Internet Safety Tips For Parents

Understandng the internet and the main Internet Safety Tips today is an essential parenting tool. Almost all children will use the internet at school or at their friends homes and usually at a younger age than we would expect or like. Although the internet can be a great way to stay up-to-date on the news, do research for school projects, communicate with friends and learn about almost anything, it can also be very dangerous if you're not aware of what can go wrong. As a parent or guardian, it is your responsibility to guarantee that your child stays safe online. Unfortunately, for this to happen you must be able to navigate your way around a computer and understand how the internet works. Do you?

The first rule of keeping your children safe on line is that you must really understand how a computer works, how it connects to he internet and just what you can do online. A child should never know more than a parent does about the internet. At the very least, you should know about the same. If you are looking to block adult websites or websites that have offensive language, it's a waste of time if your child knows ways to get around the parental controls that you put in place.

The second rule is that you understand the pitfalls online, and how to avoid them, yourself. Too many adults fall for scams, proving that many adults are just not internet savvy enough. You should be able to fully understand the dangers of the internet and how to avoid them. You may hear that an internet predator approached or kidnapped a child on the news, but, without understanding how that predator contacted and groomed the child, you will have no idea how to stop it happening to your own children. Do you understand how identity fraud occurs and how to prevent it online? You should. Do you know what your child does on line, where they go, who they are connecting with? If they're at a children's birthday party or sleepover at someone else's house, how are they supervised? Does your child use internet chat rooms or social networking websites? If so, do you know how easy the internet makes it for someone to create a whole new, fake identity?

A good understanding of computer and internet use can better enable you to protect your child. Do you know that most internet browsers have a free parental control option that just needs to be activated? A few easy steps and you can have certain websites blocked from your child. There are also specific security products available just for parents. Do your research and learn how to use them. There are a number of ways that you can learn all that you need to know about computer and internet use. Some alternative methods include:

Teaching yourself is an easy way to learn about the internet and computer use. In fact, what better way is there than to just jump on the computer and see what you can find. For starters, examine your computer or your internet browser for free internet safety tools for parents. Don't know where to start? Go to Youtube and search for tutorials on internet safety and identify theft. There are plenty of video tutorials for you to follow.

You can also ask a trusted friend or relative for help. (Do not ask your child for help though. If they know that you want to set up parental controls or keep tabs on their internet use, they may withhold important information from you!)

You can also take an internet or computer education course. These courses are sometimes offered for free or for an affordable fee by local community groups, colleges, or vocational training centers.

What should you be doing or checking?

1. Look at the history of your browser to see what websites your child has visited and exactly what they're going and seeing.
2. Visit their online profiles (e.g. MySpace, Facebook, or another social networking website). They must provide you with access if they have nothing to hide. Does it make you uneasy? Are the discussions taking place in your child's favorite chat room too adult?
3. Set up the parental controls system
4. Educate them on things to be careful with and teach them to never share too much of their personal information online. It's a good idea to get a friend of your that they respect, they are more likely to listen to advice from another than from you.

Understand what can go wrong and put some simple systems in place to prevent it. Most importantly, help your children learn and play online, don't criticise or control. You want them to share what they do and find online, not keep it a secret from you.


------

Sara Leadbetter is a Business Advisor and Marketing Specialist based in Christchurch, New Zealand. This article was written about her work with the exciting themed birthday parties provided for 1 to 11 year olds at Lollipops Playland Tauranga