Over the Hills, Through the Web: Here Come Grandma and Grandpa
MyGrandchild.com combines real-time audio, video, interactive books
and games to create virtual visits between long-distance grandparents
and grandchildren
NEW YORK (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) January 16, 2008 --
Grandma and Grandpa used to live around the corner. It used to be easy
to see them. Now they live 400 miles, or more, away and visit the
grandchildren only once a year. The launch of www.MyGrandchild.com,
a first-of-its kind Web site that combines real time audio/video, chat,
and interactive games and activities, will bridge the divide of time,
distance, and the short attention span of young children, to allow
grandparents the opportunity to virtually visit anytime.
“We have seen people trying to have meaningful
telephone conversations with young children and found it to be very
difficult at best,” said Dror Oberman, CEO and
founder of MyGrandchild.com. “Grandparents
will now be able to have engaging and enriching ‘face-to-face’
conversations, play games, create crafts and even read their
grandchildren a cyber good - night story, all in real time, with
MyGrandchild.com.”
That’s good news for grandparents, aunts and
uncles, and parents who are away from their families on prolonged
business trips, military deployments, or are separated because of
divorce.
“MyGrandchild.com is a service that is clearly
going to fill a need,” Oberman added. “Society
is now very mobile and extended families are no longer living close
together. Since we see this trend continuing into the future, it means
families will only see more geographic separation and fewer visits
together.”
Virtual Visits
The newly-launched MyGrandchild.com creates an online experience for
grandparents and grandchildren that is the virtual version of a physical
visit. It allows grandparents and grandchildren to do the same things
they would if they were physically visiting each other, such as reading
books together, playing games, and doing art activities.
To get started, grandparents simply register their information on the
site and create profiles for each grandchild. There is nothing to
download, nor is a credit card required, and new visitors are offered
three no-cost meetings.
Once registered, just three steps are required to arrange and start
conducting a visit: choose, invite, and meet.
-
First, a grandparent chooses the books and activities that
would interest the children they are going to visit;
-
Second, a grandparent invites a child by selecting a date and
time for their visit. An email invitation with the designated date,
time, activity, and secure meeting code is sent to the email address
of the parent or caretaker of the child;
-
Last, the adult and child log in using a secure meeting code and meet
with each other. The site’s activities and
a child’s attention span lend themselves
best to 30-minute visits.
MyGrandchild.com is launching with 15 books. Each book comes with two
games that help enrich the reading experience. New books are added on
weekly basis. Unique game packages will be added in February.
Grandparents have a variety of meeting packages to choose from, ranging
from one session at $4.95 to a yearly subscription for $95.50, allowing
50 meetings between grandparent and grandchild. Gift cards also are
available and are sold in denominations that follow the meeting package
pricing.
To help prepare for a meeting, the site offers adults tips, tools and
information that the child does not see, including technical information
and advice to ensure enriching visits.
MyGrandchild.com is a synchronic, or real-time, environment where users
on different computers can simultaneously view and manipulate the site
while seeing and hearing one another.
In order to get the full experience from the Web site, it is recommended
that new users purchase a Web camera and a headset that includes and
microphone and headphone for each user. MyGrandchild.com works best on
high speed broadband networks.
MyGrandchild.com believes that cyber security for children is of the
utmost importance, and has measures in place to ensure a safe and
enjoyable experience. Additionally, MyGrandchild.com complies with the
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
(COPPA), and strongly suggests that parents routinely talk to their
children about interacting with the Internet, as well as follow
well-known recommendations for keeping children and their identities
safe while on the Internet.
About Mr. Dror Oberman
Prior to founding MyGrandchild.com,
Oberman spent more than five years as the CEO of the Snunit Center for
the Advancement of Web-Based Learning, based in Hebrew University,
Jerusalem. Snunit develops content in Hebrew, Arabic, English and other
European languages, serving 75% of Israeli elementary schools
subscribers and hundreds of thousands of open-audience users.
Oberman brings leadership as well as a unique ability to identify social
and educational needs. A creative collaborator, he is skilled in working
with people from varied backgrounds and marked by a long-term commitment
to educational and social improvements based on personal integrity and a
humanistic approach.
About MyGrandchild.com
MyGrandchild.com was established in June, 2006 by an international group
of educational, technologies and social entrepreneurs committed to
forming and nurturing connections among families, particularly children,
by overcoming barriers such as distance, language and time. Using the
scope and power of the internet, the site’s
creators endeavor to foster family values and develop a springboard for
establishing positive connections within families world-wide.
Editor’s note: Mr. Oberman is available
for interviews during Eastern Standard Time business hours. Reporters
are invited interact with MyGrandchild.com and visit their
grandchildren, children, or nieces and nephews through the no-cost trial
available to all new users.
MULTIMEDIA GALLERY http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5586070
See the original story at: http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/mygrandchild/visit/prweb632031.htm
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