How to protect your kids on the Internet?

Parenting is Heart Work

Everyone sets the goals and responsibilities for himself but what is the main responsibility of being an adult in our life? It’s neither becoming successful nor being remembered afterwards, true happiness comes with the responsibility of being a parent. Indeed, it is the hardest and the most important job in the world, yet full of joy and surprises, only teaching comes second after parenting. Whilst raising the child one of the inevitable key is protecting your child. You cannot be around them all the time and the questions on how to protect your kids has been on the agenda ever. You can always ensure yourself that this will not happen to your children but the threat is still out there.

Protecting your kids on the Web

The world and society we live in are truly connected with the Internet and social media. Starting from the 2000s you cannot imagine your day without using the services the Internet has to offer: either for your own purposes or for the job-related ones. The fact is that sometimes children are involved in the Internet activities more often than the adults are. As a result they are exposed to the dangers connected with it. What are the main ones are? The list can be almost infinite and we are all aware of these dangers, however, the main ones are: bullying, harassment and sexual solicitation. The following steps are the most common and influential with the question of how to protect your kids online.

1. Talk with your kids and discuss issues connected with the Internet safety and what is allowed and what is not.
2. Be a step closer to them even if you are not around: Friend them on social media!
3. Monitor their activity by means of spyware (e.g. TopSpy)
4. Limit their usage and their access to the Internet and related services.

Having an open dialogue is a very effective way of solving the problem. Devote some time for the educational purposes on the Internet and the threats related with them. Discuss the following: cyber bullying, harassment, trolling, sexual solicitation and others you can even think of. This conversation will be very useful especially with cyber bullying. Your kid should be aware of this phenomenon and what should he do in case of being involved in it. Children sometimes do not understand the threat they are putting themselves in by posting real addresses, personal information and so on.

Sometimes it gets hard to control your children especially when the time comes and they demand more privacy and freedoms. Become their friend on the Web, add them on Facebook, Twitter and other social media services. By doing so you have the opportunity to monitor what they are really up to without being invasive.