By Catherine Joan Riley

Should you pay a tutor to get your child through that crucial scholarship or entrance exam? Before you commit your hard earned cash read how we got our son through his exam without spending a penny on a tutor.

We are terribly lucky here in Calderdale to have access to 2 fantastic FREE Grammar schools which are among the best in the country.

Most places they were abolished a generation ago.

Competition for places is stiff - over 900 10 & 11 year olds compete for 310 places each year and it's not only local children. With fees for private schools nudging 10,000 pa, free Grammar schools are increasingly attractive and parents are prepared to have their children travel up to 50 miles to get a free place.

We live less than 1 mile from one of these rare treasures and not being flush enough to consider paid places we set out on a mission to make sure our son was able to earn a place.

It was frightening to find out a year before the admissions entrance exam that many parents had been employing out of school tutors for several years. Our son had been plodding along quite happily at school with a little homework help from me and his dad but nothing to really write home about.

Heck he was going to have to run to simply catch up!

Web searches of local tutors left us shocked at the cost. 25 on hour seemed to be the average cost with 2 hours per week being recommended. No way did we have a spare 50 a week even as an investment in our sons future. Also, it didn't seem to us that 2 hours per week would actually make that much difference.

So, we joined an 11+ website and started to research which practice papers were the best to prepare Nathan for the biggest hurdle he has faced in his young life and invested a few pounds in them.

His early attempts were pretty average and it was clear he was going to need lots of practice to get up to the high standard needed.

The real encouraging factor for us though was that he WANTED to study and to do well and pass the exam because he desperately wanted to go to one of the Grammar schools.

So, heartened by his enthusiasm and willingness to work we set out on the road of tutoring him ourselves. I say we but actually hubby did 99% of everything. He researched the questions, sat with Nathan while he did the practice papers then painstakingly went through every question te reinforce the learning experience.

They started in the summer - even studying while we were on holiday! Gradually Nathan built up to doing practice papers every evening after finishing his homework - he drove the pace himself but it was still 6 months of intense concentrated effort and not every 10 year old is capable of that kind of dedication. We are proud that Nathan was prepared and able to back his strong desire to succeed with the hard work that was needed.

The 2 schools run a pretest or practice exam just 8 weeks before the formal entrance exam and this was a good benchmark. Nathan has never sat an exam before so after lots of pep talks on technique and staying calm and in the zone I left him at the exam room door and collected him 3 hours later. As predicted kids had been crying and even being sick with the stress so I was relieved that he came through it relatively calm. Didn't finish the questions though which is a cardinal sin and better learned the hard way in the pretest than the exam itself!

Despite not finishing he got a good mark and finished in the top 25% which gave us a strong indicator that he could succeed in the actual exam. It also gave him and us the impetus to get on with the final push with only 8 weeks to go. With the exception of Friday evenings when he goes to Scouts he studied every single day - sometimes for 2 hours at a time.

The week of the exam we knew he was ready with marks in excess of 95% in both the verbal reasoning and the maths practice papers every time. Of course, it can all go terribly wrong on the day but he was as ready as he could possibly be.

Again, it was my job to deliver him calm and as relaxed as possible to the exam m. calm we succeeded in, relaxed, well that was the impossible dream as he was nervous, but then who wouldn't be faced with such competition.

It was obviously a tough exam as everyone was subdued on leaving. To our horror Nathan had lost track of the time and not finished the verbal reasoning though he had made quick guesses at the answers which is always worthwhile with multiple choice questions! Had he blown it?

310 places, 1000 kids competing? Thats tough odds but not out of the ballpark

So we waited from December 10th until late January for the results, hoping and praying that his best had been good enough!

We expected the results to be landing on our doormat Saturday 21st January. However, I got a phone call from hubby a whole week ahead of the expected day. I sat at my desk with my head in my hands weeping at the result - out of pure joy!!!! Nathan had come 174th out of all the candidates and earned his place at the grammar school.

I am guessing there were a lot of tears shed that day - happy ones from those who had succeeded and devastated ones from those who hadn't.

I am utterly convinced that home tuition for our son for the exam was absolutely the best way for us to go. If we'd taken him to a tutor twice a week you can bet he would have been too tired or not motivated enough to get the best from it. Instead he studied whenever he was ready each evening - and every evening!

