Child Safety
The Internet Can Be a Scary Place
by Michele Schad
The Internet can be a scary place, especially for your
children. I'm a mother of two teens, and a computer
teacher of third through eighth grade students. I'm
very protective of my kids, and of my students. So
each year at school, I make sure that I go through all
of the Internet Safety Rules.
Rule 1: Never give out your real name, address,
telephone number, or parent's name without permission
of your parents. Just like you don't give out your
real information, always remember that people you are
talking to don't give their real information either.
It could be a fifty-year-old man, pretending to be a
13-year-old girl.
Rule 2: Tell your parents about anything that makes
you feel uncomfortable. Do not respond until you've
let your parents know, and you are then given
permission. And remember, it's not your fault if you
get something that makes you feel uncomfortable, so
tell an adult!
Rule 3: Never give out your password.
Rule 4: Never arrange to meet someone you've met
online unless you've talked it over with your parents
and there is an adult that goes with you.
Rule 5: Do not register at any sites or download
anything without your parent's permission.
Rule 6: Treat others the way you would like to be
treated.
Rule 7: Do not send a picture of yourself to anyone
without your parent's permission.
About the Author: I'm Michele, the Online Gaming Wizard for Kids at
http://www.wz.com/games/greatonlinegamesforkids.html.
I'm always looking for great game sites for kids.
Here's one example. Do your kids enjoy TV shows on
PBS? Play Bunny Chase with the Teletubbies,
Peek-a-Boo with Mr. Rogers, Concentration with
Theodore Tugboat, or play music at Wimzie's House.
Your kids will have fun with these and many more as
they play along with their favorite PBS characters. Go
to http://pbskids.org/fun_and_games to have a lot of
fun. If you'd like, go to my web site and sign up for
my free ezine. My ezines feature fun and safe games
for kids.
