When a child has a research project, the Internet is a portal to vast amounts of information, a wonderful resource for both parent and child; there are many useful sources to be found, such as research libraries, bookstores, news channels and even virtual museums. The Internet has become a means to socialize, enabling us to communicate inexpensively with millions of others throughout the world, learning about hobbies and developing new interests. Since this generation of children is accustomed to using a computer to do a project, it is natural that they will want to use the Internet for activities such as shopping, homework, IM and email.
While the Internet is an amazing resource, parents have justifiable concerns about how much time their child spends online, whom the child come in contact with online, and what is viewed. Some simple tips can be implemented to balance the abundant educational value with the need for security and protection. Your goal is to protect children from content you do not want them to see on the web and in email, and to protect them from people you do not want them to interact with. Here's how you can secure a wholly beneficial Internet experience for your child.
- Keep computers with Internet access in high-traffic, open areas of the house, such as the kitchen, family room or living room. Set hours that your child can be online. Decide whether or not you want him to be online when you are not home, and attempt to work with your child when possible on a school project or whatever reason he needs to be online. If he's going on to email or IM, try to be involved in his online dealings enough to know the parties that are conversing with him. While it might be time-consuming to sit with your child or spent the whole evening in the room where the computer is, remember that the Internet does remove the need for you to take your child back and forth to the library for research projects.
...
Click here to read the rest of the article at HowToDoThings.com
Author: H M