There is no better way to monitor your kids than by sitting with them while they use the internet. This way, you are assured that you know the sites they visit and the things they do online.
It is also important to keep the internet-connected computer to open area of your house so that you can easily see what they are doing online. Having said that, an internet-connected computer inside their room should be avoided since you can't monitor them if they go online in the middle of the night.
But you can't sit with them or guard their every move online so there are ways to prevent your kids from accessing websites that aren't right for their age.
For younger kids particularly those at the age of 2 to 10 years old, it is highly recommended to download or purchase online web browsers for kids. Specially-made browsers for kids have pre-approved websites that kids can access. These browsers also filter websites which may contain inappropriate information for your kids. Other cool features of kids' browser are fun, colorful, and easy to use interface, safe, educational, and kids-friendly environment.
For pre-teens and teenagers who won't enjoy the kids-browser, one way to monitor their activity by reviewing the website history. If they aren't clever enough, they won't know how to erase it. If you find websites that are inappropriate for them, block them by adding them to Windows' "Hosts" file so that the next time they try to access these pages, they will be blocked. Or, to protect the entry of the unwanted sites from your computer beforehand, setup an internet filtering software such as Cyber Snoop, ChildLock, AOL Parental Controls, BSafe Online, FilterPark, McAfee Internet Security Suite, Net Mop, and more.
It is also encouraged that you, as parents, should teach your children the right way of using the internet. Direct them to good websites about sexuality and health, and not pornography.
Setting up hardware like router with internet filtering capability is another way to prevent your kids from accessing inappropriate websites.
Remember that hardware and software should act only as aids and not replacements to your physical guidance.
Violence, sex, nudity, and explicit language, pornography, online gambling, online predators, viruses, spyware, and adware; these are some of the threats that your kids can encounter while using the internet. And since you can't monitor them all the time, you need to find ways to protect your kids from these threats. Here are some of those ways:
1.Teach them to stay secure. Talk to them about personal security while using the internet. Tell them to refuse giving any personal information to people they meet online. Avoid filling out membership and survey forms that would entail them to state their personal information.
2.Place your computer in a place where you can monitor your kids' use of the internet and not in their bedroom.
3.Set up house rules to limit your kids' internet access.
4.Keep your kids' computer account "limited. This will keep you in control over the significant access to the computer.
5.Discourage them from making personal profiles using online networking websites that can be viewed by anyone. Sites like MySpace create venues for online predators to access different personal information for their predatory purposes. If your kids already have profiles posted on the web, make sure that you know what pictures and personal information they post. Also, view their personal blogs.
6.If your kids are young enough to use the regular web browser, download web-browsers that are made for kids. They filter bad websites and limit your kids' access to pre-approved webpages.
7.Tell them to avoid peer-to-peer file-sharing softwares. This is because viruses, spyware, and adware can freely enter your computer through these softwares.
8.Use internet filtering software to block bad websites from your computer.
9.Use internet monitoring software to secretly track the activity of your kids from websites visited, chat rooms entered, downloads, conversation, and IMs.
10.Attend to your kids immediately if they report any uncomfortable online exchanges they have encountered.
11.Share a common email address so that you can monitor their messages.
12.If they use instant messaging, make sure that you know who are on their list.
13.If they enter chat rooms, tell them to stay in the public room so that the chat room administrator can monitor your conversation. Tell them to ignore private messages.
14.Tell them not to meet personally with strangers they only met online.
15.And, teach them to approach you whenever they have any doubts on the emails and messages they receive, window popups that appears, and forms they were asked to fill-out.