I know that many parents are glad that they used a tutor but I am glad that we didn't. We learned more about our son through teaching him ourselves than we could ever have done through a tutor's feedback. he is hardworking and driven - oh and of course clever! But then we knew that already!

Catherine Riley
wife, Mum, digital designer & crysalis
http://www.CatDesignz.wordpress.com

By Allison K Brown

School is much more than just learning book smarts; it is a place for children to learn proper social behavior and teamwork. Even if children are doing great academically, socially they could be failing. Parent-teacher conferences are very important, and will give valuable insight to both parties as to what they expect the student to learn.

Why Should Parents and Teachers Meet?

Parents and teachers need to work together in order to help a student learn and be successful. Meeting the student's teacher and understanding classroom rules and expectations is extremely important for parents. If parents know the rules of the classroom and the educational expectations, they will be able to enforce those expectations at home and help the student better adjust to those expectations.

Many parents may be fortunate enough to meet the teacher prior to a conference, or even be a volunteer to a teacher. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and at times the parent-teacher conference will be the first time the two meet. If this is the case, please be open to what each other has to say, and always be sure to ask about positive information as well as negative.

In many cases teachers will sit down and present the student's work to the parent, and then talk about any social issues that may need to be addressed. If the parent knows of any problems that need to be mentioned, this is the time to talk. The teacher, in most cases, will be happy to know of any problems the child might have and how it may effect his learning. The goal of the teacher at these conferences is not to belittle the parents or the student, or even to tell the parents how they should parent. The overall goal of the conference is to show the parent how the student has progressed and in what areas the student may need help.

Teachers will often suggest ways to help the student learn academic material at home, and may have ideas that work. If there is a discipline problem, the parent and teacher may be able to work on a system to enforce good behavior in and out of the classroom, which will help the student in all areas of learning. It is also comforting for teachers to know that the parents are willing to help their child seek a great education, and willing to make an effort in continuing their learning at home.

Parents often find that teachers are genuine in their comments, and are willing to help any way they can. Remember to go into the conference with a positive attitude and a willingness to offer opinions and suggestions on how to help the student.

Overall, the conference, is really about the student. Make sure everything talked about and decided is for the betterment of the student.

Questions to Ask a Teacher

There are two main questions that need to be asked: Is my child doing the work? How is my child socially? These questions are very general, and need to be more specific.

Therefore, ask the teacher what areas the child needs to improve in academically? The teacher, as was mentioned, will usually have examples of the student's work and progress. If the work has shown no progress, then the teacher will be able to lay it aside and explain where the child may be falling short. The teacher will also make suggestions on how the parent can teach the student to learn the material more effectively.

Once ways to improve academically have been addressed, ask the teacher questions about behavior (if needed). Be specific. Ask: Does the child follow directions? Does the child sit still and listen during class time? Has the child shown any signs of being a social outcast or being bullied or being the bully? Whatever the question is, make sure it is as specific as possible. General questions about behavior can be too broad and offer more information than may be needed. Breaking down a question can be much more beneficial, and sometimes it will help eliminate a problem more efficiently so that other lesser problems can be better worked on.

Other questions parents need to ask include questions about academic expectations, rules of the classroom, and discipline procedures. If the teacher has handouts on this information, take it and read it. Pass the information on to the students, and be sure they know and understand what is expected of them.

Be Courtesy and be Prepared

Parents and teachers need to be calm and courtesy to each other. Parents need to remember that teachers have their child all day, and will witness things they may not. Teachers need to understand that parents are naturally going to defend their child and their way of parenting. What is discussed does not need to be made personal, and everything needs to focus on the student.

Before walking into a conference, be prepared. Teachers need to have everything the parent needs to see organized neatly and ready to go. Parents need to have any questions written down or memorized, and both need to have a positive attitude.

Remember to be an encouragement to each other. Help one another out and find ways to keep the student moving forward in his education. Parents and teachers need to work together as a team. Parents should be willing to make time to help their children learn, and teachers should be willing to change teaching strategies if needed (especially if it would benefit a large number of students). Both parties need to understand this conference is to communicate and come up with ways to help each other teach the student to adjust and learn.

