Doing your part as a grandparent also involves making sure your technology is safe for the kids to use. If you are wondering which controls to install on your desktopcomputer, laptop, or tabletcomputer, the answer may be right at your fingertips -- literally! The top three online browsers -- Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari -- each offer settings and add-ons to help make your grandchild's online experience more age-appropriate. With a few tweaks, you can block sites, filter search results, and also create a white list of sites which are fine for your grandchildren.

As helpful as they are, however, control settings are merely one part of this keeping-kids-safe-online puzzle. And the settings will need tweaks as your grandchildren get old. You'll likely want stricter settings as soon as your grandkids are just starting to go online, and gradually ease up as the children need fewer protections. Most of all, speak with your grandchildren about responsible online behaviour -- and model it, too. Together, explore ways to customize the tools your grandkids use for college, entertainment, and socializing. Learning how to use technology appropriately and finding how to make it work for your requirements are crucial to getting the best out of technology -- while minimizing risks. (Learn more about placing controls.)

Set up Google SafeSearch
SafeSearch filters out the most sketchy websites and images, and it is a fantastic first step in keeping the web a safe place for children to explore. You will need a Gmail account and be logged in to install SafeSearch, and you'll need to set this up for each browser and device you use. Make sure every browser uses Google as its search engine; follow the directions below to check.

In Google Chrome
Click on Menu (at the top right of your browser window, the Menu generally appears as three parallel lines; it must say"Customize and control Google Chrome").
Click Settings, then scroll down to Hunt.
Under where it says"Place which search engine is used when hunting in the omnibox," the drop-down should say Google. Next, click on your account (the icon on the top right). Under Your Personal Info, scroll down and click on Settings. Under SafeSearch filters, select Turn on SafeSearch and then Lock SafeSearch.

In Mozilla Firefox
Click on Menu (at the top right of your browser window, the Menu generally appears as three parallel lines; it must say"Open menu").
Click Options, then click Search.
Under Default Search Engine the drop-down must say Google. Next, go to Google.com. Scroll to Settings, then select"Search settings"

In Apple Safari
In the Preferences menu, click on Safari.
Click on Search Engine and select Google. Next, click on your Safari icon and go to Google.com. Scroll to Settings and choose"Search settings" Under SafeSearch Filters, select"Filter explicit results." Tap Save. Tap the question mark icon next to SafeSearch Filters to enable that setting for all your devices.

Customize your browser

Each browser offers unique features to stop kids from stumbling onto age-inappropriate content.

In Google Chrome
Create a supervised user accounts. Click on Menu, select Settings, and scroll down to Individuals. Here, you can add a user, such as your child, whom you can manage by clicking"Control and see the sites this individual visits when they use your browser" You'll find a dashboard where you can set up search filters to block undesirable content.
Make your Chrome browser off-limits. Also under Individuals, deselect Enable Guest Browsing and"Let anyone add a person to Chrome." Both of these settings prevent others from using your browser.
 On the Preferences page, click"Show advanced settings" Under Privacy, click"Content settings." Under Pictures, click"Do not show any images."

In Mozilla Firefox
 Proceed to the Menu and click Add-ons. Click on the Search icon and type in the sort of feature you want to add, such as"parental controls" or"search filter." Choose an add-on dependent on the features and reviews. You can experiment with various ones since they're easy to add and remove. Normally, the add-on's icon will appear at the top of the display so you know it's working. Test it by looking for something it's supposed to filter. If it does not work, click on Extensions .

In Apple Safari
 Also in Restrictions, scroll down to Allowed Content. Here, you may set age restrictions for downloadable articles and sites. Under Websites, check Limit Adult Content. Next, you can add websites to the Always Allow and Allow lists.

To see the complete list of the tips for grandparents on how to make the internet safer for children, please go GrandparentsLink.com

The holiday season is only days away! You know what that means: grandkids, their parents, friends, and all the family sharing time together. We've got great recipes and some interesting suggestions on how to spend Thanksgiving Day, or how to start meaningful Turkey Day customs. Our mix of kid-friendly indoor and outdoor activities will bring everyone together in the true spirit of the holidayseason. 

1. Have a Board Game Tournament

A little friendly competition helps households bond on Thanksgiving -- as long as everyone is an excellent sport! Gather up all of your family's favorite games and play many rounds -- or even a couple of distinct games -- before crowning this year's family board-game champion.

2. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

1 admirable way to spend Thanksgiving Day is serving food to less-fortunate families in a soup kitchen, church, or community center. If you can not help on the holiday itself, look into ways your family can pitch ahead, such as sorting and collecting donated food or baking soda in the heart.

3. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Families have enjoyed watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV since 1948 (the parade was first held in 1924). Seeing giant balloons, floats, and marching bands roll through the streets of New York City along with your children (while still dressed in your jammies) is a cozy and magical way to start the holidayseason. 

4. Make Crafts and Color

We know the possible scene at your house: somebody, and that might be you, is busy hanging out a feast in the kitchen. A crowd in another room is watching football. The kids are bored or cranky or running wild. Set the youngsters up with some easy craft materials so that they can make festive creations, or easier yet -- break out the crayons and print out holiday coloring pages to keep them amused until turkey time.

