Internet Safety for Kids
Do you know how to keep your kids safe online?
Cherylyn Feierabend
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Internet Safety for Kids
Hey there! You’re listening to the Mighty Mommy with some quick and dirty tips for practical parenting.
This week’s episode was written by guest author Brian Lawson. Brian is a 20-year technology consultant with a background in computer and network security and serves on the Technical Education advisory committee for the Amphi School District in Tucson AZ.
Internet Safety for Kids
Brian writes:
We’ve all seen the news stories:  the daily barrage of sad, unfortunate, and sometimes tragic consequences that can occur when technology and kids are combined. As parents, it’s sometimes hard to know quite what to do — and why wouldn’t it be? Let’s face it; many 7-year-olds can run circles around their parents when it comes to the family computer. With other parenting strategies, you probably take cues from what your parents did. Your policy regarding homework, bedtime and household chores are likely guided by the rules your parents used with you. But what were your parents rules regarding the home computer? What kind of social networking sites did they let you visit? Was it okay for you to watch YouTube videos? These things didn’t exist. No, with this stuff, we’re on our own. This is a challenge for our generation of parents — the first to raise online kids. And if you think about it, the rules and policies we set for our kids will serve as a guide for what they do to raise their kids! That’s a lot of pressure!
Don’t worry. Parenting your child’s “online life” doesn’t have to be confusing. Most of the expert’s advice usually just involves applying your everyday parenting style to this part of their world. Most of the countless articles, books and lectures on this topic can be simplified down to 3 main points:
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Set limits on when and how long the computer is used.
As a parent, it’s essential that you have a way to easily allow—and deny—the use of the technology in your house. You also need to know, with certainty, that there’s no way for your children to use computers without your knowledge. Treat the computer like any other privilege. It’s also important to set and enforce time limits.
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Create a safe environment.
This is no different from when you let them play at the park. Prior to setting your child free to play, you probably glance around to make sure there are no obvious dangers (broken glass at the bottom of the slide, rabid dog roaming the sand box). Think of the computer the same way. Creating a safe computer playground is done with filtering, website blocking, and properly setting up your user profiles. I know this is where some parents start to get that glazed look in their eyes. This step does require a little bit of work on your part, but not as much as you think. And there’s no need to pay expensive annual fees for services—a little bit of research and a few minutes spent learning about your operating system and web browser can go a long way.
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Be “over their shoulder.”
This is the most critical point. As a parent, you cannot let yourself be shut out of their online world. It’s important that you know what they do online, and it’s even more important that they know you know! Tell them you’re involved. Engage and ask questions about what they do online. Have them show you the games they play. Remind them often that you (and the rest of the planet!) may very well see what they do online. This important lesson will save them from embarrassment at least! (We’re all too familiar with the sometimes tragic consequences that occur when children or teens use poor judgment about what they “tell the world” online.) Computers, cell phones, and the Internet are a part of our world, and a growing part of your kid’s life. There’s little way around it; keeping your children safe online and teaching them to use technology responsibly has been added to your long list of important parenting “must do’s.” Every parent has their own tactics and style that best suit their children and lifestyles. No matter what type of parenting you apply, make sure it’s a part of your children’s online world.
That’s it for now.
Thank you to Brian Lawson for writing this episode of The Mighty Mommy. Brian is a frequent guest speaker for civic and parenting groups on the subject of raising online kids and is the father of 2 daughters ages 6 and 8. He and his partners created PG Key (www.pgkey.com) after consulting with law enforcement agents, the medical community, PHD’s in education, parents and even kids to give parents an easy and complete way to follow the advice of experts. The PG Key helps you protect your kids while they are using the computer. You can find more information about the PG Key at www.pgkey.com.
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This is your friend the Mighty Mommy wishing you happy and fun parenting!
Girl on the Computer image courtesy of Shutterstock