- Place the family computer in a central location where the whole family can use it and where parents can easily see the screen. Do not place computers in children’s bedrooms.
- If you don’t know much about the Internet, take the time to learn the basics. Don’t be embarrassed to ask your child to show you what they do online and how it works. Turn it into time spent with your child.
- Develop and enforce your own ‘Acceptable Use Policy’, making it clear what is allowed and what is not.
- Do not allow young children to use the Internet by themselves. With older children, check what they are doing frequently.
- Use filtering software in addition to, not in place of, parental supervision.
- Teach your child to tell you immediately if anyone they don’t know tries to communicate with them online.
- Insist that your children never send or post personal information such as their photo, name, age, address, phone number, email address, passwords or the name or location of their school.
- Teach children to tell you if the see or read something frightening, threatening or offensive.
- Discuss what your children read on the Internet, and help them to understand that what they read online may or may not be true.
- Find out what safeguards are in place at your child’s school, friend’s homes, and the public library and decide if it’s okay for your child to access the Internet from those places in your absence.
- Pay particular attention if you child minimizes windows or exits programs quickly when you approach.
- If your child is behaving suspiciously or if you suspect something is wrong, talk about it.
