IF00376
MY WORD!
Advice
for Parents To Help Them To Protect The Kids.
For me when my kids
were growing up it wasn't that big a deal because the
Internet wasn't that big a deal. Now its my Grandkids and a whole
different story. (Guess I just let my age out of the bag)
There are many useful sites with advice about safety for children online
including:
-
www.kidsmart.org.uk
-
www.nspcc.org.uk
-
www.nch.org.uk
-
www.safekids.com
-
www.protectkids.org
Restricting Internet use to a PC
in a family room is one way you can keep an eye on your child's browsing
activities. You will be able to take an occasional glance to make sure they are
safe, without them feeling like you are watching their every move.
Letting them know your concerns
and educating them about the dangers of the Internet will help them understand
you are not trying to stop them enjoying the Web, just making sure that they
have a safe experience.
There are also various software
packages available that can help you monitor your child's browsing when you are
not in the room.
These programs can record
browser web addresses, e-mails, and chat software, and can also filter and block
certain web sites and even record what has been typed on the keyboard:
•
http://www.softwarexpress.com - The
Internet Babysitter
•
http://www.cyberpatrol.com - CyberPatrol
•
http://www.riasc.net/plg.aspx - Parental
Lock Guard
•
http://www.netnanny.com - Net Nanny
•
http://www.naomifilter.org - Naomi
•
http://www.surfsafe.co.uk – SurfSafe
If your kids use
Google to search for things, in the
Preferences next to the search box there are options under SafeSearch Filtering
to block explicit images or text.
There is a plug-in available for
the
Firefox web browser called
Gubble, which allows you to set
permissions on which web sites kids can visit.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
http://www.glubble.com/
In Windows it is possible to
create a separate user account that can be restricted so that the user cannot
install harmful software, remove crucial files or change Windows settings.
Create a new user account for
your child by clicking on the Start menu then Control Panel and clicking on User
Accounts. Click Create a new account, choose a name and choose a Limited account
then click Create Account.
You may also wish to put a
password on your own Administrator account so that your child cannot use it to
install or remove programs.
If your child regularly uses
chat rooms, instant messaging or social networking sites, there is an electronic
identity card service they can use to verify who they are talking to:
Net-ID-me
http://www.netidme.com/
Next Week:
Stronger Programs To
Protect Your Kids And You Online!
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