Aside from the internet safety tools you can install to your computer, there are many things you can do to better monitor and protect your kids’ computer and online activities. Here are some tips:
- Learn to block objectionable and explicit materials.
- Bookmark those sites your kids love to visit for easy and faster access. This will also keep them from wandering around the internet.
- Spend online quality time together and teach your kids more about computer use. Kids love to explore new things with the guidance of their parents.
- Convince your kids to share their email accounts with you, so you can monitor messages coming in their emails. Explain to them the importance of doing it.
- Always keep the computer in common area where you can see and watch them use. Not in your kids’ bedrooms.
- Monitor your credit card for any unfamiliar account charges.
- Know what type of online protection offered by your kids’ school, friends’ home computers, or any place where your kids can access the internet without your supervision.
- Posting messages to private chat rooms will reveal your kids’ name, and email address to other users, thus, block private chat rooms and explain to your kids the danger of entering there.
- Listen to your child; take his or her reports about any uncomfortable online encounters seriously.
- Keep and forward copies of threatening or obscene messages your kids get from other internet users to your ISP (internet service provider).
Some websites out there use what we call “cookies” which job is to track info about their internet visitor across the internet, and even computers. Thus, it’s important to disable cookies in your computer.