Internet Safety

Parents, please read and share these tips with your children. The internet is a great resource, but use it wisely. Find more information here or here.

• Keep computers in common areas in your home, not in bedrooms. This will cut down on usage as well as help assure that only appropriate sites are accessed.

• Do not share private information online. Kids should not share phone numbers, addresses, last names, or the name of the school they attend with people they chat with.

• Children should not post or send pictures to anyone without parent permission.

• Do not sign up for anything online without parent permission.

• Create a folder of bookmarks specifically for your child(ren). Teach them how to use bookmarks instead of searching for a site.

• Be sure you sit with your child the first few times they use a search engine. And while Google is very popular, consider using a more child-friendly search engine such as those found here.

• Use a safe email option for children. There are many subscription email services that filter email, allow parents to monitor email or even set time limits on access. Just search "safe email for kids". Another option is Zilladog. It has a one-time fee of $9.95 instead of a yearly or monthly subscription.

• Talk to your children about internet ads -- what they look like and why NOT to click on them. (They will bring you to a different site, may ask for information, and may install spyware on your computer.)