If you have ever had little kids, chances are you have participated in some sort of activity designed to bridge the gap between your children and far away family. Whether a deployed parent or just a grandparent on the other coast (or continent), families have been creatively using technology to bridge the gap. When my children were little, it was books on tape read by grandparents, and developed into videotapes of Dad while he was on the ship. This last deployment, my husband sent audio files with him reading longer novels to the kids, and we're gradually getting all the older generation on board with Skype.
Today I learned about the next step in the technology of bringing people together: Readeo. Readeo is a website that combines children's books with video chat technology, allowing people to share books together over the internet. Each party will need a computer with a high-speed internet connection and a webcam.
Guest accounts are free and offer limited privileges, member accounts cost $9.95 per month and offer unlimited two-way book reading privileges. However, as a Month of the Military Child special, they are offering a free six month membership for military families. You'll have to request a code to get the free membership.
The site is targeted to younger children and I am sad that it didn't exist when my kids were small. I can absolutely see how this product would have been wonderful for our family. Please let me know if you try it - I am confident it will be great!
