Computers are now so small that it is easy to have more than one in the house. Quite probably, several members of a family will have their own computer. Children who have access to a computer at home have to be taught how to use them to protect their safety whilst online.
Children value their privacy and teenagers more so. Unfortunately, teenagers are not very good at putting safety before curiosity without strong parental guidance. As parents we do everything we can to protect our children and this has to include teaching them how to use the computer safely.
What can you do to keep your children safe when they are using the internet? These five ideas will help to keep your children safer on the internet and will help reduce your blood pressure.
1.Talk with your children. As a means of protecting your children from the dangers of online predators, this is one of the best. To create an atmosphere of trust at home you must talk openly and honestly to your children. Explain why certain safeguards you are imposing, are there to protect your children from online predators. But don't get upset if they make a mistake. You won't stem their curiosity so just be ready to remind them of the ground rules.
2.Make sure all computers can be seen by everyone. If your child is using a computer in their bedroom it's much harder for you to be able to see what they are looking at. If it's in a common area it's much easier for you to glance at what they are seeing as you walk by. You can insist that if your children want to use a computer in their bedroom they must keep the bedroom door open. This rule on its own is probably enough to deter most children from watching something they know they shouldn't.
3.Use software to control what they do on the computer. Every child know how to use a computer these days. You can stop them getting access to sites which have nudity or pornography by installing the software which is now easily available.
4.Warn your children about sending personal information to others. Sites such as those used for social networking, may often ask for personal details before your child can sign up to join. Warn your child that the competition may be a ploy to get personal information about them. Teach your children to consult with you before they complete any online forms which ask for personal information such as address or school name.
5.Control email accounts. Email is an easy and common way for anonymous people to send pornographic images or messages. Don't let your children enter anyone else's email address into their address book other than the friends you know and trust. This will protect them from seeing messages or images they are too young to deal with.
The knowledge you can impart to your children about the dangers of being online, will have a great impact on their ability to protect themselves when they are offline too.
To get even more information about how you can protect your child online, get Joe's free ebook:
Online Child Predators FAQ from
http://stoppingonlinepredators.info/main.html
Social Worker with young offenders for many years. Always keen on English language and literature so now writing articles, hopefully, for the benefit of kids.
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