10 Steps to Keeping Your Family Safe Online!
Posted by Phil
We want to thank you for trusting us with your child each summer at camp. We are committed to the growth of all of our campers, even when they are back home. Therefore we want to do what we can to partner with you as parents as you love your kids through some fun, but difficult years ahead. The following Gameplan establishes the online ground rules for our home. We will display this Gameplan and update it periodically as our children grow older. Althoough this may not be perfect for every family, we believe that it is a great start to protecting your family from what is already on the internet. Unfortunately, there are people who want to hurt your kids! Let’s do what we can to proactively protect them…and teach them to protect themselves!
- We will never give out personal information such as our last name, address or phone number. We should also not give out the name of our school, our city, our siblings, our sports team or our parent’s workplace.
- We all agree to not give our passwords to anyone outside of our family. We have all agreed upon user names to use while we are on the Internet. I will not change the settings for my computer or my password without my parent’s permission.
- We all agree to limit our online time so that it doesn’t interfere with other activities. We agree to follow the time limits that our family sets and not let the Internet take time away from homework, sports, face- to-face interactions or family time.
- I will never meet an online friend in person. Just as I stay away from strangers on the street, I will be careful about strangers on the Internet. If anyone ever asks to meet with me off line, I will notify my parents immediately.
- I will tell my mom or dad right away if I come across something that makes me feel uncomfortable. If anyone uses bad language or mentions things that make me uncomfortable, I will immediately log off and tell my parents.
- I will not remain on or click on a page that says, “For Over 18 Years Only.” If this happens, I will log off and I will let my parents know. I understand that I’m only a click away from bad sites and that these pages are definitely not for kids.
- I will only download pictures and files with my parent’s permission. Some of these files may contain inappropriate pictures or dangerous viruses that could mess up our computer.
- I will not send pictures of my family or myself to anyone online. The only way that I am allowed to do this is if my parents say it is all right.
- I will be safe everywhere. I will follow the same Internet safety rules at my friends’ houses, at school and at the library that I do while I’m at home.
- I understand that nothing is private on the Internet. I agree that my mom or dad can read my mail or check the sites that I have been visiting — not because they don’t trust me but because they just want to make sure that I am safe.
*Courtesy of InternetSafety.com
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, internet safety, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
#1 Rated Internet Filtering Software
Posted by Phil
We can’t stress it enough for you to make sure your family is protected while online. Ridgecrest Summer Camps isn’t endorsing any specific product, but we are dedicated to empowering you, the parent, to properly protect your child online. The experts are clear with their data, our children are targets for online predators. As a parent myself, I prefer to not be paranoid, but I also want to stay informed. Using some sort of internet filtering software helps me do that. SafeEyes is one option out there. Although it is not free, it gets excellent reviews. I encourage you to do some of your own research and see what your options are. We also encourage you to post comments below for other parents to learn from. Thanks for loving your kids so well! See you this summer!
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, internet safety, parent resourses, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply
5 Helpful Tips for Creating a Cybersafe Home
Posted by Phil
As you know by now Ridgecrest Summer Camps has taken a step forward in partnering with you the parent as you invest in your children, point them to Jesus, and love them as they grow up in a difficult time. “This generation of parents is the first to face the challenge of helping our children make the most of their virtual space while keeping them safe in it. If you’re still getting your footing in virtual parenting, don’t worry. InternetSafety.com has the following tips to help ensure that your child’s online experience remains positive.” We don’t claim to have all the answers here at Ridgecrest Summer Camps, but we do want to help point you to some of the knowledgeable professionals regarding these touchy issues. Here are some suggestions as you protect your family online…
1. Become a net-savvy parent
The best safeguard against online dangers is being informed. Jump in and learn the basics of the Internet—read articles, take a class, and talk to other parents. A good place to start is www.websitebuilders.com. You don’t have to be an expert to have a handle on your child’s online world.
2. “Chat” with your kids
Develop an open dialogue so that you can talk with your kids about the benefits and dangers of the Internet. Cultivate an interest in their online activities—their favorite Web sites, online games, and interests. And don’t be afraid to ask your children who they are talking to online and what they are talking about.
3. Agree on a game plan
Use the InternetSafety.com Gameplan™ to formally agree on your family’s guidelines for using the Internet. Post them near the family computer as a reminder. Ensure that your kids know to never share personal information on the Internet and that they should tell you about any online activity or contact that makes them uncomfortable.
4. Protect your computer
Take advantage of the software that exists to help parents manage their children’s computer experience. In only a few minutes, parental control software like Safe Eyes can block inappropriate websites, restrict the amount of time that your kids use the Internet and monitor their Instant Messenger chats to protect against predators.
5. Explore the Internet as a family
With a game plan and a protected computer, you can now encourage your family to take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer. Take a genuine interest in what your kids are doing and stay engaged with them online.
Posted in Just For Parents | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, Cybersafe home, internet safety, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply