by Josi Kilpack
Supervision. Nothing can take the place of parental awareness. Keep your computer in a common area of the house where you can see it at any time. Pay attention to what websites your child goes to and search the history on the hard drive on a regular basis. If you find that you have no history, someone has deleted it. Establish time limits and be sure you know the screen names and passwords of the web sites your kids frequent. Talk to your kids about what they do online, and monitor programs they download. Be prepared to take away computer privileges and even remove Internet service should children abuse their online privileges. Be sure you know enough about computers to be an effective steward. Discuss with your kids your expectations as far as site content, chat rooms, graphic levels of online games, information required by some memberships, posting pictures of themselves online, and e-mail options. Establish boundaries and then follow up to be sure they are staying within those parameters you have set. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For help in establishing and enforcing the rules you make, consider utilizing the final suggestion for keeping your children safe: software.
Software. There are two main types of software to assist parents in being cautious online. Filtering software will block certain sites and keep pornographic materials from being viewed or downloaded. As the parent, you can adjust the levels of filtering and ban certain sites. Monitoring software, on the other hand, records everything done online, can track computer usage time, and can list web sites accessed. Both software options are great tools for parents; different products range from being simple to requiring a great deal of computer proficiency to set up. Ask your friends, research different programs, and find one that best fits your needs. Once it is installed, keep an eye on it. Kids are notoriously smarter than we are when it comes to technology. With a little help from a friend they can disable the software you put in place, so be alert and aware of that risk.
Of course, nothing is a guarantee. Just as crossing the street puts our kids at risk of being hit by a car, being online puts our kids at risk of becoming a target of an Internet predator. However, we teach our children to look both ways, to obey the laws, and to use caution as they go into the world. We know they must learn to cross the street some time, and therefore we arm them with the knowledge and understanding necessary for them to do so safely. The Internet is no different. As with many aspects of parenting, knowing our children and establishing a trustworthy relationship will go a long way. Nothing takes the place of a savvy and aware parent, and nothing gives children more security than knowing their parents love them and want to care for them.
For more information on Internet predators and how to protect your children, try the following web sites:
http://www.isafe.org/
http://www.cleartraffic.com/keeping-kids-safe.htm
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/index.html (a resource published by the United States Department of Education)
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack is the author of several contemporary LDS novels for women, including Unsung Lullaby, Surrounded by Strangers, Tempest Tossed, Star Struck, To Have or To Hold, and Earning Eternity. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children.
