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The Internet gives you and your family access to more information than can possibly be contained in any one library. The Net connects you to other countries and cultures and people. It offers education and entertainment. It puts the whole world in your hands. Pretty exciting. Of course, this fantastic opportunity is not without pitfalls. Let's take a look at what you can do to make your kids' online experience safe, useful, and fun. WHAT CAN YOUR KIDS DO ONLINE Get help with homework. Are your algebra skills just too rusty to be of much use? Do you arrive home only in time to tuck your kids into bed, having missed the homework hours? Never fear, the Web has loads of resources to help, including sites with links to educational resources by subject and grade level, 'live' tutors, and relevant question and answer sections Meet new friends. There are many kid-oriented chat sites as well as numerous places to find pen pals from all over the world. Develop skills. Surfing and searching gives your kids lots of practice using the computer and honing their ability to locate and retrieve information. They can use their online skills for research and to create their own Web sites. Have fun. Pursue hobbies, play games, learn how to make things, visit online museums, listen to music, view animation and video, create art projects, spend allowances, and more. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS Your kid has just spent 90 minutes online. What was she looking at? "Recipes." Great. That's wholesome. Or is it? The Web may have great recipes for chocolate-chip cookies, but it also has recipes for stink bombs and worse. It's important to keep the realities of online dangers in perspective. Statistically, the risks of anything untoward happening are low, but parents of wired kids shouldn't be cavalier. Possible hazards include: Accessing inappropriate materials - violent and pornographic materials, hate messages, etc. Communicating with inappropriate, even potentially harmful individuals. Kids may also be the target of unsolicited and aggressive advertising. Victimization - harassment in chat rooms or via e-mail, and possible physical attack (if contact details are revealed). Poor socialization and wasted time. If your kids spend too much time online, it might be at the expense of their face-to-face skills. Using credit cards and spending your money. SOME SOLUTIONS Keep your computer in a family room Surf with your kids Make a contract or agreement with your kids concerning Internet use. Post rules of use by the computer Look into your child's school's policies concerning their policies for safe Internet use. ELECTRONIC SOLUTIONS Many ISPs and some Web browsers allow users to block access to sites with questionable material. Ask your ISP's customer support department for information about this service. BLOCKING SOFTWARE such as NetNanny, CyberPatrol, and SurfWatch can be installed on your computer and used to help filter out inappropriate material. A good all-around resource for blocking software is NetParents. ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR KIDS, WHAT ABOUT YOU? You can also help your kids - and yourself - by getting ideas and support from any number of parenting sites, newsgroups, and mailing lists. Try MomsOnline to join a growing community of mothers supporting and learning from one another on the Net. print this lesson | back to lesson main page Find and bookmark three sites for your kids - a homework helper, a search engine, a kids' pen pal or chat site. Some you might try include: B.J. Pinchbeck's Homework Help Yahooligans Science a Go-Go Exploratorium The History Place Ask Jeeves for Kids America Online users: Try Keyword: Kids Only, and Keyword: KO Homework Helper.