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Keep Kids Safe on the Net |
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Do you remember the first few times you let little Johnny or Susie go outside to play? You watched them like a hawk right? In fact I would venture to guess that when those same kids got on a bike for the first time, took that first school bus ride you were there in much the same capacity, offering guidance, encouragement and kicking them back in bounds if things got a bit out of hand.
I want to encourage you to do the same thing the first time your kids use a computer, join MySpace, Bebo or Facebook. Parental guidance is definately needed in today's world and this guidance needs to extend to the electronic or virtual world as well.
Here are some tips for making computer use safe and enjoyable for both you and your children:
1) No secrets, you should know the password for their computer account.
2) Place the computer in a family area where you can see what they are doing.
3) Spend time with your child showing them how to "search" and send e-mail.
4) Set limits on what is and is not allowed on the computer.
5) For online communities like MySpace, Bebo, Facebook make sure they are your "Friend", allowing you to observe the discussions, etc.
6) Teach them that you can not get something for nothing, there is a cost for free music, movies and software.
7) Allow room for experimentation, kids will try to do stuff with a PC that most parents won't, let them play, they can't break anything.
8) Put limits on computer use, don't allow it to become an "all day" thing.
9) Keep your computer up to date with software maintenance, a good anti-virus system and regular computer cleanups. Note: Keep the firewall and anti-virus settings locked down with a password that you set and don't give it out.
10) If you have a wireless network in the house, set it up so that it is turned off at bedtime, (yes IPODS and lots of other devices allow you to surf the net all night long).
11) While I think this goes without saying, we generally recommend NOT giving kids unfetterred access to the household credit card for online purchases.
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