• Always encourage your children to talk to you about what sites they visit and what they do on the internet
• Encourage them to talk about anything they find uncomfortable
• Discuss any concerns that you might have
• Agree on what websites are suitable for your child and which they are allowed access, rather than allowing them free reign to simply browse the internet.
• Help your kids to create a safe username that is vague and doesn’t give away any personal information like gender, age, what school they attend etc.
• Keep the computer in a communal part of the home
• Spend time on-line with your children.
• Learn about parental control tools, protective software and controlled access options and opt for the one which suits you best.
• Check search history for the suitability of sites and chat room
• Check e-mails for younger children
• Have rules for how long the internet can be accessed and when, make sure they understand never to give out personal permission and never to meet an online-friend without permission.
Helping your kids learn online
Even the smallest of kids today, seem to be born using a computer. It can be a cause for concern when your kid’s knowledge of computers seems to exceed yours. How can you make sure they stay same and make sure that what they’re doing is suitable for their age?
It’s a good idea to start by gaining a basic understanding of what they’re doing and be as confident as you can be about the technology. Be involved and try to show them new sites that you have found.
Kids will quickly lose interest and want to find new sites all the time, so by doing a little research ahead of time, you’ll have a new site to show them when they’re ready to move on to something new.
