Monitoring What your Child Sees Online

It’s a big web out there in the World Wide Web. There are virtually no limits to what your child can see. With everything within easy access parents need to supervise what the child may be watching online.

The best way to monitor your child’s Internet experience is to surf the Net with her. This will accomplish several things: it will allow you to monitor what s/he is being exposed to and at the same time give your child self-confidence and support.

Find a time when neither you nor your child is stressed or rushed. Sit down with your child and just talk. Listen to what she has to say. Get to know of her interests if you don’t already know of them. How does she spend time with her friends? What do all of them watch on television? And, on the Internet, what is it that she looks out for?

Listen to your child. She may have a lot to say provided she is made to feel comfortable in doing so. That confidence only a parent can give. You can sit with her and check out her favourites or sites that she has bookmarked.

When you are supportive of her exploration, your child will open up to you. Learn some of the things she likes to do. There’s a good chance that you will find out something about her that you did not know before. One caveat: make sure you don’t give the appearance that you are “spying” on her.

There are many things for you to find out regarding your child’s Net behaviour. Where does she find her material? Does she go to search engines or surf? Join in her search.

Start by taking note of how your child uses the Internet. You could begin by observing what parts of the net she uses most frequently – is it e-mail or online services or information sites? If it is the latter, what kind of sites is she interested in?

Then think about designing a set of rules that will help your child browse “safe” material or information that is appropriate for her developmental stage and maturity level. Since children are so curious to surf, this might help. A simple set of rules for your child can do wonders once you have gained her confidence:

• No surfing the Internet without a parent at home.
• Never share any passwords.
• No more than ‘x-number’ of hours a day online.
• Only surf certain sites (that are bookmarked).
• Never respond to someone that you don’t know by e-mail.
• Do not chat with people who use foul or vulgar language.
• Do not give out your name and e-mail identity online.
• Do not give out a phone number or an address online.
• Do not give out any other personal information without the presence of a parent.
• Do not try to set up a real life meeting or phone conversation without your parents knowing about it.
• Tell your parents of any incidence of foul online behaviour by others.
• Never post pictures online without your parents’ approval.
• Always click ‘back’ or ‘home’ when you see an “adult” site or something inappropriate.
• Never try to buy anything online without a parent being in the know of it.

Work out your combination from this exhaustive list! This will depend not only on age but also on your child’s personality and interests.Your child will be more inclined to accept these rules if you succeed in explaining that it is concern for her safety that guides you as well as a desire that she learns to use an important medium like the Net effectively. The best way for you and her to remember the rules is to stick a list next to the computer prominently.

Who knows, this may open up a new learning experience for you as well!