1. Safety in Cyberspace A tutorial designed to help parents keep children safe online.

2. Lesson #1: Real life concepts translate easily to the world of the internet

3. Lesson #1 As a parent, you already know most of what will be taught in this tutorial. You have to think of the internet as a world that has rules and dangers just like the real world.

4. Lesson #2: More about those strangers.

5. Lesson #2 Always know who your children are talking to online. Set strict boundaries on email and social media. Follow the age rules on social media.

6. Lesson #3: monitor the sites your children are visiting.

7. Lesson #3 If you don’t know where your child has been, you cannot monitor where they will be tomorrow. You can view the history of sites visited in Internet Explorer or install software designed to block websites that are not child friendly.

8. Lesson #3 To find websites your child has visited On the toolbar, click the Favorites Center button . Click the History button. Click the day that you visited the website. In the list of websites that you visited on that day, click the site you want to go to.

9. Lesson #3 Low cost option filters are available to help your children make wise choices when surfing the web. PC Magazine has a very helpful database of available filters.

10. Lesson #4: Make your child aware of the boundaries.

11. Lesson #4 Open and clear lines of communication can stop problems before they happen. Discuss your expectations with your child about the internet. Together, come up with a set of household rules or make an internet contract so everyone is clear on what is expected.

12. Lesson #4 A few basic suggestions for a list of rules… 1. Set time limits for daily usage. 2. Limit the types of websites that can be visited or type of search engine that can be used. 3. Require that parents have access to all accounts and passwords. 4. Prohibit internet usage after a certain time of night or before homework is completed.

13. Lesson #4 Every good list of household rules should talk about cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is just as harmful to a child’s self esteem as bullying in real life. You must both prohibit your children from bullying and encourage them to confide in you if they feel threatened online in any way.

14. Lesson #5: Keep your computer in an open area if possible.

15. Lesson #5 Keeping the computer in the living room or family room encourages accountability. Allowing a child to have a computer in his or her room is a personal choice, but it’s strongly advised against.

16. Review…. Even if you are new to the internet yourself, the five basic rules discussed can provide a firm foundation for keeping your child safe.