Internet Rules For Kids
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011Age-appropriate article
Raising a child in a digital world can be a daunting task. The Internet is ubiquitous in children’s lives and as a parent, you need to set limits and guidelines on what your kids are doing online. Different age groups require different rules. As your child grows older he or she will require more personal freedom online, and it is important that they are prepared for this from responsibility and confidence that has been instilled in them from a young age. Here is a general age-appropriate guideline that you can follow to teach Internet responsibility to your kids.
0-7:
In this age category kids are usually not familiar with or using instant messaging, social networking, or participating in chat rooms. However, they are still probably online at times, therefore safety measures still must be taken. As a parent, talk to fellow parents and teachers to see what kind of safe-sites there are for kids. As well, make use of directories for kids. Use kid search engines such as ‘yahoo kids’ or ‘ask for kids.
Internet safety and help group
Awesome Library – 14,000 carefully reviewed resources
Berit’s Best Sites – Directory of kids’ web sites maintained by Berit Erickson
Britannica – Websites, magazines, books and the Encyclopedia Britannica
Dibdabdoo – Metasearch DMOZ – Yahooligans – Kids Click
INFOMINE – Scholarly Internet resources in K-12
KidsWeb – Mid-Continent Public Library kid’s directory
SuperKids SuperSearch – Kid friendly search site
Kid friendly search engine
It is also advised to invest in a parental control blocker. This takes the worry out of not knowing whether or not your kids are visiting unpleasant websites, and reduces the risk of them stumbling onto bad sites.