Protect your kids when they are online with GuardChild
Written by Elizabeth on June 29, 2008 – 4:41 pm -I would say that my husband and I are about as educated as parents can be regarding how to keep our children safe online. We don’t allow them to surf the Web, they can only go to sites that we have approved and bookmarked for them. Of course, once they are on a Web page, they could type just about anything into the browser and go anywhere, but they also know that we are going to be walking by their computers at any time to see what they are doing. And, if necessary, we will use Remote Desktop Management software to allow us to “take over” their computer and see what they are viewing.
It’s scary, isn’t it? I know it is possible to keep kids off the Internet entirely, but my husband works in PC Support and I’m a blogger, which means the Internet is a big part of our lives. I’d much rather teach my children how to be safe while they are online, and not only HOW, but WHY. It’s hard for them to understand that someone who sounds like a kid asking to be their friend on Xbox Live could actually be an adult. They want to watch videos and play games, but I don’t want them seeing porn. So what is a parent to do? Well, Michael Cafarelli founded GuardChild.
GuardChild was founded by a team of parents concerned by the explosion of news reports about child predators frequenting Internet Chat Rooms and exploiting children. We realized a need for a ‘one stop’ website where parents could gather to share their knowledge and experiences, educate themselves about Internet security, and review and purchase the latest child-monitoring software.
The GuardChild Knowledge Center provides FREE resources including toll-free phone numbers for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, links to similar child safety sites like CyberAngels and NetSmartz, articles, safety tips, and recommended reading. The Knowledge Center also explains how to choose Child Protection Software, which is the next part of the site that I want to explain to you.
GuardChild also sells monitoring software for your home computer, with prices starting at just $39.95. Whether you want to simply see what your children view online, chat protection that sends you an email if your child is chatting about a topic that you have set as off-limits, the ability to schedule which times your child can be online, even monitor entire IM conversations, GuardChild has software you can purchase. Should you monitor your child’s “private” IM chats? In my opinion, YES.
The issue of trust revolves around both parents and children understanding what is and isn’t allowed. Monitoring your child’s online activity to make sure they aren’t getting into situations they shouldn’t be in is not spying, it’s PARENTING. Wouldn’t you want to know if your child was discussing drug use, or viewing porn, or even just using inappropriate language in their chats? The Internet has lots of great uses, from educational sites to sites that are fun, but children are not adults and don’t need to be in adult situations, either. Letting your child know that you are paying attention to what they do online lets them know that if they do get into an uncomfortable situation, you’ll be able to step in and be the “bad guy” and get them out of it.
While there are free resources available on GuardChild, there is also a community that costs a very reasonable $19.95 a year to join. With paid membership in the GuardChild Community, you are entitled to:
* Hundreds of websites (with access to thousands more embedded in our sites and new sites added monthly) for family-friendly websites, online safety resources, parent resources, educational websites, and much more (GuardChild has done this research for you, so you don’t have to spend hours online searching for relevant information)
* Articles about online child safety and family Internet use
* GuardChild Community Blog: interact with other parents who share your concerns, learn from online safety experts, and contribute your own articles, advice, and questions
* Discounts on the best web-filtering software and child-monitoring software available.
* Access to a searchable State-by-State Sex Offender Registry
* An Instant Messaging/Chat/Text Messaging/Emoticon Glossary
* Email alerts of new Feature Blog postings and product updates
If you are interested in learning more about how to keep your kids safe while they are online, please visit the GuardChild website.
Tags: computers, guardchild, internet, internet safety, Kids
Posted in Technology, Websites |
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