5. Play Touch Football

For those who have a house filled with sports' fans, it may be challenging to pry their eyes away from all the televised football games on Thanksgiving Day. However, striking up a family game of touch football is a far more memorable way to spend the day.

Okay, so all of us agree... we enjoy our role, as a GRANDparent, but it's also equally rewarding and beneficial to be grand friends, grand associates, grand supporters; you name it. We can be GRAND in so many ways.

As straightforward as it sounds, we were here first, before all of the names! So consider this: how often have you gone to dinner with friends and family, and just chatted about the grandkids? You've flipped through everybody's adorable pictures until the kids and the pics all look alike. Does this seem familiar? It's not that it's a terrible thing. However, we would like you to take time to be present and mindful, and focus on what your interests are, and what makes you the person you're. Go ahead, there is nothing selfish or self-centered about sharing all that makes you... YOU! What about talking about what is happening in your lives? Our purpose here... let's not lose our identity. It's as easy as that. Let us remember to take some time for ourselves.

Let us contribute to our personal (Grand)ness by:

-Communicating our fantasies and desires and sharing it freely with our family and friends

-Doing something which is hard or challenges our identity - yes, we can dye our hair purple if we like!

-Taking that one trip we always swore we'd take -- whether it is seeing Yosemite, hiking through the Italian countryside, visiting Cuba, spending a few nights in a mountain cabin, or pitching a tent in your backyard. 

-Finally going to that 1 restaurant we swore we were going to attempt two years ago

-Going to the movies in the middle of the day in the middle of the week

-Reading that one particular book that we promised we would read

-Taking the class or lecture series that consistently spikes our interest

-Really and truly exercising at least 30 minutes per day

-Asking a friend and taking the time to go to dinner, to the museum, to a drama

-Volunteering our time... to some cause that is precious to us

-Playing the piano, or picking up the guitar that's been sitting in the corner for years

-Sitting back and being grateful for who we are and where we are. Let's take a moment to self-reflect in the middle of a hectic day.

The best gift grandparents can give to their grandkids is quality time. We love sitting in a big chair all cozied up, reading books together. It is so nice for the grandkids, and it’s good for us. Here’s a list of several of our favorite children’s picture books featuring grandpas and grandmas. We promise you that your grandkids will get a kick out of the story lines – they’re filled with warmth, love, creativity and much more! Check them out, and remember these books make super-duper fun gifts for other ‘grand’ parents you know!

• The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma by Diane and Christyan Fox

An amusing twist on “Little Red Riding Hood” told by Cat and Dog! Cat starts reading “Little Red Riding Hood” and explains, “It’s a story about a little girl who always wears a red cape with a hood.” Dog says, “COOL! I love stories about superheroes. What’s her special power?” Cat says, “She doesn’t have any special powers. It’s actually not that kind of story.” And then the fun follows! Ages 4-8

• How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan and Illustrated by Lee Wildish

When you babysit a grandma, if you are lucky, you will have a sleepover at her house! And with the tips in this book, you’re guaranteed to become the best grandma-sitter. Ages 5-8

• How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan, Illustrated by Lee Wildish

Full of humor, energy, and warmth, this is an ideal for or from a grandparent, and best for lap reading when Grandpa comes to visit or there is a sleepover at Grandpa’s house. Ages 5-8

• Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa by Anna Dewdney

It is an exciting day for Llama Llama because he’s going to visit Gram and Grandpa Llama and spend the night with them!It is an exciting day for Llama Llama; he’s going to visit Gram and Grandpa Llama and spend the night! It’s his first night away from home….and from Mama. He makes certain to pack everything he needs. There are a lot fun things to do with Grandpa and Gram. But, it’s not until he gets ready to sleep that he realizes that he’s forgotten something very important. Fuzzy Llama! Thankfully, Grandpa Llama has a wonderful solution and soon Llama Llama is having sweet dreams. Ages 3-5

Visit GrandparentsLink.com to view the complete list of Picture Books for Grandparents.

Are you a parent or grandparent seeking for a new book to take pleasure in? Look no further. Check out these three books for grandparents that are positive to entertain, inform and invite conversation at your upcoming weekly book club.

HOW CHILDREN SUCCEED by Paul Tough

Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character 

The story we typically tell about childhood and success is one about intelligence. Success comes to individuals who score highest on exams, from preschool admissions to SATs. However, New York Times contributor, Paul Tough, argues that the qualities that make a difference most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control. 

ALL JOY AND NO FUN by Jennifer Senior

The Paradox of Modern Parenthood 

Award-winning New York Magazine journalist Jennifer Senior tries to tackle this question, isolating and analyzing the numerous methods in which youngsters reshape their parents’ lives, whether it’s|it is} their marriages, jobs behavior, hobbies, friendships, or internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half-century have radically altered the roles of today’s mothers and fathers, making their mandates more complex and and far less clear.

GOOD KIDS, TOUGH CHOICES by Rushworth M. Kidder

How Parents Can Help Their Children Do the Right Thing

Mothers and fathers are beginning to understand that deficiencies in ethics and character are becoming a big problem among our nation’s children. Kidder, founder of the Institute for Global Ethics, encourages parents not to give up, given that what they do can usually make a difference, no matter how long or deep the bad habits of dishonesty might be.