Bringing up a child seems to be getting tougher and tougher with every generation. Gone are the good old days when parents had full control over what their child ate, played, read, where he or she spent most of their time, generally what exactly the child was being exposed to. Today, we live in times when technology has made it both easier and safer to keep a check on your child. This dichotomy exists because of the discrepancy in the parents’ perception of their child’s knowledge and the child’s actual degree of understanding which lets him or her be either influenced by technology, or to manipulate technology to trick their parents into a false sense of normalcy and security.
The World Wide Web is an important tool to explore the world for the child. This can be an educative and entertaining mode of gathering information. Or it can turn into the biggest source of unwanted, dangerous or downright sleazy material if you are not careful. The implications of letting the other side of the World Wide Web take a hold on your child’s brain in the early formative years are terrifying. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a certain amount of check on what your child is up to when he or she goes online. Here are a few tips:
-
Teach your child the values and respect that you want her or to imbibe. The internet is powerful, but a well laid moral foundation will certainly go a long way in determining the reaction of your child if and when he or she is exposed to something which may not sit too well with you. Do not blame the internet totally for the moral dents that your child’s character may develop in the absence of parental guidance.
-
The computer should be kept in an open area, not in the privacy of the child’s bed room. The living area, hall or lounge is a good place to keep the computer in where you can be in the same room where your child is surfing the net, and still not look like you are being nosey.
-
Write down important safety rules on a piece of paper after discussing the same with your child. Thereafter, tape this piece of paper somewhere close to the computer so that the child is able to look at it all the time while he or she is online.
-
Discourage your child from disclosing personal information to friends that he or she makes online, and tell her or him the reason for the same, explaining about privacy, misuse of information and related risks in simple and gentle words.
-
Teach your child about the use of good passwords. Tell them how important it is to not reveal their passwords to anyone, however good a friend that may be.
As a last resort, you can install software that will let you know the various websites that your child has been visiting.
