A series of links led me to an excellent writeup on Komando.com listing the 10 Commandments for Kids Online.  Here are just a few…

I will not try to win free things or buy things on the Internet without my parents’ permission. If I get a message that I won something, I will show it to my parents. If I get an e-mail asking for passwords or other secret stuff, I will ask my parents.

I will never tell anyone online or post online that I am home alone. I won’t give out my last name, my home address or telephone number, the name of my school or teachers, where my parents work or their telephone numbers without getting my parents’ permission. I will never give out my friends’ screen names, e-mail addresses, names, addresses and telephone numbers, and I will remind them to keep mine a secret.

I WILL NEVER, EVER MEET WITH ANYONE I’VE TALKED TO ONLINE WITHOUT FIRST TALKING WITH MY PARENTS.

This is just an excerpt, of course.  And, depending on the age of your child, you may or may not subscribe to some of these.  But it’s a great concept, and one that deserves implementation on some level.

It also got me thinking about other things you can do as a parent, to keep your loved ones safe.

Here’s a link to another excellent writeup from Komando on Limiting your children’s Screen Time.  It features many useful tips on parenting controls and how to use available Technology to make your job a bit easier.

And, here’s a link to OpenDNS – a (free) service that helps you keep your online environment safe through phishing protection and other forms of security, without the hassle of complicated software installation and configuration.

Safe surfing…