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Comments for Top 10 reasons why you should monitor your children's internet use

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starstarstarstarstar 		Spying on children
by: John

Hi "Spying on children",

Thanks for your comment. It is very valid and much to the point. Getting the balance right is not easy in the digital age where online predators lurk. Yet as Mum and Dad you wish to respect your children's privacy at the same time protect them from predators.

Great comment.

Thank you.


John Cosstick
Moderator
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starstarstarstarstar 		spy on my children
by: Anonymous

I don't spy on my children. However, we started young (about first or second grade) talking about responsible internet usage and internet dangers. This isn't a one-time talk either. Once I used www.faceves.com to see my child's Facebook content anonymous but that is all.
My eldest is now in middle school and I've allowed him to set up an email and Facebook page. Since he is underage, both are currently under parental control (his Facebook has about a dozen "friends"and most are family - no school friends yet). Right now, we are using them as learning tools. And we will continue these discussions right up until they move out ;) Parenting: it's an ACTION!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Childrens' Internet Use
by: John

Hi Alex.

I am glad you found the information on the website helpful.


Regards


John Cosstick

Moderator
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starstarstarstarstar 		Parent Monitoring App
by: Anonymous

Great article! I'm a mother of four and have dealt with my children wanting the latest smartphone, and once getting it, staying on it all day and all night. As a parent, it is our responsibility to be socially responsible parents and raise our kids up to be the same. It's my job to monitor my children's online and phone activity because we all know the internet is a jungle with predators and all types of bad stuff (and good)! I recently discovered an app called SmartShepherd that allows the parent to monitor their children's smartphone activity. You simply download the app on your children's phone and it allows you to read all emails, text messages, listen in on calls, and even know where they're at at any given time with the GPS tracking system. It's a great way to stay in the driver's seat as children these days become more independent and knowledgeable through the internet. You should check them out on facebook! https://www.facebook.com/smartshepherd

Hi Anonymous,

Thanks for this comment. It is a tough call on parents whether or not to monitor their children's internet use as it makes you feel you are spying on your children. However, when you read the comments of parents whose children have
committed suicide because they were being cyber bullied it is clear they did not know it was happening. It is better to have open discussion about this issue, but it raises the question whether as a teenager you would have allowed this to happen. I will check the Facebook page out.

Thank you for the comment.

Kind regards and best wishes with raising your family in the digital age.

John Cosstick
Moderator
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Talk to your kid, please
by: Anonymous

Yes it is a very good idea to talk to kids about what they are dealing with. Not a good idea to make them feel less of a person because they are dealing with the things that they are dealing with. A very good solution would be to install monitoring software on their phone and in some cases you can let them know that they are being watched. But if not, use Phone sheriff to see what they are doing or even Mobile spy and help them get through these phases. these are two very good apps to help aid you when it comes to your child curiosity.

Moderator's Comments:

Thanks for this comment. It is a difficult subject for the parents. On the one hand you don't want to be spying on your own children, but on the other hand it can be a disaster if your child is being bullied. I agree with your plea that talking to your children about this issue is important.

Regards
John Cosstick
Moderator
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		DON'T BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND!
by: REPLY TO CONCERNED MAMA

Hi Concerned Mama,
I urge you not to bury your head in the sand when it comes to internet safety. The internet is too big for children to govern themselves. Children need their moms and dads (and grandparents) to step in and monitor their activity. You sound like a nice lady so I post this message with all due respect. From, Concerned Dad!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Why You Should Monitor Your Teenager's Internet Use
by: Christine

I had to write in to ask all your readers to remember read about the 13 year old student who committed suicide last month because of internet bullying. Her story is so sad. I think her parents were monitoring the situation but their tragedy highlights the need to keep a very close watch on what your children are viewing. Also, as awful as it would be, it's important to take responsibility if your child is sending inappropriate messages. Thank you for letting me post this and get the word out about this very sad misuse of the internet. Christine
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starstarstarstarstar 		2 WORDS: INTERNET FILTER
by: ACJ

Dear Concerned Mama, I have read your post and sympathize with the plight of a mother today. As a teacher of high school students (but admittedly, a bachelor with no children of my own), I agree that there is a lot more to worry about these days than what our moms worried about. I see what my high school students get up to on the web and I shake my head that parents do not engage better internet filters. There are a lot of good products out there. I think parents need to be concerned like you and take action. I might also mention that, even though I'm a bachelor with no kids, I have software on my computer that filters the web because I don't want to be the victim of identity theft and actually I don't want indecent sites popping up when I'm surfing the web.
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starstarstarstarstar 		My head is spinning...
by: Concerned Mama

Super article, Jack, wow, my head is spinning a little after that one -- anyone else have a spinning head too? Important info for sure but where does a mama begin these days to keep her kids safe? My own mother worried about me smoking cigarettes and gossiping too much with the neighbor's daughter. I worry constantly about what my kids are seeing online. I get too upset when I read the stories about what's happened when bad folks reach out to kids on the internet. Can't bury my head in the sand though. I'd sure like to bury the computer though.

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