Kids and the internet

[ostrich]

Inspired by this article and this discussion.

This sort of thing has been hitting the news quite a bit recently. What do you parents do as far as your kids and the internet? Do they have set rules? What kind of rules? Have you installed any software (or modified the login info) on the computer? Are there any games you won't let them play online? Have they encountered any bullying via MySpace or Facebook? How do you handle it? What do you tell them about strangers and their personal information?

Kids on the board, weigh in too! What do you think of your parents' internet rules (or lack thereof)?

No flaming please.
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Ostrich :>--O==={

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In the pretty white ships that I am dreaming of

[Kathie]

Lets see we set passwords so that they can't get on with out us. The don't have myspace or facebook. They only searching the do is on their "hobby" of medieval re-enactment, SCA and history. They use it for school. We had a problem with one of the boys and a little porn, but the embarassement of us finding out what he was looking at and "Discussing" it with him along with punishment, seems to have nipped that. They know that we search the history and check up on them. The computers are at the office and in the living room, so that we can walk by and monitor them. We are fortunate that our boys (16) are not really computer savy, I think they do get away with a lot more and play on line at their Mother's but we can't control that. Their e-mail account we have the password to so that we can monitor it as well. We actually don't do as much checking up on them as they think we do, but it works. When the kids were in counseling after the divorce and I was tossing the step-daughters room on a regular basis because we were having trouble with her in school and the things she was writing, the counselor told us that as parents it was not only our right but should be a requirement that we KNOW what our kids were doing. We also have very open and frank discussions about sex and what is and is not appropriate and they have seen the pedophile shows, which they think is so gross.
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CD by Biopsy 3/25/88

[nancw]

We've recently enabled password entry to the computer. No violent games, and only use the pre-approved sites in our favorites bar. They aren't old enough nor do they know about networking sites (they are almost 7 & 9), but I know that more controls are right around the corner.

My younger son becomes a real pill when he's online too long - obstinate, argumentative, more prone to outburts and tantrums, and just plain gets angry. Screentime (computer and TV) is limited to an hour a day total and this privilege is the first to be taken away for any kind of punishment. Minor infractions - one day. Note home from or problems at school and major infractions result in a completely dark week. I like those weeks - happy, smarter, nicer, more loving kid.
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Nance

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