Enjoy Talking to Each Other

As hard as it may seem, enjoy learning from one another. Teachers who truly enjoy teaching and watching a child grow into an all around good student, will welcome help from the parents. Parents who want to see their child grow to be a great student, will help the teacher and the child anyway possible. Be positive throughout the meeting, and understand that every child is different, but that does not mean each cannot learn. Listen to each other, give each other encouragement, and walk away agreeing on ways to help students reach their educational goals.

By Lisa Bunnage

Here are my 5 tips to help you get respect from your children. Remember that you have to give respect to get respect.

    I will be a calm and controlled parent. Parenting is all about leadership and good leaders are calm and controlled as this instills confidence in those around them. If you lose it and yell and scream at your kids you may instill fear in them, but that's not effective leadership, it's the opposite. This approach will usually come back to haunt you when they are teenagers and they decide to rebel as fear only works when they're little.

    I will listen to my children. Listening is the #1 parenting skill. Effective listening is all about listening to understand and respect the other person's views. Parents often get caught in the trap of listening to gain information to lecture with which leads to your children not wanting to confide in you.

    I will teach my children how to self-discipline themselves. You teach them how to self-discipline themselves by disciplining them when they're growing up. Discipline is often thought of as punishment. Yes, there can be some punishment involved but it's really just about consequences: good choices = good results / bad choices = bad results. A good example of this is if your son hits your daughter, he then has to make her bed for a week. He made a bad choice and is now getting bad results. The bonus is that the victim gets out of doing a chore for a week... even better.

    I will teach my children how to earn what they receive. Make your children work for fun. If they want to go to the park, say, "Sure, just as soon as you clean up your room, off to the park we go." As they're growing up and they want a cell phone, make them do extra chores around the house to earn it, work out a schedule that you all agree on. This teaches them that they don't get everything handed to them in life and gets them better prepared for the real world. Day-to-day chores are also necessary... but make sure they're age appropriate. Even a 2 year old can help you put toys away. Not fair to ask them to do it themselves, but make it a team effort.

    I will get respect by showing respect. You show respect by doing all of the above which, in turns, leads to you being respected. Consistency is the key as if you're only doing the above during the week then it's a free-for-all on weekends, you lose respect.

By Paul S Grant

Many parents want to dress up their children with clothes that are in with the current fashion trend of today. Parents want to let their children have the best and that includes clothing. So the question now is, how do you get high-end children's clothing without having to spend so much money for it? The answer? Thrift stores. Yes, thrift stores are one of the options you can look into to get high-end children's clothing. You may be skeptic about it but you can actually find good buys from a thrift shop.

Many people think that thrift shops sell worn out clothing or ones with defects but that's where some of you may be mistaken. It all depends on where you go, there is actually upscale or high-end children's clothing that you can find from a thrift store. You may be surprised with what you can be able to find inside a thrift shop. With less cash on you, you can be able to purchase a lot of good clothes, some even high-end children's clothing for your kids.

You have to be open-minded and practical these days. As parents, we all know that you want what's best for the children, you want them to go to a nice school with high standards, to eat the most delicious meal that you can serve them, give them the best home that they can live in and surely, dress them up with the nicest clothing you can buy. A wise mom knows where to look to find the best deals in town. In larger cities, thrift stores have clothes hanging in a rack with designer labels. This is because many affluent people buy high dollar clothing and some of these just hang in their closets for a while that most often they wind up at thrift stores. That is why if you look hard enough, you get the chance to purchase these high-end children's clothing at a very much cheaper price.

Sometimes, you can also visit consignment shops to get your high-end children's clothing. The difference between a thrift shop and a consignment store is that the consignment shops carry items that people want to get rid of and the owner of the shop and the owner of the item split the sale price of the items. Consignment shops are one of the places that could get you good bargains for high-end children's clothing. If you were to buy items at a retail store you'd be spending so much more for a piece of clothing that you could get at a lower price from thrift or consignment shops.

It's not about not wanting to spend less for your children; it's about being practical about it. Why would you indulge in something so expensive and get only a few pieces, when you can still get high-end children's clothing at a fraction of the retail cost and more in quantity. A wise parent is a practical parent. Now that you have the extra cash, you are able to use it for something more important or save it for your child's future. It's really a win-win situation in the end.

