Top 11 Safety Ideas to Promote Online Safety for Children

The internet is a vast source of information online. While there are certain dangers from excessive exposure to the internet, it also provides a means through which children source for information for their educational studies. Children also use the internet to communicate with teachers and friends. It is therefore important that parents find ways to protect their children online while enabling them to use the positive aspects of the internet. The following ten ideas can help you keep your children safe online: 1. Create a family time to browse the internet You can protect your children by browsing the internet with them. You can assist them to source for information online and to discover interesting sites related to their hobbies. While browsing the internet together, you can show the children about the danger they can encounter online. 2. Find out what your children are doing online Allow your children show you their favorite sites and why they like these sites. 3. Track your children phisicaly Family locator app allows you to track your child physically. Through family locator app you can check if your child arrives on the desired destination, to check the location history(where your child has been in order to prevent unexpected situations). 4. Create rules for browsing the internet With particular rules, your children can remain safe online. You can implement rules such as:

• Agree on the time-frame for browsing the internet
• Educate your children about privacy on the internet
• Show your children how to observe the right social media etiquette and polite communication online
• Let your children understand why certain sites are restricted

5. Make your children understand why you have put measures in place to monitor their browsing pattern. 6. Protection of private data Personal information should never be shared online. Teach your kids how to avoid providing full names, contact details, social media information or home addresses to strangers online. 7. Let them understand the limits of “online friends.” It is easy for strangers to gain the trust of children who have not been educated about the dangers of the internet. It is a scary space where thousands of predators look for vulnerable children online. It is important that your children understand who predators are and how to avoid them online. 8. Teach your children how to make critical decisions independently You may not always be there while they are online. You have to show your children how to evaluate information and requests online and how to provide answers that will not compromise their personal information. They should also know how to identify safe sites. 9. Teach children proper online etiquette If every parent can teach their children the right ways to behave online, there will be a reduction in the cases of cyberbullying. 10. Report illegal discoveries Illegal discoveries and activities that can endanger children should be immediately reported. Suspected online predators should also be investigated, and known child sex offenders should be blocked online. 11. Track your children’s activities online You can monitor your children’s online activities by using parental control app. These apps can help you perform the following protective functions to keep the children safe online:

• Monitor all text messages that have been sent received and deleted;
• Scan through your children’s contact list and call log;
• Track your child’s activities on social media sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Kik, Snapchat, etc.;
• Track location using inbuilt GPS features on the parental control apps;
• Create restrictions using geo-fencing to prevent access to prohibited areas and sites online;
• Monitor saved bookmarks, browsing history;
• Block access to adult websites.

Children browsing the internet without parental guidance or the protection of parental control apps are exposed to different kinds of online dangers. By following the tips described above, you can increase the protection of your children online until they grow old enough to stay protected online.