From the day our children learn to crawl, it is our responsibility to ensure they are safe. We teach them not to touch when they are babies and as they grow, we teach them street and bicycle safety.

Today's technological advancement in computers make it possible to research a variety of subjects, from medical information, car buying, planning a trip, and even the completion of homework assignments. Computers make it very easy and convenient for all of us to get the information we need. However, when young children go online, it is our duty to teach them Internet safety.

A few basic rules will make life easier for you and ensure your child's safety while he/she is online.



Basic Rules:

• Stress the importance of never giving out personal information over the Internet. Name, address, phone, parent's work address and phone number as well as the name or location of the child's school must never be given to anyone online.
  
• A child should never agree to "meet" anyone they have met online without their parent's permission, even if that "someone" professes to be a child. If parents agree to such a meeting, they should accompany the child and arrange to meet in a public place.
  
• A child must never answer messages that make him/her feel uncomfortable. Assure your child that he/she is not to blame if they receive such a message. In the instance that such a message is received, instruct your child to let you know immediately so that you can inform the service provider.
  
• If a child finds information on a web site that makes him/her feel uncomfortable, he/she should tell an adult immediately.
  
• You and your child should set rules for the child while online. This includes the length of time, the time of day and appropriate areas to which the child is restricted while online. These rules must be strictly monitored. Set down terms of punishment if the rule is broken.
  
• Children must never send a photo or any personal information to anyone online.
  
• Encourage your child to be a good online citizen. He/she should never hurt other people or break the law while on the Internet.
  
• Be sure your child is aware that he/she should never give out his/her password to anyone – not even his/her best friend.
  
• Parents should be familiar with the Internet and the services that their children are using. Log on and have your child show you what he/she does while online.
  
• If your child's online activities cause you concern, talk to him/her. Communicate with your child and seek advice from librarians, teachers and other online service users in your neighborhood. Utilize computer resources and use the Internet yourself. This will allow you to get the full benefits of the system. It will also alert you to potential problems that can occur while online.
  
• If your child tells you about an upsetting incident that he/she encounters while online, stay calm. Never blame the child. Talk to him/her and explain how to avoid a reoccurrence. This will encourage the child to confide in you if they encounter another problem. It also teaches the child to deal with such problems in a calm and confident manner on their own.
  
  

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  More Guidelines:
  
  Besides these basic rules, there are some specifics every parent should be aware of. There are newsgroups and web sites on the Internet that promote material that is violent and hateful. There are numerous web sites that have other material that parents may feel is inappropriate for their child. Children can easily stumble upon these sites while using search engines. Most search engines do not filter out material that is inappropriate for children. However, there are search engines that offer child safety options and some are specifically designed for use by children.
  
  The Internet also contains web sites and newsgroups that are designed specifically for adults. On the sites you can view, read or post sexually explicit material. Most of these sites attempt to verify the user's age and have a requirement for users to give a credit card number. They presume that children are unable to access credit cards. Other areas of the Internet make no attempt to control access. Monitor credit card bills for charges from this type of site.
  
  Some Internet Service Providers (ISP's) allow parents to limit their child's access to certain features such as chat rooms, bulletin boards and adult web sites.
  
  Keep a sharp eye on all files that your child downloads to your computer. Share an e-mail account with your child to enable you to supervise their mail. If you child wishes to enter a chat room, join him/her.
  
  There are a number of technological child protection tools available that are worth looking into. But be cautious. They do not provide guaranteed safety. The only way you can be certain your child is having a positive online experience is by communicating and monitoring their time online.
  
  Take responsibility for your child's time on the Internet. By doing so, you can greatly minimize the potential risks to your child while he/she is online. While you child deserves a certain amount of privacy, they desperately need parental supervision and involvement in their lives on a daily basis. Always use the same general parenting skills in cyberspace as you would in the real world. It could prevent your child from a devastating experience – or even save his/her life. After all, our children are our most precious assets and it is up to us to protect them so they will grow up to have pleasant childhood memories