Internet Guidelines for Parents and Guardians

• Place the computer in a common area of the residence rather than a bedroom. This will encourage online time to be a family oriented activity.
• Become familiar with the people and web sites your children are interacting with on the internet, just as you would get to know all of their other friends.
• Choose a family oriented Internet Service Provider or Online Service and use Parental Controls or software to regulate the type of information and material your children can access on the Internet. Most of the Parental Controls and software allow adults to restrict access to age appropriate levels. In the event the children do receive objectionable material, teach them to avoid responding to messages that are suggestive, obscene, threatening or makes them feel uncomfortable. Make sure they are comfortable in making you aware of these types of messages. Immediately notify your Internet Service Provider of the receipt of such material.
• Try to select non-descriptive Account Names and Screen Names for your children. Their online names should not be too specific or identify or describe them in detail.
• Remind your children not to provide their real name, phone number, address, or other personal information to anyone to whom they meet online, and never to meet face to face with anyone they have met through the internet without your permission. If you do permit such a meeting, it should be in a public place and that you or another responsible adult should accompany your child.
• Set reasonable guidelines for your children's time online and remember that the computer should not be thought of as a "babysitter". The guidelines should be age appropriate. Remember, what is acceptable for a teenager may not be acceptable for a younger child.
• Remind your children that the rules are the same for any computer they use, whether at home, a friend's house, school, or the public library.
• Assure your children that they can talk with you about things that happen on the internet. If they fear that they will lose their internet access, they may be reluctant to talk about anything bad that happened on the internet.