Ten rules for safe coexistence of parents, children and internet

1. Discover internet along with your children
Become one of the sources of the internet research for your children. It is useful both for the children and their parents if they discover the internet together. Try to find sites that are exciting and entertaining. Perhaps together you will find a positive approach to the internet exploration which will allow you to share both positive and negative experience.

2. Agree on the rules of the internet use at home
Try to agree on clear rules with the children – see the following tips:

• Use of personal information (name, address, telephone, e-mail)
• Our behaviour towards the others online (chat, e-mail, exchange messages)
• Which kinds of websites are OK and which are wrong

3. Warn your children to be careful when providing personal information
The adults have to be aware of the fact that many websites for children require registration for the access to the website content. It is important to understand when, where and what personal information could be declassified. The basic rule is that a child should not provide his name, telephone or a picture to anyone without your prior consent.

4. Speak about a potential risk of a face-to-face meeting with an internet “friend”
The adults should understand that the internet can be a good place for the children to get to know each other and establish new friendships. However, it is essential that children should not meet strangers whom they found on the internet on their own, without being accompanied by adults or friends to whom they trust. This way you can avoid potential unpleasant surprise. In any case parents should know about such appointments in advance and approve them.

5. Teach your children to have a healthily critical attitude towards the internet
Most children use the internet to improve and extend their school knowledge and their hobbies. However, net users have to realize that not all information written there is true. Teach your children to check the information they gained by comparing alternative sources on the same topic.

6. Do not be too critical about the internet exploration by your children
Children might visit a website that is intended only for adults. Should the child look for such a website intentionally, please note that it is normal that they are naturally curious. Try to take advantage of this situation and talk about such content and agree on the rules of the next behaviour. Try to be realistic when assessing how your child uses the internet.

7. Notify relevant authorities about the internet content that is illegal
It is important that all of us should take responsibility for the web content and notify relevant authorities of the content that is illegal. This way we help to prevent illegal activities, such as child pornography, attempts to lure children through chats, emails or exchange messages.

8. Support observing netiquette rules
Netiquette is a set of informal rules describing the online behaviour. Similarly as in our everyday life, also on the net there are ethic rules about how to behave towards the others. The rules include politeness, talking standard Czech, not shouting at and bothering the others. Children, as well as adults, should not read emails of the others and should respect copyrights.

9. Learn how your children use internet
It is necessary to know how your child behaves on the internet, what he prefers visiting so that you could lead him in that. Let him show you what website he likes to visit and what he does there. Acquiring technical skills will help you to take correct decisions about the internet use by your children.

10. Remember – positive aspects of the internet prevail over the negative ones
The Internet is an excellent tool both for education and relax of children. Encourage the children to be curious and reveal all the opportunities that the internet offers.

Source: Saferinternet.cz