Your Kids And The Internet

All over the globe, children are spending an increasing amount of time on the Internet. Access to an endless supply of information can be an incredibly valuable tool for children; it can also present some serious risks. Kids can become the victim of online predators or be exposed to pornography that they could find at least seriously confusing, or worse, seriously disturbing. More commonly, they’ll simply spend too much time in front of the computer.

The moral of the story is that children’s computer usage needs to be monitored closely by the responsible adults in their lives. A few common-sense tips can help keep your child safe online.

1 The computer should be in an open area, not in a room behind closed doors.

2 Take a trusting approach. Kids who are given credit for making responsible decisions are much more likely to continue to do so. Let your children know that you count on them to use the Internet responsibly.

3 Set clear ground rules about what constitutes appropriate computer use for each child. The rules should reflect a child’s age and maturity level. Try to be as fair as possible in the limitations you impose. This will make your job easier and allow your child to learn to make responsible choices on their own. As long as you continue to keep tabs on their Internet activity, you’ll know if there’s ever a problem that needs to be addressed.

4 Use filtering software and other parental controls to limit websites available for use by each child.

5 Tell your child about the ways you monitor their activity. Let your child know that it’s for their safety.

6 Make sure that you explain to your kids about online strangers and the threats that they can pose.

7 Teach your child to never give out personal information, including their full name, age, school, address, teams they might be on, or after school activities that they participate in.