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A home computer can be a great tool for helping your child learn many skills.
However, computer use by young children is very controversial, and even older
children and teens will need your guidance in using this powerful tool in
appropriate ways. You can help your family make better use of your home
computer by doing the following:
- Make a plan for using the computer.
Schedule computer times and
Web site choices in advance, just as
you would other activities.
 Set time limits. Use a timer to limit
your child’s total screen time. This
includes time watching TV and
videotapes, playing video and
computer games and surfing the
Internet. When the timer goes off,
your child’s time is up, no
exceptions. The American Academy
of Pediatrics recommends no more
than one to two hours of quality TV
and videos a day for older children
and no screen time for children
younger than 2.- Set family guidelines for appropriate content. Help children and teens choose
Web sites and video games that are appropriate for their ages and your family’s
interests. Check the content ratings and parental advisories. Use these ratings
to decide whether the Web site or game is suitable for your child.
- Be clear and consistent with your family’s rules. If you do not approve of your
child’s choice, explain why and help to choose something more appropriate.
- Put your family’s computer, video player and TV in a common area where you
can see your child’s activities.
- Whenever possible, use the computer with your child and talk about what he or
she sees, hears and reads. You can help him or her learn to question and
challenge the meaning of messages.
- Discuss how the messages your child sees compare with your family’s values.
- Look for side effects of inappropriate computer use. Some signs of trouble
include:
- Poor school performance.
- Hitting or pushing others.
- Aggressively talking back to adults.
- Frequent nightmares.
- Increased eating of unhealthy foods.
- Smoking, drinking or drug use.
Internet use
Children and teens are spending more time on the Internet than ever before. The
World Wide Web can put information at your child’s fingertips, help with
homework, improve computer skills and provide entertainment. The Internet also
can lead children to inappropriate material and dangerous situations.
Even if you don’t have a computer in your
home, your child will be exposed to the
Internet somewhere – at school, the public
library or a friend’s house. While these places
may have guidelines and procedures to protect
children, it is important to talk to your child
about the Internet and to set rules of your own.
Your child needs your guidance when using this
tool and as he or she continues to explore its
resources.
Here are a number of tips to keep your child’s
Internet experience safe, educational and fun:
- Make sure your child understands what types
of Web sites you consider appropriate and
what categories of sites are off limits.
Establish clear rules, post them near the
computer and enforce them.
 Set limits on the amount of time your child can spend online each day or week.
Do not let surfing the Internet take the place of homework, playing with friends
or other activities. Use an alarm clock or timer to keep your child from losing
track of time while using the computer.- Participate in your child’s online time. Stay involved and monitor what your
child is doing. Keep your home computer in a common area such as the
kitchen or family room. If your child has a computer in his or her bedroom,
make sure the door to the room stays open at all times.
- Polish your own computer skills. If you are not comfortable using a computer or
the Internet, consider taking a class or doing some reading. Your child will need
your help to use this resource effectively. It is important for you to understand
what your child is doing (and what he or she is capable of doing).
- Consider buying filtering software that prevents your child from visiting
inappropriate sites and helps you monitor the files he or she downloads. Keep
in mind that even the best filter may accidentally give your child access to
materials you don’t approve of, and many children are smart enough to find
ways around these blocks.
- Ask your child about how he or she uses computers outside your home and talk
about the kinds of information online. Encourage your child to discuss anything
that makes him or her feel uncomfortable.
- Talk to your son or daughter about how easy it is for people to misrepresent
themselves on the Internet. Explain that strangers in chat rooms should be
treated with the same caution as strangers on the street. Teach your child not to
open e-mail from someone he or she doesn’t know.
- Tell your child never to arrange to meet in person anyone he or she has met
online. Get to know your child’s online friends just as you would his or her
other friends. Ask the same kinds of questions you ask before your child visits
friends. Find out where he or she is going online and with whom.
- Explain why your child never should provide any personal information to
someone on the Internet. This includes name, address, phone number, age,
school, school location, names of friends, credit card numbers, passwords and
vacation plans. Your child should not exchange pictures online.
- Decide whether you want your child to participate in unmoderated chat rooms
where he or she may be exposed to bad language and personal questions. In
moderated chat rooms designed for children, inappropriate messages are edited.
- Never give your child your credit card for online purchases. If you want to allow
your child to buy items on the Internet, insist on being involved in all orders.
- Discuss unsolicited commercial e-mail, called spam, with your child. These
offers often are scams. Teach your child to delete these messages. If your child
is placed on an unwanted e-mail distribution list, show him or her how to be
removed.
- Ask about the Internet use policy at your local library and at your child’s school.
If your child’s friends have computers at home, talk to their parents to
determine whether their rules and monitoring practices are consistent with
your own.
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