How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet

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By HollyC
User-Submitted Article

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Know the dangers of the internet and your child.

When you are a parent, there are all sorts of things that you want to pay attention to in order to keep your children as safe as possible. Because they look to you to guide and protect them, it is up to you to know the workings of the internet as well as know the signs of any potential dangers. With the proper guidance and a good amount of monitoring on your part, your children should be able to have a great experience on the internet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Computer
Internet access
Any related software for parental protection (optional)
A good understanding of the websites that your children will be visiting.

Step 1

As your child begins to become curious about the internet, it is very important that as a parent you sit down with them to teach them how to use the internet as well as various websites that they will be encountering. It is also imperative that you let them know all of the potential dangers that the internet and various predators bring their way.
Step 2

A great idea that many parents take advantage of is putting the family computer in a location within the home that is central. This way you can always take a quick peek to monitor any activities while your child is on the computer. Additionally, many children will be more careful of the content that they are viewing when they know that they are in plain sight.
Step 3

Internet safety is crucial.

Always let your child know that they need to restrict the sharing of any personal information over the computer. This means not giving anyone their address or any other vital information that any potential predator can use in order to get to them or your family. By keeping the lines of communication always open with your child and the way that they use the computer, you are making the internet a much safer place for them.
Step 4

Because of the nature of some of the websites available that appeal to younger children, you may want to make sure that a series of passwords are in place on your computer set up at home. You can either take the time to create some of your own passwords that you can use in order to monitor activity on the computer or you can even invest in one of the computer software programs that are available to concerned parents at your local or online office supply or computer software store.