We found out my Stepdaughter is getting a laptop for her 9th birthday from her Mom. We are worried about unsupervised internet use over there because they not only don't pay attention to what she's doing but they also don't seem to care.
We've had issues with them letting her watch R rated movies and she has an iPod with some pretty vulgar songs on it including ones with swear words. Her mom puts Emenem and Disturbed on there...the dirty versions! We have made requests that she take those songs off and sometimes it happens. Our rule is she can't listen to those kinds of songs at our house.
We know we can't control what goes on over there. What can we say so she's smart about her internet use? We also don't want to make her curious so she does do things!
Is there software we can recommend to her mom? It would have to be easy to install and manage.
Thanks for your suggestions!
When she recieves it go to Best Buy and talk to the Geek Squad and she protection you can put on it.
I highly doubt your talking to her is going to make her "curious." Believe me, they learn all kinds of things from kids at school, so you probably won't tell her much she doesn't already know, or will soon learn from kids at school.
Just gently guide her. You cannot control what her mother does. Hearing swear words will not harm her. You can have whatever rules you want at your house, and her mother can have other rules. That's ok.
I have heard good things about Net Nanny, but I have not used it myself cause my 6 year old doesn't have much cause to use the internet yet and when he does I am there with him. Worth looking into though.
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/netnanny-...
Also, here is a list of links to help educate yourself (and perhaps her mother if she will listen) about safety issues on the internet.
http://www.shs.d211.org/index.php?option=com_weblinks&...
go to best buy & talk to them about a program that can be installed or downloaded from the internet. You can still monitor her laptop when she brings it to your home.
This is a browser that you install just like internet explorer that sets up age specific parental controls, filters information out, blocks information, and will even email you a report of the activity. It is customizable by you. I haven't used it personally yet, mine is too little. But I told a friend about it and she said it was awesome and just what she needed.
Unfortunately you can not control what her mother allows her to do. I would recommend sitting down with her and explaining what can happen. I had my daughters sign a contract. Attached is a link to the girl scout safety pledge
http://www.girlscouts.org/internet_safety_pledge.asp
Also, if her mother allows her to set up a facebook account, make sure all the safety and security settings are checked. Ask to be her facebook friend, that way you can monitor some of her actions.
will she be able to bring the lap top to your house? if so then there are ways to put a parental block on it and only the person who does it has to know the password and the mother will just have to come to you about it. if not then you should sit down or have a calm discussion about the stuff that can happen through the internet. you can be looking up the word carrot and end up in a bad website. the mother should be concerned about what goes into her child. you two have just as much right as she does and something should be said. all the protecting we can do for our kids before the world get a hold of them is needed.
