Your child may enjoy using the Internet to email friends, research topics for school or look up websites that pertain to his hobbies. Unfortunately, if your child goes online, he may be at risk of seeing inappropriate material, downloading harmful programs onto the computer, experiencing cyber-bullying or being approached by an online predator. Supervision and good communication are important tools that will help you to know and control which websites your child visits. When your watchful eye is paired with a parental control program, your child should be able to enjoy the Internet safely.
Step 1
Check with your Internet service provider to find out how to set up parental controls, or purchase a separate program to install. Parental controls can block websites that have been deemed inappropriate for children, can limit what types of chat rooms your child can access and will allow you to monitor what your child is exposed to online.
Step 2
Set rules regarding Internet usage and safety. Limit the time that your child can spend online each day, and which sites are appropriate for him to visit. The Scholastic website recommends making the rule that your child can not download anything without your supervision.
Step 3
Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Assure her that she can come to you with any questions she has about anything she sees or reads online. The University of Oklahoma Police Department suggests telling your child to immediately hit the "back" button and let you know if she sees something scary or objectionable on the screen.
Step 4
Keep your computer in a public area of your home, such as the living room or den, suggests KidsHealth website. If the computer is in the child's bedroom or in an office with a door, you will have more difficulty in monitoring your child's Internet usage.
Step 5
Learn your child's email and social media passwords, and check the accounts occasionally, recommends the University of Oklahoma Police Department. Alternately, set up your child's email account so that a copy of each email goes to your inbox. Let your child know that you are not checking emails and social media sites to infringe on his privacy, but to keep him safe from predators and cyber-bullying.
Step 6
Check the browser's search history periodically to see where your child has been online. Go to the websites to make sure that they are appropriate for your child. If rules have been broken, enforce consequences.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember that no parental control software or program is foolproof. Even with parental controls activated, your child may accidentally or purposely go to an inappropriate website.
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