Facebook Kids Messenger

About a year ago, I signed the big kids up for Kids Messenger. I held out for a while, but a few parents I trusted had signed their kids up, and their kids wanted to talk to my kids, so I really looked into it. I really like that I have full control of who their friends are, that I can see everything they send and receive, and that they don't have the ability to delete anything. So, we set some ground rules:

1. If you become obsessed with it, it goes away.
2. If I see anything inappropriate, it goes away.
3. If you are found using the facetime option in a room with no adults, it goes away.

I have been really amazed at how well they have managed their time and conversations. And I love that they send me (and sometimes each other) sweet messages!

So, when Covid hit, and a few of Gemma's friend's moms mentioned getting them on there, I hesitated a bit. She is quite a bit younger than they are, and this could really present some issues later down the road. But I talked to her and she agreed to the same rules. I've seen a lot of good things come from my decision:

1. She is getting stronger in her grammar and spelling.
2. We are getting to see some real creativity in the videos she sends to us and her friends.
3. She is learning phone etiquette. The first week she had it, a friend called a few times in a row while we were watching a movie as a family. Jason told her to answer and let her friend know she couldn't talk, and Gemma then answered and said, "Um, we're watching a movie, so stop calling me." Then she hung up. We immediately made her call back, apologize, and explain. We then set rules about talking to people on the phone how we'd talk to them in person, and about only calling once per day, and waiting for that person to call back. Another time, I told her she had to go and her friend asked, "Why?" I told her that when someone says they have to go, she should tell them she had a nice time talking and that she'd talk to them later.
4. She is becoming friends with children of my friends, many of whom she sees very infrequently, and some who she had never met. I LOVE watching these friendships form!

We have a family group chat, where we send lots of videos, memes, stickers, and sweet messages.

This app has been such a great way for my kids to stay connected to their friends when they otherwise can't. We are so blessed to be living in a time when there are so many ways for them to keep those connections and that interaction. It's not the same as hugs and sleepovers, but for now, it really has been amazing.

Some of the early messages from Kyran and Karyssa to each other and to me. 

Gemma's most talked to people last week...Two are the children of some of my best friends in town that we rarely get to see, one is the daughter of one of my childhood friends and bridesmaids, and the other is my best friend from grad school, who lets Gemma talk to her almost one-year-old on video chat! So cute!

One of the first videos Gemma sent me! (Excuse Kyran talking to a friend in the background.)