Online Parenting

You don't need to be a computer genius to be able to keep your children safe online. Although there is no sense in being a panic merchant, it definitely pays to be informed when it comes to internet safety. Internet usage is still outweighed by time spent in front of the telly, but more children as young as 4 and 5 are increasing their time online to do things such as gaming and searching media.

As an adult, most of us don’t think twice before jumping online to search for movie times, or to do a spot of shopping (In the Isoki online store of course!) But the internet can be overwhelming and confusing for young children so they will need your help making sense of cyber space.

The parenting skills for online safety are the same as they are in the real world. While children might seem to be capable of using the computer alone, their online behaviour still requires parental monitoring and guidance. Here are some great tips to help keep your kids safe online.

• At a young age, your child’s internet use should be closely monitored. Keep your computer in a shared space in your home so that it is always visible.
• Be aware of how your child uses the internet and explore it with them. Ask them what they would like to do or accomplish in an internet session and help them pick appropriate websites. Bookmark a list of favourite websites that you are comfortable with your child visiting and teach them how to access the list.
• Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or bothers them. They should immediately tell you if they feel uncomfortable about something they have found on the internet or received in an email.
• Talk to your child about personal information and why it is important to keep it private. This sort of information can be used to identify or locate where they live, go to school or activities in which they are involved.
• Help your child understand that what they say and do online is important. Encourage your child to use the same manners, and politeness that they would use to communicate in the offline world.
• Use filters, labels and safe zones to help manage your child's online access. Try using Google's Safe Search which is available free to all users of Google. You can adjust the settings to be as strict or moderate as you like to try to filter out any inappropriate websites.

If you have any further questions about cyber safety, the Australian Government has helped to set up a Cyber Safety centre, for more details, visit www.cybersmart.gov.au