The Do’s and Don’ts of internet Safety for Kids

  You taught your child to look both ways before she crosses the street. You strap her bike helmet on securely every time she goes for a ride, and you buckle her seatbelt before you take off in the car.

      And that’s exactly why you should never let her venture into wide world of the internet without taking proper safety measures. Follow these do’s and don’ts for computer, cell phone, and tablet use to help make the web a safe environment for your child.

DO

• Keep personal information private. Teach your child never to share her name, address, phone number, or any passwords or photo on line.

• Surf together.When you spend time with your child online, you can oversee her activities and talk with her when potentially dangerous situation arises. Make sure the devices she uses are in a common area of your home so they’re in your view.

• Protects your family’s devices. Some antivirus software (e.g. Norton) protects each device your family uses from online threats and helps your kids enjoy the internet safely and securely.

• Communicate. Make sure your child knows to tell a parent or a teacher if she feels uncomfortable about anything she sees online.

DON’T

• Use public chat rooms. Teach your child that, just as in real life, it’s not safe to talk to or “friend” with strangers. Keep her online chatting to friends and family members you know.

• Trust blindly. Educational programs and apps are not necessarily risk-free. Test them out before you let your child use them. Is there advertising? Can she click a button accidentally make a purchase? Use parental controls and pay close attention to the apps she uses.

• Bend the rules. Your child should not make purchases or download apps without your permission. Make sure she knows the rule is that Mom or Dad has to be the one clicking “buy”, “download”, or “install”.