| One of the big areas today of concern for | | | | between right and wrong is the same on the |
| child safety is the internet. Parents must | | | | Internet as it is in real life. |
| protect their children from online predators. | | | | |
| | | | 6. Show your kids how to respect others |
| Before you allow your child to go online | | | | online. Make sure they know that rules for |
| without your supervision, make sure you | | | | good behavior don't change just because |
| establish a set of rules that you can all | | | | they're on a computer. |
| agree on. | | | | |
| | | | 7. Insist that your kids respect the property |
| If you're not sure where to start, here are | | | | of others online. Explain that making illegal |
| some ideas on what to discuss with your kids | | | | copies of other people's work/music, video |
| to teach them about using the Internet more | | | | games, and other programs, is just like |
| safely. | | | | stealing it from a store. |
| | | | |
| Here are 10 things you can teach kids to | | | | 8. Tell your kids that they should never meet |
| improve their Web safety | | | | online friends in person. Explain that online |
| | | | friends may not be who they say they are. |
| 1. Encourage your kids to share their | | | | |
| Internet experiences with you. Enjoy the | | | | 9. Teach your kids that not everything they |
| Internet along with your children. | | | | read or see online is true. Encourage them to |
| | | | ask you if they're not sure. |
| 2. Teach your kids to trust their instincts. | | | | |
| If they feel nervous about anything online, | | | | 10. Control your children's online activity |
| they should tell you about it. | | | | with advanced Internet software. Parental |
| | | | controls can help you filter out harmful |
| 3. If your kids visit chat rooms, use instant | | | | content, monitor the sites your child visits, |
| messaging (IM) programs, online video games, | | | | and find out what they do there. |
| or other activities on the Internet that | | | | |
| require a login name to identify themselves, | | | | Children are going online at younger and |
| help them choose that name and make sure it | | | | younger ages, in fact, the fastest growing |
| doesn't reveal any personal information about | | | | segment of Internet users is now |
| them. | | | | pre-schoolers. Many kids are using the |
| | | | Internet at school by the time they are 6 |
| 4. Insist that your kids never give out your | | | | years old, so they'll probably want to go |
| address, phone number, or other personal | | | | online at home around this age as well. |
| information, including where they go to | | | | Paretns must protect them and using these 10 |
| school or where they like to play. | | | | tips will get you in the right frame of mind |
| | | | to do just that. |
| 5. Teach your kids that the difference | | | | |