I’ve been teaching my upper primary kids at work all about internet safety. Including not putting contact details on the internet, examining websites before joining them and avoiding clicking on pop-ups no matter how attractive and innocent they look. But then it occurred to me that it’s the parents who need to be educated as well, or reminded in some cases, of the dangers of the internet and as our kids get older and use the internet more, practical tips to keep them safe.
Here’s a few pointers/reminders about ways to protect your kids;
1. Make sure the computer is in an open area. Don’t let them use their laptops in their bedrooms, keep them in sight so they learn to use them responsibly and there’s help near by if they need it.
2. Make sure you have some kind of filter on your computer. There are many different types of filters, and if nothing else, then going into google and making sure the filter is on there. Also in preferences making sure that pop-ups are rejected.
3. Bookmark safe sites that kids can go to and teach them how to access them so they have feel like they have freedom but it’s with boundaries.
4. Keep communication open so that if ever there are any problems like cyber-bullying as they are getting into things like msm chat, facebook and other social media, they feel they can talk to you if there are any problems. Once they’re into these social networks, they also need to be aware of online etiquette and how to show emotion online with cues such as 
, LOL, etc, and also how to block people when necessary from their networks.
5. Don’t let them spend too much time on the internet (including TV, ds, ipods, video games, etc), set boundaries early.
There are many other tips to safe internet use for parents, if you have some different ones you’ve found helpful, share them with us.
For more information go to www.cybersmart.gov.au (FANTASTIC government website about internet safety)
