There is a lot of talk going around about all the different ways that you can keep your kid from wandering into chat rooms, viewing adult sites, watching R rated TV programs and just about everything else that you want to keep your kid from. But studies show that the best parental control to keep your kids out of trouble is you. Also, a resource to help is parenting classes online.
Parents would do well to consult school counselors, faith-based organizations, and other reliable groups for recommendations for high-quality, positive parenting classes online.
This may not be very popular with parents who feel they don't have the time or shouldn't have to watch over their kids 24/7, but in the old days, that's how things were done. True, we didn't have the Internet, we didn't have cable TV with all its nudity and violence, and we didn't have pornography just a click away, but kids were still kids and there were plenty of ways for them to get into trouble. And the principles that applied then apply now as well. Also, just as technology can do harm, it can also be a helper, with resources such as parenting classes online.
For TV it's still the same as it was years ago. For starters, kids don't get their own TV in their rooms. They want to watch something, they come into the living room or recreation room or wherever the TV is located and view there with the rest of the family. Then, whatever it is your kid is watching, you as the parent make sure you monitor the program. You can also have your kids learn from parenting classes online along with you.
You can choose lessons in the parenting classes online you can share with your whole family to reinforce your values and concerns, and in so doing you demonstrate that technology can be a positive influence if used responsibility.
If you're concerned with your kid turning on a pay station then simply don't have them in the house. We need to set examples for our kids, and we can do that with parenting classes online. But, we can't do that if we're spending our time watching sex and violence ourselves.
Also, make sure you have designated viewing times. Most adult oriented material is shown after prime time begins. You may want to cut off the time your child can watch TV at around 10 PM. Earlier if your child is very young. Even so, parenting classes online are available 24/7.
As for the Internet, this becomes a bit more of a problem because sex and violence are there 24/7, too. In the case of the Internet though it's really no different from the TV. No computer access in the child's room. The child uses the same computer as everyone else in the house, preferably in an open area where a parent can easily see what the child is viewing. Make your child aware of what is out there and tell him so he understands that he's to go nowhere near these sites. Explain to him that it is very easy to check if he has been to a racist or porn site and the punishment for doing so will be severe.
Again, you need to set an example for your child by relying on responsible parenting classes online. If you're going to know whether or not he has been to these sites, which you can easily check with your computer's history, then you as the parent have to make sure that you are also nowhere near them.
Many may find the experts' advice on this matter harsh and unreasonable, but they all unanimously agree that the problem with kids doing what they're not supposed to do starts at home. It's the way it always was and it's the way it will always be. But again, help is also available at home with the helpful resource of responsible parenting classes online.
http://parental-control.guide-to.info/