How do I put pictures up? How do I embed something? Get a “Child Mentor.”

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published

• The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published
• Squeaky Clean
• How do I put pictures up? How do I embed something? Get a “Child Mentor.”

One of the most important things you can do, if you’re any kind of novice navigating cyberspace, is find yourself a Child Mentor. Our two-and-half-year-old daughter knows how to use an iPhone better than her 60-something grandmother. No lie. Their brains are just wired differently. Your child mentor should ideally be between 14 and 21 years old. A mentor in this age range should be able to show you the basics, like how to open an account on a social networking site, how to post on a blog and, for the true Luddites, how to tame your mouse.

Bestselling author Pamela Redmond Satran, whose 20 books include How to Not Act Old, which grew out of her blog, says, “When I first started blogging, my 17-year-old son would come home and I’d pump him for information. How do I put pictures up? How do I embed something? How do I put up a link?” Child mentors are not hard to find. You might even have one living in your house. And honestly, a 14-year-old will work for a video game or a month’s supply of pizza. Heed well the famous adage: “And the children shall lead them.” Find a wise child and follow her down the rabbit hole.