Good Parenting

Keeping your kidÂ’s safe is one of the things that we have to do as parents. We may not be with them 24/7 but there are ways by which we can make sure that they are safe until the time comes that they can fend themselves.

One of the other major changes in parenting in recent years is how kids of this generation socialize and make friends. Before the internet people would have to spend time knowing the person, hanging out with them and accepting people as friends, nowadays social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook have literally made the world smaller for kids. As a parent, you should help your kids navigate through these types of sites so that they donÂ’t fall victim to pedophiles and other threats.

So, here are 8 tips you can follow to give you more peace of mind and keep you child safeÂ…

1. Since they are required to give a screen name, tell them not to use their real name but rather something else which does not give them away.

2. Make sure the social networking site they are a member of has some privacy settings. As a parent, help your kid activate it or teach them how to use it because there is a reason why web developers decided to install it.

3. You should also teach your kids to use their better judgment when they decide to put information about themselves in their profiles. They must be comfortable with whatever they put on it because not only will it be available to classmates, teachers, college admission officers but also potential future employers.

4. With todayÂ’s technology, you donÂ’t need a laptop or a desktop to log into a social networking site. You can also do this by simply using your cell phone. To limit how much time that your kid is spending on the web, buy them a phone that does not have this function. After all, the cell phone is used for SMS and calling.

5. Make sure they report any threatening messages they receive in your inbox or cell phone to you. Believe it or not, bullying has moved from the school into cyberspace and there are many ways of doing it. One example of this is the spreading of rumors about others. This may sound trivial but some kids have taken their own lives because of it. Should they bring this matter up to you, tell them to delete the account in this social networking site and just open a new one elsewhere. This will make them more careful in accepting people who want to be their friends.

6. Aside from cyber bullying, parents should also talk to their kids about sex. It is better that they hear this from you rather from some stranger who is more likely a sexual predator.

7. An effective way of keeping tabs on your kidÂ’s is to search for their name through blog sites and search engines. If there is nothing posted, then they are safe.

8. Be wary of your child posting any pictures through social networking—some thieves may take advantage of pictures because they can easily get an idea of how your house’s layout is just by asking for photos from your children that were taken inside the house.

9. If possible move your/childÂ’s computer to a location (in a busy area of your home) for example in a hallway or kitchen this way theyÂ’re never too far away from you and you can easily keep tabs with what theyÂ’re doing online.

Finally,

By following these tips you can keep your child safe but the most important step you is that you take time to talk things through with your child about what they do online and how information they put on social network sites can affect them now and also in years to come.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 9:06 am and is filed under Good Parenting.