Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

Unfortunately we can’t always protect our kids by watching their every step every minute of every day. But there are things we can do to teach our children how to protect themselves when we cannot. Online safety is just as important as real life safety. There are just as many of predators lurking online as on the streets. Here are several ways to keep your kids safe online:

Monitor- Always monitor your child’s computer usage to prevent anything bad from happening. This can be done several ways:

· Place their computer in the same room that you will be in. This will help prevent them from wanting to go to sites are not appropriate. You can also keep an actual eye on what they may be doing and conversations they might have.

· Check their history on a weekly if not daily basis. Be sure to visit unfamiliar sites that they may have visited.

· Computer monitoring software programs are great for keeping tabs on your child’s every move but will cost you.
Educate- It is important that your children know how and why they should be safe online. There are predators out there that target children and know how to talk to them into dangerous things. Here are some rules you should go over with your child:

· Never give out online passwords.
· Never give out full names or phone numbers.
· Never send without parent’s approval.
· Never accept photos from a stranger.
· Never give out your home address or school name.
· Never meet anyone online in real life and always tell an adult if you feel uncomfortable with something that has happened online.

Social Media-Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have set an age limit on who can use their sites. No one under the age of 13 can create an account and use it. It is suggested to follow the rules that these sites have put in place to keep your child safe.
Parental blocks-Depending on what programs and computer you have, you can set up controls by visiting the start menu and choosing how long your child can be on the web as well as different site content to block.

The keyword to keeping your kid safe online is ‘monitor’. Always monitor your child’s usage even your older teens. Teens at the ages of 16 and 17 are still very impressionable and susceptible to online dangers. Teach your kids the rules and keep an eye out on them. Use the controls and programs that are offered to assist you.

Author Bio:

Jack Meyer is a regular contributor for http://www.nannybackgroundcheck.com/. As a detective he wants to spread the knowledge of terrible things that can happen when people don’t fully verify the credentials of a caregiver or any employee. He also writes for various law enforcement blogs and sites