Child safe internet

[snowman.022851697]

First and foremost you must have a good idea about how the net works.


Then you can install programs to monitor the sites they surf; programs to block known pornography/harmful sites (eg. chat roulette) (also note that some sites are already banned by the MDA… and not forgetting anonymizers too…

Thirdly educate your child on the dangers of the net, especially downloading pirated programs as this will lead to legal action taken… educate him/her on online forums etc… but most importantly tell her that while the net can be useful, there are lots of hidden dangers… for example scams, credit card fraud… whatever…

Basically you have to educate her… then install parental control tools… when I was younger, i had an online time limiter and a program to record visited sites… Don’t use the browser’s history as a guide as modern browsers, like google chrome (which i use) and even IE8, have a browsing mode that will not record list of visited sites (in chrome it’s called ‘incognito mode’)… but IMO a key logger is far too much… I feel it will intrude privacy as this way passwords to accounts will be revealed which is dangerous especially if someone else has learnt to operate the keylogger… infact, my antivirus will recognise keyloggers as viruses…

Another step you can take is to discuss with your child about the net, what friends he/she has made, what has he/she learnt, etc… this way you have another tool to have an idea of what your child is doing on the net… My parents do this with me every week but honestly it’s up to you.

hope I helped(:

ps: if your child is a tech freak he/she can easily disable the parental control programs… another tool is event viewer, and also, windows vista and 7 have built in parental control features(:

[lovingbabymama]

Hi snowman 697,


Thanks for yr reply.

I am not IT savy. Will pass your reply & see if my husband can help.

My girl is only 6 yrs old. So her mind is still pure & don’t understand what is the danger of the net. Will slowly educate her. Thanks.

[eve74sg]

Hi


If your internet service provider is from Starhub, you can sign up for safesurf. I discovered that and sign up immediately. I think it cost about $2.60 per month.

[happypapa]

Well, there are free solutions, just check out some firefox plugins


http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10118221-2.html

[cyn-w]

MDA just launched a cyber wellness campaign and I think it has some good tips as to how to create a 'child-safe' internet. A lot of resources by TOUCH community services, for parents and kids alike i found it very helpful! There is also a roving bus traveling around sg to many schools, it was at my son's school a few days ago. There are kiosks in it with games. Very cool


The website is http://cyberwellness.org.sg

[Ben.044861Cybersource]

No software is 100% safe…


When kids are young. watch youtube video, do online research with them. Just let them try while you guide them.

install your PC @ living room/study room.

[Evoxia]

lovingbabymama:

Hi all,


Can anyone share with me how to do a child safe Internet ?
Now my gals love to watch you tube, they are able to surf themselves. However, even topic like \"Dora\" contain some not suitable clips, how can I prevent this ?

Pls also pm me in case I missed yr reply. Thanks.

You may try the NetGenie wireless router with Parental control, you can also control the internet hours or what days your kids can go online.

[keltong]

Not sure if you are still looking for this info.


I like the idea of having the computer in the living room. Also, it is still best to sit beside a young child surfing, but I know we don't always have time to do it.

You can set this page as a default search page for kids.
http://www.kidrex.org/

And for Youtube, try this site.
http://youtubeforchildren.com/

But as one poster says, nothing is full proof.

[Elizabeth35]

Spend time with your children on-line. Have them teach you about their favorite on-line destinations. Keep the computer in a common room in the house, not in your child’s bedroom. Review what is on your child’s computer. If you don’t know how, ask a friend, coworker, relative, or other knowledgeable person. Monitor your child’s access to all types of live electronic communications i.e., chat rooms, instant messages, Internet Relay Chat, etc and monitor your child’s e-mail. Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider and blocking software. Teach your child the responsible use of the resources on-line. There is much more to the on-line experience than chat rooms.

[Dandelion_Ivory]

Best to leave the computer/laptop that your child uses in the living room/common area. That way they are not tempted to visit sites that they shouldn’t be visiting.