UMD

« working for web design in Markham | Main | A Good Night's Sleep »

Parenting has changed a lot in recent years, as kids are being exposed to more and more information and access to more and more at younger and younger ages. Knowing what to allow your child to be exposed to when is one of the biggest parenting issues on the table for parents these days. One of the best parenting resources we have available to us is the internet. The internet is a great way to get the latest information from around the globe on parenting skills and the new things that are out there, but the internet is also one of the biggest issues in parenting because when it is functioning as a resource it serves a great purpose and is extremely useful, but when it is functioning as a pathway of communication and information for our children. It takes some strong parenting skills to keep our children on the right path with using the internet. There is spyware that is available that you can download off the internet and onto your computer that they can't see. Through this you can see what sites they are accessing and where they are going on the web. You can also see there online chat and access their passwords to their accounts on my space, my yearbook, facebook, and all the other sites that the kids get into online conversations on. My personal suggestion is that you make them list themselves as private. This basically means that they need to approve who can look at the information on their page, but be careful, the kids will allow people they don't know in there if they just ask. Also, teach your kids not to put personal information about themselves on there such as addy, even town, phone number, etc. It is important to keep as much information about yourself off there as possible. Another big help in monitoring internet usage is keeping your computer in what I like to call a family use room. Our computers are in our dining room, which insures that there is enough traffic through that you never know who is walking by and seeing what you are doing. If you are still concerned about what your kids are doing, then get online, create a bogus account and start chatting with your own kids. Learn the terminology and see if they will let you in to see their page without knowing who you are. This is also a good way to find out what information they will give away to a total stranger. Being aware of the potential issues will make you a better informed parent and will allow you to keep your kids safe!