Children Blogging

Blogging is one of those things, maybe abit like marmite, you either love it or hate it, some people simply can't fathom quite why anyone would do it, others can't understand why you wouldn't!

So then what happens when your child asks to start a blog?

I obviously sit on the love it fence, although I am quite often not sure what on earth I am doing, and never really think I've got a focus, there is one thing I can't deny and that is blogging has brought some wonderful things our way.

I have tried to explain it before, and its something that I get asked alot, what REALLY draws so many people to blogging? I guess for me anyway its creativity, an outlet to share, and a way to keep upto date and learn and keep up with the ever changing technology.

With that said, isn't being creative and forward thinking something we want to encourage in our children?

But obviously blogging is online - its open and public, is that such a wise mix with children?

This is something I have pondered alot, I have an  online presence and I am very aware of that, I am fully aware that public are onlooking into every single thing I put online, I am also old enough and hopefully wise enough to draw a line between personal and public, meaning I keep a fair chunk of our lives firmly private.

But children... do they have the ability to understand this?

My daughter has for the past few years seen me blogging, I have never hidden the fact that what I post becomes public, that the photos I share can then be seen by people right across the world.

I have shown them the numbers on my stats, I have discussed with them the amount of people who have seen our youtube videos, they are abit unbothered by it and I guess see that as perfectly normal, the boys never really mention much about blogging Chloe however is very interested.

For months she has been creating blogs on a backline to this blog, they pop up and plague my sign in screen, she moan and complains at me to make her blog better and 'get people to look at it' as she sits and spends her time watching people become famous on youtube her world is very digital not reading magazines but blogs, not watching tv but youtube, and she has a longing to join in, to try things herself,  create the media not just watch it, and I admire that.

A few months ago after all the children were asking, we created them their own youtube channel, they happily uploaded a few videos over the half term break  of them messing around and then learnt a valuable lesson on returning to school, that people saw those videos!

Of course I watch over what they are doing and keep dibs on the comments and such like, I try hard to teach them about online privacy. So when Chloe still pestered and begged for her own blog,  I eventually set her one up, made her a header and left her too it.

She surprised me by posting a fair bit on it and so far she seems to be enjoying it. (you can pop over and see her blog here : doodledreamer.co.uk)

Her writing is riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes, (must get that from me too!) but she is finding her own style and experimenting with so many different media types, adding photos and videos to her posts and learning to write creatively.

I can't wait to see how she takes it over the next few months, and if she sticks with it, hey she might turn into a better blogger than me with more fixed focus!

But the niggle of the 'public' space she is venturing in has to be addressed, the wisdom of age that I carry with knowing what to share and with who is something I keep on reminding her.

I do think blogging is a great way to document times for both adults and children, a great way for them to practise writing and creativity and get to grips with the internet. I guess as long as you're there to guide them and watch over them then the public online presence thing, isn't that much of an issue.

How about you, would you let your children Blog?