It's a risky world out there. Especially on the internet. So, how do I protect my child on the Internet?
I've got 4 clear pointers for you today. Before we get into those 4 points, let's talk about risk briefly. There's 3 things that you can do about risk.
The first thing you might consider is to ignore the risk. Just ignore it. Pretend like it's not there.
This would be like trying to cross a busy street to get to lunch. And as you try to cross the street, you decide, "Oh, there's a lot of traffic. I better not look.
" Close your eyes and hope for the best. What's going to happen? If you ignore risk, you increase the danger.
And I guarantee you, the Internet can be a very, very risky place. So, I'm not sure we like that particular option. How about avoiding the risk altogether?
So, instead of ignoring it, we're going to avoid it. Nope, not going to go. Too dangerous.
Well, you don't get to have lunch if you don't cross the street, in the example that I shared. And if we avoid the risk, we can close our children off from all kinds of opportunities that are good and wholesome in principal centric. That are there on the Internet.
Including stuff on this channel. So, I don't like our choices so far, how about you? Ignoring risk, increases danger.
Avoiding risk, decreases the possibility of a payoff. We needed a third option. What if we take a little walk about a half a block that way on this busy street.
We come to a crosswalk. We push the button. We wait for the signal and when the signal gives us a green light.
. . No, we don't go yet.
We look both directions, don't you? I hope you do. I do.
Because it doesn't eliminate the risk entirely. I don't think we can. But what that does is it brings the risk down to a manageable level.
So, we're going to title this one manage the risk. It's like going to the crosswalk. There are 4 steps that going to share with you next about managing the risk for your children on the Internet.
In the interest of managing the risk, let's go to the obvious one first. Number one, supervise. Provide a chaperone for your children in their internet activities.
Now, this might vary depending on the moral development or stage of development for your kids. If you're not sure what I'm referring to, check out the video called Teaching Kids Responsibilities here on the channel. That will go over the basic philosophy that I'm referring to right now.
You keep your eyes on your kids. Most internet predators are older than your children. Is that a little scary?
But they don't always present themselves as being older. They might try to be a peer or a friend or someone who's the same age. And your kids don't know because they're interacting with them on some kind of a chat or a game platform or whatever it is.
You supervise that activity because you want to see what's going on and that way you can help to keep them safe. It's just like the crosswalk folks. So, you want to keep that computer in a public visible area of your home.
Let's stay away from bedrooms, let's stay away from closed doors. Because you need to have your eyes on your little ones as they're online. One of the most important things we can do is to teach our children.
So, pointer number 2 for you on keeping our kids safe online is to teach them to keep private information private. You don't go out to the mall and broadcast your bank account information to everybody in the mall. In a similar way, you don't go out and broadcast your specific address or your date of birth or your mother's maiden name on the internet.
Because these are the kinds of information that people can use to exploit or to victimize other people on the internet. So, we teach our children that if somebody asks for specific identifying information from them online, that they don't give it out. It's a pretty simple step but a very important one.
Pointer number 3, you are the parent. Be the parent. In your browser and on some of the platforms that are available to your children online, there's something called parental controls.
Wow! What an idea. So, you get to go in and set those controls and those filters and those parameters around content that you feel is appropriate for your child.
Be the parent. Use the filtering software. Use the parental controls but do not rely exclusively on those filters.
We're not negating tip number one which is to keep your eyes on them. Provide the supervision in the chaperoning. My fourth pointer for you today is an elaboration of the second.
We're going back to teaching but I want to specifically suggest that we teach correct principles which will empower our children to start adopting a form of self-government so that they can operate according to their own moral compass. This provides prevention for all of the risky behaviors that they could be involved with. When I think of prevention, I think of a poem written by Joseph Malins clear back in the 1800s.
The late 1800s. And here's how it goes. "It was a dangerous cliff as they freely confessed.
Though to walk nears crest was so pleasant. But over it's terrible edge, there had slipped a Duke and full many a peasant. So the people said something would have to be done.
But their projects did not at all tally. Some said put a fence around the top of the cliff. Some an ambulance down in the valley.
But the call for the ambulance carried the day for it spread to the neighboring city. A fence may be useful or not, it is true. But each heart became full of pity for those who slipped over the dangerous cliff.
And the dwellers in highway and alley, gave pounds and gave pants. Not to put up a fence but an violence down in the valley. For the cliff is alright if you're careful, they said.
And though folks even slip and are dropping, it isn't the slipping that hurts them so much. As the shock down below when they're stopping. So, day after day is these mishaps occurred, quick forth with those rescuers Sally to pick up the victims who fell off the cliff with their ambulance down in the valley.
Then an old sage remarked. It's a marvel to me that people give far more attention to repairing results than to stopping the cause. When they'd much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this nonsense, Cried he. Come neighbours and friends, let us rally. If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense with the ambulance down in the valley.
Uh, he's a fanatic. The others rejoined. Dispense with the ambulance?
Never. He'd dispense with all charities too, if he could. No.
No. We'll support them forever. " Aren't we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And will this man dictate to us, will he? Why should people of cents stop to put up a fence? While the ambulance works in the valley?
Then the sensible few who are practical too will not bear with such nonsense much longer. They know that prevention is better than cure. And their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then with your purse voice and pen. And while other philanthropist dally, they will score in all pratense and put up a stout fence round that cliff that hangs over the valley. Better guide well the young then reclaim them when old.
For the voice of true wisdom is calling. To rescue the Fallen is good but it's best to prevent other people from falling. Better close up the source of temptation and crime then deliver from dungeon or Gally.
Better put a strong fence at the top of the cliff than an ambulance down in the valley. " A big out out to Nova principals Foundation. You can connect to Nova principals at Novaprinciples.
com who are some of the best fence builders in the industry. I think it's important to do what we can to prevent our kids from getting over the cliff into these risky behaviors. And you can do this too.
Connect with Nova principlesd. com.
