These Internet safety tips can help keep you and your family safe online.
Keep computers in a central place. It makes it easier for you to keep an eye on your children’s activities.
Know where your kids go online. If you have young children, you may want to navigate the Internet with them. For older kids, agree on where they can and can't go before they log on. You can also check where your kids have been by looking at the browser history in your computer's web browser menu. Another option is to use filtering products, like Google’s SafeSearch.
Teach Internet Safety. It's impossible to monitor all online activity, all the time. As kids get older, they need to know how to use the Internet safely and responsibly when they're on their own.
Use sharing controls. Using sharing controls is particularly important when you or your kids share personal information, like names, addresses, or phone numbers, on public sites. In addition to teaching your kids how to use these controls, teach them to respect the privacy of friends and family by not identifying people by name in public profiles and pictures.
Protect passwords. It sounds obvious, but remind your kids not to give out their online passwords and not to click on "remember me" settings on public computers, like at school or at the library.
Beware of stranger danger. Teach kids to avoid in-person meetings with people they "meet" online, and not to share personal information with online strangers because people may not be who they claim to be.
Teach kids to communicate responsibly. A good rule of thumb is: if you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't text it, email it, instant message it, or post it as a comment on someone's page. Many of today's most popular websites have easy-to-use tools that let users flag inappropriate content that others post online. It's important for kids to know how to flag inappropriate content when they encounter it.
View all content critically. Just because you see it online, doesn't mean it's true. Teach kids how to distinguish reliable sources from unreliable ones and how to verify information they find online.
Tips for helping your child at home
When parents are engaged in education, student achievement increases.
1. Just Ask Ask your children what they studied in class today - what they liked and what they learned. Asking questions shows that school is important.
2. Quiet Study Choose a place for home study and make sure the room is quiet during that time. Creating a quiet place goes a long way toward helping your children learn.
3. Regular Schedule. Set up a certain time of day that is dedicated to homework. Follow up with your children to be sure their homework is complete and turned in on time.
4. Learn Together If you want your children to read their assignments, give yourself an assignment, too. When it's time for them to do homework, take a break and spend a few minutes reading a book, magazine or newspaper.
5. Learn Everywhere Increase your children's interest in homework by connecting school to everyday life. For instance, your children can learn fractions and measurements while you prepare favorite foods together.
6. Meet Their Teachers Meet with your children's teachers to find out what they are learning and discuss their progress in school.
7. Praise Helps Praise your children for successfully completing homework. Nothing encourages children more than praise from their parents.