By Paul S Grant

An investment such as your high-end children's clothing is something that needs extra effort and care. More than because they are indeed high-end children's clothing, but because you also want to make the best out of the money that you have just shelled out for your baby's clothes. This way, although you have purchased something rather expensive, you get your money's worth by passing down these items to siblings or relatives of future generations.

To get the maximum benefit and enjoyment from your high-end children's clothing, there are few quick and easy tips you can bear in mind to add years to those clothes.

We all know that children always get into some sort of trouble and most often; it is the clothes that suffer the greatest. Things like spilled food, mud, dirt, chocolate, paint and whatever else you can possibly think of can end up all over clothes, and ruin them. But your high-end children's clothing need not suffer despite all these so-called "little accidents".

First, you have to choose clothing that is the proper fit and activity-appropriate. Sometimes, parent's mentality is to buy clothes that are a size bigger so that the baby does not outgrow them easily. However, this is exactly the opposite of what you should do. It is crucial that the baby's clothing fits properly and accommodates not only their size but also their diapers and undergarments. In addition, clothing that is appropriate for your planned activities is just as important. This way you do not need to stress or worry about grass stains, arts and crafts projects and all that. With the appropriate clothing for the activity, your child will be fully involved and you will be less worried about taking care of his or her clothes.

Second, instructions are to be followed. Each piece of high-end children's clothing has sewn-in detailed instructions for care. In it you will find such things as the recommended water temperatures to be used for laundering and some other special instructions for items that either require hand-washing or dry-cleaning. Here's a note for you: while high-end children's clothing manufacturers usually recommend dry cleaning, it is observed that white items, particularly those made of linen, yellow when dry cleaned, that is why these may be better off hand-washed. You wouldn't want your elegant white high-end children's clothing turn yellow now, would you?

Third, always check for stains. You may think how stains such as grass, chocolate and blood are difficult to get off. You'd think it is so much trouble removing stains from your high-end children's clothing. These are actually pretty easy to get rid off when they are properly pre-treated. With this, you can consider a bar of white ivory soap and copious amounts of Spray N' Wash as your best friend as long as you carefully follow the instructions. A bit of hydrogen peroxide will also eliminate most traces of blood. One thing you should never do is wash a stained garment in hot water. When put in your dryer, even a hint of stain that is left behind on your high-end children's clothing will be set there forever because of the heat. So do not ever do that.

With these tips in hand, your child's clothing is sure to last for generations.

By Paul S Grant

Children are sensitive to a lot of things: to food, to certain types of fabrics, to certain types of soap, lotion, shampoo and even to the unpredictable weather that we are often experiencing. We may not be the best judge of weather, we can never predict whether today will be sunny or rainy the next; this is one of the things that we can never be sure of. There is one thing though that we can assure our kid, and that is that we will keep them comfortable at all times, no matter what the weather may be.

Toddlerhood is the stage when the child is easily fussed because of many things. This is the stage where they become active, they want to play all day, especially when they turn two years old. That is why they are often called the "terrible twos" because it is at this age that they demand a lot. They run around most of the time, and we cannot deny that at this point in their life they have extremes of temper and throw tantrums a lot. One thing to lessen the pressure that this puts on Mom is to give our toddlers the ease and comfort that they need and what better way than to give them quality-made designer toddler clothing.

We need to find our toddlers the clothes that are appropriate for their age, their needs and their level of activity too. A lot of designer toddler clothing should be able to meet the child's needs and allow them to be in the most comfortable state even when they are constantly in motion.

There are a lot of designer toddlers clothing that are made according to your child's needs. With a wide range of options, you are sure to find designer toddler clothing that is appropriate in size, in color and comfort, something that both you and your child would want and prefer.

Many manufacturers are creating designer toddler clothing that is made with comfortable fabrics that would be great for the baby's skin, keeping them from developing rashes and allergies. Because children sweat a lot, we have to make sure to pick the ones with the right fabric.

A lot of designer toddler clothing is made for a lot of various occasions such as birthday dresses, play dates and even the costumes for the holidays as well. These articles of designer toddler clothing are made to meet the current trends and styles for both girls and boys. Some designer toddler clothing are made to be even more personalized like when certain shops offer services such as writing your child's name on the ones that they're wearing. Some even allow you to design your apparel. Moms can search the net or baby stores for various designs, colors and style that they want and prefer without forgetting comfort.

