How to Teach Youngsters to Use the Internet

The computer has become an important tool for your school-age child, but it's just as important to teach them how to use it wisely. Help your children to navigate the risks and teach good Internet habits now.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Safe-search filters
• Antivirus software
• Pop-up Blocker

1. To decrease the risk of your child being exposed to explicit or inappropriate Web content, use safe-search filters. These filters screen out explicit content on the search engines you use in your home.
   Another option is to use kid-friendly searches such as Yahoo! Kids and KidsClick.org or kid-friendly browers like KidRocket.org or SurfKnight.com. You can also set up a favorites list with your child to cut down on the number of searches she needs to do.
2. Tell your children that there are things online that are not appropriate for kids and that they should close any site that makes them uncomfortable and inform the nearest adult.
3. Talk to your child about sharing personal information with companies, friends or strangers. The Internet can seem abstract to a kid, so it's hard for him to understand that sharing information is a big deal. Explain that keeping passwords and other personal information private is just as important as locking your house at night and staying away from strangers. Don't scare your child, but be frank about the dangers. Stress that if something bad happens or your child sees something upsetting, it's not his fault and it's important that he tell you.
4. Set a strict time limit for online play. If she's doing homework on the computer, make sure she's not distracted by games or instant messaging.
   Put your computer in a public space in your home so you can check in often, make time to surf fun and informational sites together and talk about what she's doing on the Web.
5. Prevent your child from inadvertantly deleting important documents and photos by giving him his own login on your operating system. Set his password together so you know it. Install antivirus software and a pop-up blocker, these will help prevent him from clicking on an enticing pop-up or accidentally downloading spyware or viruses.
6. Stop your child from being an online bully. Cyber bullying is becoming a real problem because kids don't think it counts if you say something nasy online, without the social context of seeing a reaction to the words. This can be an issue for parents who allow their children to email and chat with friends. Talk to your child about the power of words and how they can hurt. If your child is already communicating online, make sure she's talking only to real-life friends, and use your program's privacy settings to block random people from sending messages.