It is important to set ground rules for computer use with your children to keep them safe when they’re on the internet, but be aware that you are bound to meet some resistance from them when doing this. Children view the internet as their playground and don’t want parents interfering with their fun. Parenting is not about being popular with your children, so stand firm about your ground rules for computer use. Some suggested ground rules: your child’s computer use should take place in a central location, not behind closed doors; set time limits; set limits to the sites that your child is allowed to visit as many are not age appropriate for young children; educate them about the dangers facing them on the internet including predators, and cyberbullying.
Keeping track of the sites that your children have been visiting may provide you with some peace of mind. This was an easy task to complete by going to the computer history but now many children are computer savvy enough to know how to go in and erase the history. Have no fear, the computer programmers have come to the rescue of parents everywhere. There are several types of software that can be purchase that will assist you in knowing where your children have been surfing and prevents them from altering it. In addition to this software there are parental controls on your computer that will prevent your children from going to sites that you don’t want them on. These controls are password sensitive so as long as you don’t make these passwords too obvious your children should not be able to override them.
Adults view pop ups and inappropriate material as an annoyance, children are curious about what they are. It is important to teach them not to click on pop ups because pop ups can download spyware, viruses or can link them to an inappropriate site. Many of the pop ups lure children in by suggesting that they have won something or will get something for free. It is important that you teach them nothing is ever free so that they will not be tempted to click on it. There are pop up blockers that you can install on your computer to help with this problem.
Today, it is necessary for children to do research on the internet. Be aware that these harmless searches can sometimes yield unexpected results. Here are some examples: when researching about the white house, one site that comes up is whitehouse.org which is a pornography site; when searching for information about Martin Luther King, a site that is suggested is martinlutherking.org which is a hate site. There are some search engines on the internet that are more kid friendly then BING or Google. One search engine that I would suggest is www.kidsclick.org. In addition, teach your children about how to find reputable sites when doing research.
Educate yourself on the terminology that children use when texting and instant messaging. We all know that LOL is laugh out loud and BRB is be right back, but did you know that p911 means parent alert or that PAL means that parents are listening. The list of these acronyms is extensive, become “Cyberspeak” savvy so you know what your children are saying.
My last piece of advice about keeping your children safe on the internet would be to educate yourself about all the things that are available. Get your own accounts on My Space, Facebook, Blogs and Tweeter, and learn how to use sites like I-Tunes, and E-Bay because that is what your children are doing. If you allow your children to access these sites, you might consider setting up the accounts for them so they need you to type in the password to gain access. This lets them know that you are monitoring everything that they are doing on the internet.
My next blog on this topic will be about keeping your children safe from “Cyberpredators”. It has become the latest way for pedophiles to find their next victim.
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