Parent Resources
One of the biggest challenges, we as parents face today, is technology. It's often been said that you are either a student of technology or a victim of it. Technology is ALWAYS changing. Unlike most of today's parents, our children have grown up with a mouse in their hands and computers in their homes.
They need it more and more for school work, research and as a communication tool. Technology can be a really useful tool, but as parents, we need to educate ourselves and BE INVOLVED in our children's lives.
Many thanks to Patti McLain, from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, who presented this topic to our parents on 3/24.
Some simple rules to try to live by:
* All computers must remain in a public/common space - the kitchen, the family room, etc. Never bedrooms or areas where normal traffic does not routinely occur.
* Give your children the boundaries so their lives are not ruled by technology 24/7 - limit their hours on the computer, turn off their cell phones after a set time each night, keep the chargers for your children's cell phones in the kitchen - not their bedrooms.
* TALK to your children about online etiquette. We spend so much formative time teaching them etiquette at restaurants, at Mass, with relatives, etc. We need to formally discuss what is and is not appropriate with their online behavior.
* If your child has a Facebook account, get an account yourself and friend your children. Regularly check into their home pages/walls and check activity. If there is no activity, more than likely, they have established another account. Then investigate.
* Know all your child's email addresses, account names, screen names, profile names and passwords. Regularly check that you have the current ones.
* Report inappropriate contact to the Cyber Tipline.
* Google yourself, your children - find out what's available publicly about your name, address, phone number. You can request that your personal information be taken down by the major search engines.
* Password-protect your wireless internet.
* Create user accounts for each person and do not share the administrator account with your children for all computers in your house.
More information can be found online at the links below. The 411 is a great tool for parents who need to learn what's out there or to ask a question.
They need it more and more for school work, research and as a communication tool. Technology can be a really useful tool, but as parents, we need to educate ourselves and BE INVOLVED in our children's lives.
Many thanks to Patti McLain, from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, who presented this topic to our parents on 3/24.
Some simple rules to try to live by:
* All computers must remain in a public/common space - the kitchen, the family room, etc. Never bedrooms or areas where normal traffic does not routinely occur.
* Give your children the boundaries so their lives are not ruled by technology 24/7 - limit their hours on the computer, turn off their cell phones after a set time each night, keep the chargers for your children's cell phones in the kitchen - not their bedrooms.
* TALK to your children about online etiquette. We spend so much formative time teaching them etiquette at restaurants, at Mass, with relatives, etc. We need to formally discuss what is and is not appropriate with their online behavior.
* If your child has a Facebook account, get an account yourself and friend your children. Regularly check into their home pages/walls and check activity. If there is no activity, more than likely, they have established another account. Then investigate.
* Know all your child's email addresses, account names, screen names, profile names and passwords. Regularly check that you have the current ones.
* Report inappropriate contact to the Cyber Tipline.
* Google yourself, your children - find out what's available publicly about your name, address, phone number. You can request that your personal information be taken down by the major search engines.
* Password-protect your wireless internet.
* Create user accounts for each person and do not share the administrator account with your children for all computers in your house.
More information can be found online at the links below. The 411 is a great tool for parents who need to learn what's out there or to ask a question.