Parental Internet Safety Tips

Like most families in 2007, your family probably has at least one computer in the home, if not more. Many children and teens have workloads in school that require excessive PC-usage. Alright, so even if your kids use the World Wide Web for chatting and downloading games, they still need to be protected. There are plenty of parental internet control software options available to concerned mom’s and dad’s, but it’s still wise to heed the following tips.

Protecting Your Children:

· Be aware of your children’s friends and if they begin mentioning someone they don’t hang out with at school or at home.

· Limit their Internet use. Giving each child an hour a day can lessen the chances they’ll run into dangerous situations and you’ll increase family time.

· Most parents know the best way to find out is to “ask.” If you have concerns or advice to give, ask your kids for 10 minutes to chat.

· Don’t berate them. You remember what it was like to be 13 and craving independence. Allow your pre-teens and teens to make some of their own decisions, while you coach them.

· Remind youngsters not to give out any personal information without consulting you first.

· Change allotted computer-time depending on how old your child is. Have a teen? They obviously need more Internet time than an eight year old.

· Check for warning signs: If your 11-year-old knows how to clear the browser cache and sets up her own passwords, you might want to keep an eye out.

· Try parental control software products. They don’t guard against everything, but they are a great start.

For you frustrated parents who don’t have any idea how to combat Internet predation and trash-sites, it is well worth your time to consider parental control software. 6Star Reviews notes that a leading software product, Content Watch’s Net Nanny 5.5, completely logs all Internet activity and downloads.

What exactly can the infamous Net Nanny do? It blocks inappropriate websites, logs instant messages, and can monitor everywhere little Johnny’s been on the Web from any place. While you may have some reservations about essentially spying on your kids, catching your child in risky situations early-on can prevent a world of future hurt.