent options for organizing folders and customizing to fit your needs. The teen option looks more grown up, giving them a terrific transition from the younger version to an all out email account in the adult world of the internet.
My kids had fun customizing their settings with background and color choices. A pink princess or a howling wolf? Maybe stars or flowers?
While they played around with their theme templates, I set the security levels for each. I currently approve contacts to their email lists as well as other security settings. These include things like spam filters, link and attachment approval, notifications, etc.
I really like the setting that allows me to view their mail queue. It will intercept any email that doesn’t follow the safety rules I set up. If someone sends an attachment or she receives an email from someone who is not on her contact list, I receive an email in my own inbox and can approve or reject it.
There are so many great features – how about NO ADS! Marketing groups are not targeting my children and sucking them into their clutches with sidebar or pop up ads. What they see on their screen is their own personal communiations, no outside distractions from third parties. I like that!
Another of my favorite things about Kids Email was the ‘time block’ feature. There are certain hours of the day and night our children are not allowed to be online. The blocking feature lets me lock those hours. Using electronic devices in our home is a privilege and this privilege can be taken away if abused or if other responsibilities (such as school work) are not taken care. If this is the case in your household, you might also be interested in the Grounding Feature. Your child can be restricted from their account for a certain number of days or certain days of the week.
Parents will appreciate the log which tracks their child’s activity. I can see what times my child logs in each day and how many emails he has sent and to whom. I currently have things set so I receive a copy of all her incoming and outgoing emails. I can ease up this setting anytime we are ready, but for now, while he learns to use discernment in his online communications, I think it’s a good thing he has that accountability.
My daughter loves to draw and she sometimes sends her creations to her nieces and nephews. It’s much faster via email, we save on postage and their mama doesn’t have all those art papers to store (or throw away!) There’s an Art Board in this program she uses to draw and color and create, then send away to the recipient.
I am loving the ability to forward scheduled activities and homeschool commitments to all my children. They each can view in their inbox, make note on the calendar or whatever works best. School assignments and daily checklists can even be sent this way. I’ve used their email accounts to pass on details for a recent field trip as well as details about upcoming co-op classes. They love having the info in their own inbox where they can check and double check all on their own.
My children have enjoyed the ease with which they have been able to communicate with their older siblings who live several states away. At time the emails fly back and forth so quickly it’s almost as if they are chatting in the same room! They are having fun planning out some details for our upcoming family reunion.
Note: Kids Email has an app available so you can use it on phone and tablets. We have not yet used this feature but I’ve heard from others it works great. If you’d like to try their brand new app, they are have a special deal available for my readers. Just use the promo code Awesome18 when you check out and it will give you 90 days totally free.
My youngest daughter now has her own Kids Email! She feels quite grown up and is happy to be able to participate in this online activity that all her older siblings are enjoying. My 14 year old son is testing out the teen account (with @kmail.org at the end of his email address.) They have been sending and receiving emails with this one-year subscription to Kids Email Safe Email for Kids and having a blast.
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Are you looking for safe email options for your kids? This is the best option I’ve seen and we highly recommend the one-year subscription to Kids Email Safe Email for Kids. If you aren’t convinced, there is a free trial available so you can check it out for yourself. I expect this is a service our family will continue using in the years to come. At $2.99 a month for up to 6 accounts, it’s well worth the peace of mind to have a kid-friendly, safe option for my children.
See how this is working for other families. Just click the image below to read how my fellow Crew Mates are using this!
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