Nobody can deny that the internet is an integral part of most homeschooling homes. I feel it is both a huge blessing and still a bit of a curse sometimes. I love that my kids can research the pyramids, watch a ocean documentary, read a book about George Washington and see Grandma and Grandpa in real time by a simple click of a mouse, without ever even leaving the couch! Unfortunately, with these modern day conveniences also come online dangers, the most extreme being hackers, predators, porn and scams! I never want my children to be scared of their world, but I do feel strongly about educating them about some of the not good stuff they may see or experience on the computer. We talk about and practice internet safety for kids in my home by:
1. Supervising computer use. We have one desk top and four laptops throughout our home and the kids are only allowed to play on the computer in the schoolroom which is downstairs in the main are of the house so that I can watch what they are looking at.
2. I stay informed about current internet security- scams and viruses are always changing but knowing how these are targeted to some computers either through use or action helps my family not become a victim.
3.I also share information about risks to my kids. Of course I do this not wanting to scare them but they are learning that ads or attachments are not always true and that any person can pretend to be anyone online easily.
4.Install web filtering software to help become a barrier between your kids and the world wide web.
5. Supply my kids with a list of appropriate child aged websites, online learning games or informational websites to use.
What do you do to ensure internet safety within your household?
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