One of our guest writers, Samantha Sand, explains why she lets her seven-year-old son use email through a new app called Maily:

I let my seven-year-old have email, and it’s a lot of fun! The free Maily app for iPad lets Brian create and send messages to family members, like this one to his dad when he was away on a business trip.

There are fun backgrounds and stamps, and Brian loves to pick out a color and write with his finger.

Daddy was happy to send a response.

When Brian’s grandparents lost their beloved cat Frankie, he hoped this note would cheer them up.

You Don’t Need an iPad to Participate

Brian can only send messages to a select group, defined by Mom. This includes grandparents, aunts and uncles.

The recipient doesn’t need the app or even an iPad or iPhone to participate. You can receive messages in your inbox like any other email, and reply using a web-based form.

Parental Controls

There are optional safety settings, like getting a carbon copy of all messages. I turn this on so I know when to let Brian “check his mailbox”.

Fostering Family Ties

I like that Maily lets Brian send his own special notes to family members. Fun exchanges like this one are helping him build strong family ties.

Have some fun with Maily!

This post originally appeared on Digital Zen and is reprinted here with permission.

Written by Samantha Sand

Samantha Sand lives in Delaware with her two kids, two cats, two fish tanks, and one husband.  The pair write about technology and making digital life easier on their blog, Digital Zen.  Sam believes that without continuous effort and intention, slowing down to enjoy family life would not be possible.  She is committed to the challenge, as long as she can keep her iMac.

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