Do you let your children use the internet? If so, how old are they, and do you watch them all the time while they are using it? Do you use 'blocker' software for parents to monitor what their kids are looking at?

Do your kids use the forum, and would you let them use chatrooms?

Originally posted by kathythebean
Do you let your children use the internet? If so, how old are they, and do you watch them all the time while they are using it? Do you use 'blocker' software for parents to monitor what their kids are looking at?

Do your kids use the forum, and would you let them use chatrooms?

I let my son use the net, but then again hes not even 3 yet, he just plays on the Boohbah site...

But when he gets older I dont think I will place any restrictions on the net for him. I think its a learning experience, and I, sure that he will be taught about any of the dangers and be aware, just like I was as a youngster, I never had any restrictions on anything like TV or net. I had education, which was enough for me.

My 3 yr old use the net also NickJr and CBeebies site's are excellent he spends hours playing and learning on those sites.

My 12 year old was allowed his own pc upstairs on the grounds that we're trusting him to make the right choices, we reserve the right to check his usage periodically, and any infractions of the dodgy variety mean that he gets nanny software or at the worst loses his internet access.

He doesn't use Sheffield Forum, although he does use others, including his own and those of his friends. No chatrooms, but he has MSN Messenger and quite a few mates on there, some of them from RL, some of them from online gaming. These also get checked out periodically ;)

We've always been open with him about sex and net safety, and so far he hasn't let us down. :) (of course, the knowledge that my partner is perfectly capable of checking on what my son's doing from the comfort of his own pc is another reason for him to behave :hihi: )

Yes my lad (11) uses the net but the pc is in the living room where we are so can see what he's doing.

No he doesn't use chatrooms - but he doesn't know about them yet...

He likes googling images but even that's not safe.
Some very questionable pics come up with innocent searches

Like - Saint George - for example :roll:

My older daughter (9) uses the PC quite a lot, no blocking software but the computer is kept in the living room. At the moment she just plays Flash games & stuff, not cottoned on to chat though I imagine she will in the next year or two.

I'm not a fan of blocking software, I prefer a combination of keeping an eye on them and, most importantly, chatting about stuff. But I will have to install a blocker soon, as we will be taking on foster kids and it's part of our safe care policy. I'm still looking for recommendations for the best software to install, as per an earlier thread on here.

Happy to let my eldest (15) have unlimited access to the net. He mainly plays games (or finds cheats to help him win games he's bought).

9 year old not that bothered.

my 13 yr old brother stays with me at the weekends and i let him have free range of the net (the P.C. is in the living room) I think honesty is the best policy I trust him not to look at innapropriate things though i do appreciate hormones are playing havock in his body.
I agree about innocent searches returning suspect images. He nearly got expelled at school cos he found a naked woman and he only typed in something like "honda fireblade" the school still wont admit it's their fault. he even showed me the exact words - phrases he used.

i first use 'the internet' (it wasn't done with browsers and www in those days) when I was about 14 I think. The first thing I downloaded was a picture of one of jupiters moons taken from the cassini space probe, the second was a playboy centerpage image.
Of course this was using a 12k modem and something akin to a bulletin board service.
Don't have or plan to have any kids (at the moment), but i'm aware of how easy/difficult it is to secure a pc, especially from the inside.... I wonder how long I could keep ahead of a determined teenager...