The Internet offers limitless possibilities for education and personal growth for your children. Since the Internet is built for open communications, however, there are some things most parents don't want their children to see, and some communications most parents don't want their children to have. Several software packages, some at low or no cost, offer parental control over Web and Internet content. For example, depending on the package, you can allow your child to view only the Web sites you approve, or block certain Web sites that allow your child to freely view the rest of the Web. You can also block or allow addresses for your child's email, or you can block email entirely. You can get a report of your child's online activity, including the Web sites that were visited and blocked, and the email addresses that received from and sent to your child. And you can modify the controls to suit your kids' changing needs as they grow.

There are also mailing lists and Web discussions of kids' safety issues from both the parents' and kids' perspectives. Your kids' school is probably connected to the Internet, which means people there are probably working on these same issues. Teachers and internet specialists may be available to show you the better sites for kids. Librarians and administrators also may have good ideas about software, services and rules for using the computer that can effectively protect your kids while they are online.

The Internet has a whole world of educational resources for kids. Get them safely involved with the good stuff.