Keeping your Child Safe in Cyberspace

Before beginning on a series of blog postings that are going to suggest all the dangerous that face our children out there on the internet, I think it is important to make one point very clear: the internet is a wonderful information rich world that our children will need to be using in all facets of their life. I am not suggesting that you give in to your fear of the dangers of the internet and ban them from using it, just that you empower your children and yourselves by learning all you can about internet safety.
There are a multitude of reasons that children use the internet. This list of reasons is in no way complete, but I do believe that it gives us, as parents, a sense of what an important role the internet plays in our children's lives. Our children use the internet to research information for school projects, prepare for standardized tests using on-line preparation programs, visit educational websites, play games, e-mail, instant message, social network, chat, surf for information about things that interest them, shop, sell things, post videos, and blog. Since the internet is becoming so vital to the way our world works, it is becoming more important every day that we arm ourselves and our children on how to keep save out in cyberspace.
A few websites that I recommend that you visit are: www.isafe.org, www.netsmartz.org, and www.stobullyingnow.hrsa.org. I-safe is a website for parents and I recommend that you view the I-learn modules. I will warn you that some of the videos that were created are frightening. I think that occasionally it takes getting frightened to prompt us to act. After viewing them, you may want to share a few of the videos with your children as well. I have shown these videos to children ages 9 and above. The other two sites have information and activities for you and your children. The children that I know who have gone to these sites have really enjoyed them. I think the best way to learn something is if you have fun doing it.