Internet Motorway

I am often asked:

"How do I protect my children from things on the Internet?"

The answer seems to shock most people because it is completely non-technical.  There is no software involved and you don't need to spend loads of money with some internet company to look at sites and tell you which ones to let your kids see.

The answer is exactly as it would be if the question were:

"How can I be sure my kids are safe playing on the motorway?"

Answer don't let them.  Never unsupervised up to age 15 is my guidance.  Do not bother with all the net security stuff and site registers - the people that want your child to see something shocking will always find a way of doing it. If you are not there to supervise you have lost out doubly.

1. Your child is now vulnerable to these people

2. You don't know about it

I can't think of anything worse when we take so much care over most other aspects of what influences our children.

Take the opportunity to work with your child, be a part of their world and enjoy the challenge.  You never know you might even find it useful yourself.

Why stop at 15? 

It is not stopping so much as taking a different stance.  One step away from direct control and monitoring to being there for reference, standing back and gradually letting them use it unobserved.

My opinion is that at 15 your child has to be trusted with things and using the internet is a stage in that trust just like the first time you let them cycle to the park without you.  You still have to satisfy yourself that they have observed the guidance on the sites at the base of this page and are Internet savvy by having sat with them using it if you have not done so before.

At sixteen they have tons of things they are trusted to do so it makes sense to make the Internet a year earlier.  Safer than meeting the world for real and you are still around to answer questions/help as they discover things.

This is using your Internet connection at it's best for your family in my opinion.

For further info:

For more cyber safety information, visit safekids.com and safeteens.com. Check out how to keep safe in chat rooms at THINKuKNOW.co.uk

< Back to Nevs Nuggets