message boards for kids

[shlecki]

I wss wondering if there is a message board for kids to talk to each other. My son is 11 years old and would love to know that he is not the only one out there.

[richinma2005]

Hi Schlecki,

We could put a message board up for kids, and make it moderated and private, however, I am not sure if it would be used very much. We have one for kids 13-17, and it is underutilized. If we get enough response and interest we could try it, but I think perhaps finding some penpals through the message board may work better at that age.

So let's hear it, do parents want a MB for kids age 9-12?

rich
president ubpn


Message was edited by: richinma2005

[tkirkland]

My daughter (Amaya) is only 8 but she might appreciate a message board one day soon. She enjoyed very much recently meeting children in her same condition. She never had before. It brought her more comfort then I ever could have realized.

[Kath]

Meeting other children builds confidence and is a great feeling for kids. I wish I had met someone else when I was young. Knowing others with my injury and sharing both our joys and frustrations has been very healing for me.

I'm not sure how a children's board would work out but meeting face to face is great for the kids, teens and even senior citizens.

Kath robpi/adult

[shlecki]

Thanks for the reply! It would be great to get some penpals and maybe let him meet with other kids. Is there anyone in South Carolina near Columbia? It is hard being the only one or at least feel your the only one with these issues.

[ironmansmom]

email me and I will give you my son's email. He is 11 and has ROBPI. We live in Illinois, so sorry no face to face, but a e-pen pal would be great for my son,too.

Hope to hear from you.

[AK1999]

I for one do not trust message boards for young children. Nothing is fool proof and frankly, why put children who may already be sensitive about being "different" out there for some weirdo to take advantage of????

[Carolyn J]

I believe "Pen Pals" to email are better.

Hugs all around,
Carolyn J
LOBPI/70

[claudia]

Message boards are great, but there is something really special about having a penpal.

During WWII my mom was a Girl Scout (it was new back then) and the Girl Scouts got together with their English counterpoint (and the model for Girl Scouts), the Girl Guides. They decided to start pairing the girls up, as so many children were in DP camps (displaced persons) in England. My mom was paired up with a young girl her age from Birmingham, England. They continued to write to each other (yes, snail mail) through marriage, children, jobs....and when their daughters were 9 (the age they were when they started to write) they told their girls to start writing. My first letter started like this: My name is Claudia and my mom and your mom are penpals.

Now, my niece and my penpal's older son are friends and her younger son and my daughter are friends.

I am not embarrassed to say that my mom and Rosemary's mom have been writing for 68 years, and that Rosemary and I have been writing for 36 years. She is my closest friend in the world; I trust her more than anyone else.

Thankfully, our husbands get along wonderfully and so we've done things as families and just as couples.

By the way, she still lives in England (despite my pleadings).

I LOVE PENPALS. I even think the kids should write on paper. Everyone loves mail.

Find a penpal who does not live near you. That way the visits are sooooo cool.

claudia


Message was edited by: claudia

[Tanya in NY]

Pen Pals Rock! In 3rd grade, one of the projects we had to do was write a letter to another school in Tulsa, OK. I'm from Upstate NY. I've had this penpal now for almost 30 years now! It's not a frequent correspondence at times as we are busy, but we've continued to exchange information for that long, and now that facebook is around, we talk more often. Penpals are awesome!

Tanya in NY
Amber's Mom, ROBPI, 6 years old