The internet is a big inspiration for many parents. My family is no exception. Ever since I started inquiring how to get pregnant faster, the internet has been my first resource to consult.

There is hardly anything that you can’t find somewhere on the world wide web – and as babies grow into toddlers, preschoolers and beyond, it can be a great place to find games and activities for children, both educational and just for fun.

But of course, the offline world still matters too. And ironically, this is where the internet has been of the biggest help to my family. We often browse the web to get inspiration, and I’d like to share my tips with you!

Crafts

How difficult can it be to come up with craft ideas for young children yourself? Of course, every parent knows how to get out pencils and paper, play dough or finger paint. But beyond that, finding fun crafts can be quite tricky, actually. Thankfully, there are many moms who are more creative and resourceful than I am – and who share their ideas on their blogs, complete with many pictures and tutorials.

It was on the web that we learned how to make a pinata for my kids’ birthday parties, a crocodile out of an empty egg carton, and how to make your own stamps out of potatoes. If you’re after something more simple, there are tons of coloring sheets to just print out!

Educational ideas

My daughter is big into math games. Where else would you find sudoku for kids, with stars and twirls instead of numbers? For free? And the many sites that offer fun letter-writing activities to print off, or geographical quizzes for young children have been such a great help. Wherever your child’s interests lie, there are websites that offer playful worksheets for free.

Books

Children’s books are still an important part of growing up, even in the dot com age. For expectant stay at home mothers who are struggling with pregnancy signs and symptoms, reading books to their young children is a life saver. The internet can be of help in giving information about which books are great (mom bloggers often review kids’ books), and which to stay away from. And then, a couple of clicks are all that’s needed to get said books delivered to your home.

This article was written by Tania Tod.  Tania also owns and operates Trying to Conceive, a website for women who are trying to get pregnant , already expecting a baby, or struggling with infertility.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/28759017@N08/5575009608/

Kids today have a different perception of the computer and the internet. Children in elementary school are being taught how to use a computer. Some school reports require internet sources. Teaching your children about the internet and setting some rules will help keep them safer.

First, help your children understand that seeing something on the internet doesn’t make it real. Friends that they meet might not really be children. Help them to understand how the internet makes everyone anonymous. Anyone can create a web site and make their information appear as fact.

Help them set up an email account that you can control. Limit the emails they send out, make sure they are to friends that they know. Set up an email filter so that unwanted email isn’t viewable to them. Decide on rules regarding registering for things on web sites, you may not want them doing this.

Set a limit on computer time. Experts advise that children have no more than two hours of television, electronic games, or computer use in a day. Monitor their time on the computer to try to keep within these guidelines.

Show them how to search for things they are looking for. There are several great search engines for kids. Some popular search engines that cater to children include www.yahooligans.com and www.ajkids.com. If you allow them to search for information through a search engine, monitor their web browsing to make sure they don’t end up where you don’t want them.

The internet can be a great tool for children, and provided a wealth of information, games, and other fun activities. Monitor their computer time, and watch where they are surfing. Always make sure that your kids are following safety rules when on the internet.

With the tremendous amount of information available online, some of it may not be appropriate for your child to see-and that’s where parental Internet control software comes in.  It lets you set what you want your children to see while blocking the rest.

Like everything else, parental control software often gives you myriad options and lets you choose the configuration that’s best for you.  So it pays to have at least a basic understanding of how to use it to your maximum advantage while not accidentally banning sites that may have been educational or otherwise beneficial for your children.

One critical piece to laying a foundation for protection is setting up user profiles for various users. Some software packages force you to use only your operating system’s user accounts, while others let you create profiles totally independently of your OS.  Some even let you choose between the two options based on your own preference.

After you’ve got your profiles setup, you’ll want to hammer away at all the specific settings to guide your kids’ usage patterns.  One good one is setting time limits on usage or for the Internet to “break” right before bed time (better start practicing your best “I wonder what happened” face!)

Don’t be daunted by having to filter individual sites either, since these software packages work mostly based on category.  Some you may want to filter out include Gambling, Hate/Violence and Pornography.

And if the software happens to make a mistake in filtering out something you DO want your child to have access to, you can whitelist it without much issue.  The same goes for websites or pages that slip through the cracks, since you can blacklist those.

Of course, that means you’ve still got to be proactive in monitoring your child’s Internet usage.  Even though these software programs are often backed by large and sophisticated databases filled with intelligence on what other users deemed appropriate and inappropriate, they aren’t perfect.  You are still the last line of defense as the parent.

Lucky for you, your job is now just that much easier than before. So now it’s time for you to test the offerings out there to see which program you like the best.  I think you’ll find the experience fairly smooth, and before long you’ll be teaching your fellow parent friends all about how to use parental internet control software.

Click here to find out how to keep your kids safe online