The internet has opened up new worlds of information to us. Many of us shop online and enjoy connecting by email with family and friends. Seeing your child actively engaged at the computer often reassures us that our child is actively learning,
particularly when she tells us she is working on a school project. When our child tells us she is chatting online, this way of keeping in touch with friends seems acceptable. We certainly remember the hours we spent on the telephone talking to our girlfriends once we started junior high. Many of us feel that a computer is an essential tool and wonderful convenience for our homes. Our work situations often demand that we have internet access at home.
Many of our children have earned the trust of being allowed to stay by themselves until we return from work. The evening and weekend hours are always hectic. Seeing your child working diligently at the computer can give us a false sense of security.
Every one of us has used the television as a temporary babysitter when we needed a little time to get our act together at home. The internet is not just a different kind of television. Think of the internet like a telephone that allows your child to be in contact with strangers and, in fact, welcomes these strangers into your home. Just as you are preparing your child for the real world, you need to inform your child about the online world.
1. Limiting your child’s computer time is not enough. Establish guidelines and rules with clear consequences, if rules are broken.
2. Know as much as your children about their internet and computer use. Familiarize yourself with the programs your child is using. Consider internet filters or blocks.
3. Place the family’s computer in the location that will make it easiest for you to insure that family guidelines on internet use are respected. You would not permit your child to bring strangers into their bedrooms. Computers with internet access need constant parental supervision.
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