Parental Tips for Kid-Safe Web Surfing
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008As a follow-up to my recent post about selected Web sites that are ideal for younger children, what can parents do to prevent kids from landing on sites with inappropriate content?
The first thing is to take time to explore the Internet with your child. It can be a great experience to share and learn new things together. If you can’t sit with them, at least try to have a direct line of sight to increase your awareness of what they’re doing. You don’t have to crowd them; just keep a watchful eye on the screen to make sure you approve of the Web site they are viewing.
If you are unable to sit with your child or keep an eye on what they are doing, there are programs that can filter Web sites so that your child does not wander into the dark Internet alleys. Net Nanny and CyberPatrol are good examples of Web browser filters. They will scan for key words that you select, and you can directly enter Web addresses that you want blocked. To find more software Web site filter/blockers, simple look them up on a search engine like Google, Yahoo or MSN.
If you are lucky enough to have Vista Ultimate on your computer, you already have what’s called Parent Controls. It gives you the option to restrict access to certain sites, downloads and programs. Plus, there are timer options that control when a Windows account can be in use and for how long.
You can also control Internet access with a router. Almost all new routers, LAN and wireless, can be programmed to block sites. The problem with this is that it’s impossible to block every objectionable site. Plus, Web sites come and go fast; it’s impossible to keep up.
Finally, try to make sure your home computer has passwords set on all accounts. It is cute for every member of the family to have his or her own Windows account logon. However, not everyone creates a password. A child could power on the computer and get on to the Internet with someone else’s account, which may not have an Internet filter. Make sure it is you who is in control of the computer.













