Marian's Blog: Internet Safety Tips and Information for the Family

Getting to know what your kids are doing online can be tough. They guard their privacy even while posting their most intimate thoughts online for the world to read. Or they are so deep in the world of an online game they forget to do their homework. Don't worry - you are not alone.

I've come up with five basic questions intended for you to get a better online safety relationship with your kids. The objective here is to regularly talk to your children about their "online lives" so you can provide your rules and guidance to keep them safe. You don't need to be techy to make this work.

1. What are your friends' favorite things to do online?
2. What are the newest, coolest or most popular websites for your friends?
3. Show me your favorite sites? What do you do there? Why is it a favorite?
4. Have there been any problems with cyberbullying at your school (You may need to explain cyberbullying, which is the use of electronic communication like email and MySpace to harass, tease or embarass someone.)
5. Have you ever seen anything weird or that made you feel uncomfortable when you were online?

Have The Talk and make sure your kids know they can always come to you for help with their Online Lives. You should be ready to listen, not punish and praise them for trusting you in this way. Good luck!

For more tips like this, please visit the blog at http://marian.symantec.com/blog/index.cfm

Marian Merritt