Internet Safety Tips to Protect Kids:
We at Stories for Children Magazine have put together some fun links and information for parents, teachers, and children. We hope you'll find enjoyment, but we also want to touch on a few safety tips you can share with your children when it comes to the Internet.
Many sites out there that are fun and safe for children, but kids still need to be careful not to download, share, and give out personal information.
Tips:
1. Become more computer and Internet savvy.
2. Place your computer in a "public" area.
3. Monitor your child's computer use.
4. Talk with your children about their online activities and their online friends.
5. Use parental controls available on your online service. (Block adult chat rooms. Block Instant/Personal Messages from people you don't know.)
6. Install filtering/blocking software, or use a "clean Internet provider" that filters at the server level.
7. Children shouldn’t use online profiles. A child’s profile is likely to attract pedophiles, who often search for prey in chat rooms.
8. Tell your children to never "go private" or into a private chat room.
9. Children should never give out personal information, including their name, address, school they attend or teachers' names, parents' names, etc.
10. Tell your children to never, never, never meet someone from online without you.
11. Tell your children to never respond to rude or offensive e-mail, messages, or postings.
12. Do not allow children to post or receive pictures online.
13. Monitor and limit excessive time online, especially at night. Time on the Internet is time taken from other healthy activities.