Monitoring kids online usage

DeputyDad

New Member
This is getting to be harder as my daughters get older. They want to be on Facebook and various other online sites because they have friends that are doing it, but I worry about their safety. There are too many weirdos "out there". What are your rules and how do you enforce them?
 

Sinbian

New Member
What I'm about to say is easier said than done but what happened to not spending time online at all? Animate your kids to do outdoor stuff, either with you or their friends.
 

DeputyDad

New Member
You're right. That is easier said than done. Especially with a girl that is a young teen. It's what all her friends are doing. So far, the agreement is that I have to be on her friend's list. :D
 

SingleDadNow

New Member
The problem with being on your friends list is that she can hide a lot of what is going on, through Facebook's settings. My kids are too young for Facebook, but when it comes time, I will insist that I am not only their friend, but that I have their passwords (and then follow up on checking them out). They will know that until they are much older, they have no expectation of privacy online.
 

Victor

New Member
SingleDadNow, I think having the password is a good idea so you can see everything, but what is to stop her from setting up a secret secondary account? If I were a teen, that's what I would do.
 

DeputyDad

New Member
I don't want to force my daughter to give me her password unless she gives me cause to do so. I think teens do need a chance to be trusted and that would rank right up there with going through her drawers and reading her diary. She's never yet given me cause to distrust her.
 

Jon

New Member
I don't know how old your daughter is but one of the Facebook's terms and conditions is that you should be 13 or older in order to register. This has been violated in many occasions and parental guidance is the only way to check our young ones not to get indulge in social sites.

I also recommend having outdoor activities with your children so they won't get glued on electronic devices.
 

DeputyDad

New Member
She is fourteen and at the age where she has interests and friends and I won't limit that without reason. Even her school and their teams have their own Facebook pages that all her friends keep up with. If I try to exclude her from that, it would make her stand out as an oddball.
 

Andersson

New Member
Now I have no idea how to do this myself but I know you can lock your computers down. Someone mentioned to me the other day that you can do this thing where only a kid has their own login information and it can be timed to lock them out. Maybe that would work?
 

DeputyDad

New Member
The fourteen year old has her own computer that she got for her birthday. The younger one is only eight so that is an idea that would work for her. She's only allowed to use the computer offline unless an adult is around.
 
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