• Talk to your kids – ask questions (and then confirm to make sure they are telling you the truth!)

• Ask to see their profile page (for the first time)…tomorrow! (It gives them a chance to remove everything that isn’t appropriate or safe…and it becomes a way to teach them what not to post instead of being a gotcha moment! Think of it as the loud announcement before walking downstairs to a teen party you’re hosting.)

• Don't panic…there are ways of keeping your kids safe online. It’s easier than you think!

• Be involved and work with others in your community. (Think about joining WiredSafety.org and help
create a local cyber-neighborhood watch program in your community.)

• Remember what you did that your parents would have killed you had they known, when you were fifteen.

• This too will pass! Most kids really do use social networks just to communicate with their friends. Take a
breath, gather your thoughts and get help when you need it. (You can reach out to WiredSafety.org.)

• It’s not an invasion of their privacy if strangers can see it. There is a difference between reading their
paper diary that is tucked away in their sock drawer…and reading their MySpace. One is between them
and the paper it’s written on; the other between them and 700 million people online!

• Don’t believe everything you read online – especially if your teen posts it on her MySpace or Facebook!

• And, finally….repeat after me – “I’m still the parent!” If they don’t listen or follow your rules, unplug the
computer…the walk to the library will do them good.

For more information, visit WiredSafety.org.

Be reasonable and try to set reasonable expectations. Pulling the plug on your child’s favorite social site is like pulling the plug on his or her social life. Instead of being protective, it can shut down communication and send kids "underground" where they're more at risk. It's too easy for them to set up free blogs and profiles from anywhere, including friends' houses or even a cell phone.

Talk with your kids about how they use the services. They, not news reports or even experts, are the ones to consult about their social-Web experience. Help them understand basic safety guidelines, such as protecting their privacy (including passwords), not harassing peers, never talking about sex with people they don't know, avoiding in-person meetings with people they "meet" online, and taking care in what they post - because anything people put online can be grabbed, reworked, and used against them.

Support critical thinking and civil behavior because no laws or parental-control software can protect better than a child's developing good sense about safety and relationships. Research shows that kids who are aggressive and mean online toward peers or strangers are at greater risk of becoming victims themselves. So teach them to be good citizens and friends online as much as offline.

Consider requiring Internet use in a high-traffic place in your home - not in kids' rooms - to help you stay aware of their online time. This way, you can encourage a balance between online time and their offline academic, sports, and social times. Know that there are also many ways kids can access the Internet away from home, including on many mobile phones and game players.