General Information

How often do we use the internet?  For me, it’s every day.  We do everything from online banking to getting recipes for dinner online.  So how do we keep it safe, especially for our children?

First, be the parent, not the best friend.  There is nothing wrong with setting up a computer in your child’s room, provided there are rules and they are followed.  Take a look at their monitor every once in a while, or daily, if needed.  Check their history as often as needed, but DO check, and let them know you check.  It’s not an invasion of privacy, even though they will tell you it is.  YOU are the parent, and as the parent, it’s your job to keep them safe, even if it’s in your home. 

There are tools out there to help you when you can’t be there watching over their shoulder.  You can install blocking software that will block sites from a “bad site” list.  Filtering software uses certain keywords to block sites or sections of sites.  Outgoing filtering will block personal information from getting online.  Finally, monitoring and tracking software can track every word your child types and how they go about getting from website to website.  It can even tell you if your child typed the site or if they found it through another site and simply clicked the link.

At the end of the day, you know your child.  You know if they should be allowed to go online.  As long as they aren’t breaking the rules or any laws, there is nothing wrong with giving them a little freedom.