Kids often start using the Internet at about the same age they go to primary school, or perhaps a bit later. If your son or daughter is new to the Web it means he or she is relatively young -- and you, a parent, are an indisputable authority. Your kid tries to imitate you, bombards you with questions, listens to your advice (and sometimes even follows them), asks you for help, appreciates your tutoring him. It's the best time to tutor your child how to avoid various online dangers.

Kids and young teens can freely access the Internet from computers at school, at their friends' homes and in public places such as libraries and even from cell phones and video game consoles. Internet is everywhere, that is why kids and teenagers (and their parents, too) should be well aware of its perils and know how to avoid them.

Searching and Surfing

Kids and young teens are usually content with resources aimed at kids and teens and rarely look for more -- in case you don't make one mistake. Introducing these search engines to kids for the first time,don't contrast special search engines for kids and those which you use. Don't say that they are "clean" -- unlike those used by grown-ups. Don't just declare that dibdabdoo or Yahooligans are "cleaner" than Yahoo or Google.

You'd better say that their search results on dibdabdoo will be more interesting. People who know what kids like and what they are looking for built these engines SPECIALLY for them --isn't it nice? You certainly will have to mention explicit sexual content, porn sites, gambling sites and other junk one can meet while surfing the Web. But please show no fear of it -- just disgust. And don't overwhelm your kids with plenty of negative info all at once.

There are plenty of search engines and resources for kids. Here is just several links to look for them:

http://www.ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html

http://www.kidinfo.com/Search_Engines.html

http://www.searchability.com/children.htm

Look for more links. A simple search will bring you plenty of information.

Chats and Strangers

Even before your kid reaches his teens, he or she will be actively mixing with other kids in chat rooms and probably will start a blog as well. It is YOU who must warn your son or daughter about the risk of posting private information for everybody (both good and bad people) to read.

What kids and teens say in chat rooms, whom they communicate with and what they post on web logs and other public Internet places can get them into much more serious trouble than just viewing some inappropriate websites.

These figures are taken from the telephone survey made by the Pew Internet and American Life Project: 81% of parents of online teens say that teens aren't careful enough when giving out information about themselves online and 79% of online teens agree with this.

Unfortunately, kids and teenagers carelessly post online their first and last names, postal addresses, phone numbers, pictures and give lots of personal information about themselves. It enables an online predator easily identify and find any of them.

Unfortunately, sex predators teem in cyberspace. Sometimes they immediately start sexually explicit conversations with children in chat rooms. If a kid or a teen is forewarned and taught to end such a conversation immediately, he or she is relatively safe, except for moral damage from such a talk.

But there are others. They gradually allure their future victims by attention, affection, kindness, and even gifts. These individuals usually devote much time, money, and energy to this process. They listen to and empathize with the problems of children. They are aware of the latest music, hobbies, and interests of children. Some time later this person may succeed in arranging a face-to-face meeting with the kid offline -- you can guess what for.

What you can -- and should -- do for your kid not to become one of these victims?

The most important is to maintain trust and mutual understanding in your family. Listen to your son or daughter. Encourage your kid tell you about his or her online acquaintances -- freely, without fear of being scolded or punished.

There are simple rules any kid should learn by heart from the very beginning of his or her online experience:

Don't believe everything you are told online, never reveal your name, age, birthday, nickname or any other personal information while chatting. Think twice before posting something personal in a blog, too.

Should You Monitor Your Kid?

To monitor or not to monitor kids online -- that's a question millions of parents face. On the one hand,software for monitoring kids' behavior in the Web and other computer activities is a relief for ever-busy Moms and Dads. On the other hand, parents should be very careful when relying on technology in uch a delicate matter as parental control.

Should everybody who has a child apply software for monitoring his or her computer activity? Not just checking browsing history, but monitoring every keystroke the kid makes?

Monitoring software isn't a panacea, though advertising sometimes tries to prove the opposite.

My opinion is that monitoring software is a VERY "strong medicine". Like any medicine, it has its own side effects which can be worse than the disease. Any medicine, if overused, can do harm.

Using monitoring software will be appropriate if you feel you are losing control of the situation, or have lost it already. Please think more than twice before you install such a program.

It's always easier to prevent a problem. Do it in time.