Childproof Your Summer: Internet Safety
Keep your kids safe without spoiling summer fun:
5. Set limits. Idle hands may be the devil's workshop, but busy hands can get kids into plenty of mischief, too, during long, unsupervised days in front of a computer. "The risks of Internet bullying and sexual predators go through the roof in the summer," says Parry Aftab, executive director of WiredSafety.org, a nonprofit aimed at keeping kids safe online.
Kids who normally wouldn't dream of posting a provocative photo on their MySpace page or joining in online hazing may be tempted out of boredom. Sometimes they take risks without realizing it, posting their cellphone number, camp location, and the dates they'll be away to alert their friends—and everyone else.
Working parents may want to consider installing filtering or monitoring software such as Spector Pro, which restricts the sites kids can visit and tracks what they do online. You can check out www.getnetwise.org for links to many software programs.
Other ways to childproof your summer:
1. Wakeboarding • 2. Trampolines • 3. Sunscreen • 4. Drowning • 5. Internet Safety • 6. Exercise• 7. Vaccines • 8. Bug Spray • 9. All-Terrain Vehicles • 10. Medications at Camp • 11. Hydration • 12. Amusement-Park Rides