Internet Safety

Internet safety for kids is always an issue in our house. Especially now that our kids are entering the teen years, well, at least the older two. Did you know that even in a home where the computers are kept out in the open, (not in secluded bedrooms) and monitored by the parents regularly, there can be issues with kids getting into dangerous areas online? It's just a dangerous world no matter where you go these days.

It's not always enough to have parental controls and virus protection on your computers. It's also wise to teach your kids what to watch out for. They also need to know not to share personal information online, ANYWHERE. This is particularly true for social media. More and more kids are jumping on the social media bandwagon, my kids included.

Another area where kids might not think to be careful about what they share is when they are blogging. Potential predators can find out all kinds of things about your child by piecing together details about where they live by reading their blog. I don't say this to discourage you from allowing your kids to blog. I think this is a great way for kids to exercise their creativity and writing skills. However, they do need to be smart about it.