The Un-Fun Parent – Sampa Book Review

First Impression

Un-Fun Parent Cover

The Un-Fun Parent. At first, the title seems a bit off putting.  Will it at least be a fun read? If I were a parent, becoming “un-fun” would seem like the worst way to keep your kids safe AND happy.  They’re mutually exclusive – you can’t have your cake and eat it too!  But hey, maybe I’m wrong.

OK, so curiosity got the best of me and I had to see if the book was all it was cracked up to be.  Keep in mind, I am going into this thinking that this author, aka the new generation Stalin – the king of “un-fun,” will be providing parental advice on how to effectively spy on your kid’s internet activities while, simultaneously, informing you on the latest brainwashing techniques to keep them happy. Splendid… (muahahaha…)

About The Dictator Author

Who’s this guy anyway?  Ian Lurie? A self-proclaimed “child whisperer?”  A world renowned Nobel laureate for his breakthrough research on child behavior?  Or, how about the Founder & President of an internet marketing company?  Oh wait, that last one is true.  Actually, he’s owned an internet marketing company since 1995 and has two kids of his own.  Ok, so maybe he does know a thing or two about the internet and keeping kids safe. Also, what makes him less draconian than what I thought he initially would be is in his list for “Jobs [and rules] as a Parent,” in particular: “Don’t totally humiliate my kids in front of their friends, unless it’s funny.”  Just from this, I knew the rest of the book would be a fun and easy read.

So, was he actually un-fun? Possibly.

This book is a breeze to read at 60-something pages long and can be easily squeezed into your hectic schedule – perfect for those times you’re stuck in the mommy minivan lane waiting for your kid to get out of school. It’s aimed towards parents who are either new to the internet and/or don’t know of guidelines appropriate enough for their kids, from grade school age to early teens, to follow.  But this book goes beyond guidelines, it gives you tools for things such as how to spy on stay alert on what your kid is doing on the internet.  You can keep an eye on your kids’ plans to take over the world from their Facebook updates and teach them ways to avoid downloading malware that will destroy your computer.

At times,  the things he suggests may seem like what an “un-fun” parent would do, but Lurie provides practical examples in his daily life that show a balanced approach to some common problems that may arise.  While the book does cover some of the basics, like step-by-step instructions on setting up your firewall, there are some new things you’ll learn like ways to prevent cyber bullying or using Google reader to help you keep tabs on your little ones.  This is not the, as Ian states, “be-all and end-all” for keeping your child safe on the internet, but it is jam-packed with a ton of good information for such a small book and is a great place to start if you have no clue what you’re doing when it comes to your child and internet safety.

After all, you don’t want your kid growing up like this guy who was fired from his job because he indulged in an online gaming obsession. It could have been prevented if his parents had gotten their hands on a copy of Ian’s The Un-Fun Parenting book.  For more information, visit Ian Lurie’s blog where you can purchase a copy of his book and also be informed by his regular updates on useful internet safety tidbits not found in his book.