As a parent, it’s your job to ensure your children learn safe Internet habits.

One day your child may surf the internet and find web pages designed specifically for kids and teens. The following day he or she may find web sites designed by pornographers, or criminals.

The problem with the Internet is that anyone in the world can publish almost anything — and there’s no failsafe way to keep our children from viewing all of the offensive material out there. You need to learn how to keep your kids safe when they’re online. Here’s a list of tips to help you travel down the Internet highway with your kids.

• Tip #1
  Make sure your computer is in an open area of your home – such as the family room. Or use public computers together in the library, community center, schools, etc.

• Tip #2
  Go online with your kids. Take time to find out what your kids are looking at and what their interests are. (Learn how to look in the “history” file of your web browser to see what sites your kids have visited if you allow then time alone on the Internet. This information should be available in the “Help” section of your browser)

• Tip #3
  Teach your kids never to give out personal information online – especially in places like bulletin boards (or) chat rooms. Make sure they ask for permission before giving out ANY personal or family information.

• Tip #4
  Create clear rules regarding Internet use for your kids. Research and decide whether or not to use protective software programs like Safesurf or Cybersitter. (These are programs you can purchase which restrict many types of offensive material from being accessed through your home computer.)

• Tip #5
  Teach your kids never to open or accept e-mails, URLs, files, links, or other things from people they don’t know and trust. Viruses are easily passed this way.

• Tip #6
  Teach your kids not to respond to offensive language or communications they may encounter in chat rooms, on web pages or via email.

• Tip #7
  Teach your kids never to meet face-to-face with online “friends” alone.