So, we just got internet access at our house. My mom gave us her old desktop and we finally got it hooked up. Now the fun begins...the kids want to be on it of course. They are 12 and 9. We have a Wii and each has a DS. No TV's in their rooms tho and they don't have cell phones. What are the rules at your house? Do they earn time? Do they lose time earned? Do they just get a number of minutes per day? What about weekends...same rules? Also, what programs do you use to monitor the kids? I don't know what they are called but need to put something on there...don't care what the cost is, more concerned with access for them. Thanks for any info you can give!!!
I think there is something you can download called "Safe Eyes" and its like $50 per year. You can set each family member up on their own account and give them a set number of minutes as well as set the parental controls for each person. So I'm looking for something like that.
Why would any kid want to be on the computer? Because its fun and its what they do now. We are little behind most families having internet in their home and was simply asking how other families handle it.
I think it's funny how we focus on what we each think is acceptable and not. My kids have access to the computer any time they want. They are very limited to where they can go or what they can do online though.
Our computer the kids use is in the living room in full sight of anyone who is walking through. The screen faces the room, the whole thing is right there. No one can get away with anything at all. It is safer that way.
If it is a computer in which ALL of you have to share... the kids NEED to realize this. It is NOT "theirs." Make that clear. Clear as crystal.
AND YOU... decide, what websites they can join. ONLY you... can make their accounts for it. And ONLY... children sites. There are many cute kid sites.
ie: Webkinz, club penguin, PBS, etc.
With my kids, they don't get too hung up on the computer. They can use it. They are reasonable and get off it when we tell them. However, they also use it for school, work. And for fun.
AND they ALWAYS, ask us first... if they can look at something. We do not allow them to just "google search" things. My 9 year old knows how of course and is computer savvy. BUT she always.... asks us first and she knows what is inappropriate.
AND in school, they have been taught that as well. Clearly. They have web/computer safety workshops as well as their regular computer class.
Even my 5 year old, is taught that.
To prevent your kids from just hopping on the computer whenever.... you make a password for it, to log on. AND do not tell them the password. That way, they have to ask you if they can use it.
We are a tech family and have lots of tech things in our house. But my kids never get hung up on it. And we don't treat it as a "forbidden fruit."
They have never gotten "addicted" to it.
They display responsibility about it. Even my 5 year old.
Our number 1 Rule is with the internet is that all computers or devices that can be used to access the internet stay in the main living area and only be used when Mom or Dad are in the room. We use the Safe Eyes program and really like it. It not only blocks the sites that need to be blocked but reports to us what the children have been looking up online and provides other helpful information. You are being very smart about this, when installed the program after a very innocent google search by my son (just the name of a popular children's movie) led him onto an awful website.
I can also recommend a great DVD that speaks to children about internet safety and its importance created by John Walsh:
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
It gets the message across but it is also very funny and entertaining!
We have enough computers in our house that a few of us could be on two at one time so usage is not an issue. No my kids aren't spoiled brats, I get a new laptop every year so they get hand me downs.
When we didn't have so many they could use it whenever they wanted. If the other wanted to use it then we divided up the time. If an adult needed to use it the kids were bumped.
I do not use programs to monitor the kids. I have yet to find one that isn't the devil for any adult using the same machine. If they are found to go on a site they aren't supposed to they lose computer privileges until they come back from their dads. I have never had to do that mind you.
My kids are 7 and 9 (will be 8 and 10 this summer). We only do "games" on the weekends - this includes Wii, DS and computer. The time allowed on the weekends depends on the weather and our schedule.
**There are TONS of awesome free games (and educational ones) on the computer.
I'ts not about minutes-it's about content-I would not, not , not-allow unlimited access to the internet with respect to content, to any child under18. Use parental controls-allow them to do research if they need to write a paper, etc. Other than that-why would any child want to sit in front of a computer?