Whether a first time mom or a proud mom of three, you always want to see your child adored and appreciated by many for their well-defined sense of style and designs because they have designer toddler clothing on them.

By Paul S Grant

Once a woman gets pregnant, she always dreams of the best things for her baby. Moms always want their babies to grow up having the best of what they deserve and need; that is why designer toddler clothes are not an exception to that thought. Parents, moms most especially, want to meet their child's every demand even as they grow older and become toddlers. They dress them up with the most beautiful pieces of designer toddler clothes they can find and afford so that their child is in on what's new in the fashion industry.

When children reach the toddler stage, they become overly active and spend most of their time playing. When we dress them up, we have to think of the appropriateness of their outfits and give great consideration to their comfort. How do you dress them up that they look and feel good at the same time?

There are a lot of designer toddler clothes that offer not only style but also comfort. In them, children are not only comfortable but they also look really good wearing them too. Kids get invited to a lot of events, birthday parties, Halloween, the Christmas holidays and all that, and in every occasion that they go to, it is moms pleasure to dress the child up with the prettiest dress or costume she or he has in the closet. Manufacturers of various designer toddler clothes now offer a wide variety of styles that parents can choose from. From shirts, dresses, shorts, jackets, pants, sweaters with matching accessories, a growing market makes all these things widely available.

Attending a costume party is no hassle at all anymore because there's always a piece that you can find for your toddler to wear. You may think that buying designer clothes may not be as comfortable. But you may be wrong, because a lot of brands have been using clothes that are friendly to your children's skin. With a growing market such as this, it is hard not to find the perfect designer clothes for your child.

In this modern day and age, there is a very wide array of toddler clothing. Pink, blue, yellow, orange, green or whatever color you wish plus a lot of different styles, pattern and designs, it is so easy to fall in love with these pretty little designer toddler clothes. Your problem now is not how you can find one that you would consider the best, but rather how you can decide when there is so much you can choose from!

Now, shopping designer toddler clothes is made even easier through the internet. All moms have to do is browse through various sites and links of designer brands and there you have it. Moms then have the freedom to choose among the many different preferences that are presented to them. With just clicks away, you can order designer toddler clothes that your little darlings can wear. Just remember that shopping in style doesn't mean forgetting about the quality and comfort of the products that you buy. Quality and comfort is the first thing you have to consider when buying clothes, whatever type they may be, for you precious darlings.

By Laura Barta

No need to run to the store just to have a little Chinese New Year fun. On Chinese New Year you can play the multicultural way with things you probably have at home. Do a few or do them all - that's up to you.

1. SWEEP the bad luck out the door. Chinese people clean their houses before the New Year to banish bad luck. Once the New Year starts, wait a few days to sweep again so you don't accidentally sweep away the good luck.

2. DECORATE with animals cut out of red paper. Paper-cuts are a traditional Chinese art and a popular decoration. Another classic decoration is red banners hanging by the door. Cut your own banners from red paper and write Happy New Year or Good Luck on them!

3. VISIT your ancestors by finding a picture of a family member and saying something nice about them. If you don't know something to say, ask someone else to tell you a story about them.

4. WEAR red - it's a good-luck color in China. Make it silk if you have that because silk was invented in China.

5. EAT oranges or tangerines - for good fortune.

6. DRINK tea. It was discovered in China and is very popular there.

7. SAY Gong Xi Fa Cai to wish someone a Prosperous New Year in Mandarin. If you prefer Cantonese, say Gong Hey Fat Choy.

8. DANCE the lion dance. Draw a colorful lion head on a paper grocery bag. One person puts the head on. The other person throws a blanket (preferably red) over their back and becomes the tail. A third person plays a drum beat. Then dance, dance dance!

9. PLAY Rock, Paper, Scissors which also started in China. In one version two children sit on the bottom step of a staircase. The child who wins a round moves up one step. Repeat until one child reaches the top step.

10. MAKE a red envelope. At Chinese New Year, people give children red envelopes with money inside for buying treats. Go ahead and put a dime in it. You haven't spent a penny yet!

If you're curious to learn more about Chinese culture, look for books that make the culture come alive. Amazon has lists of children's books about Chinese culture in their Listmania feature. And, if you want to save a dime, you can also head for your public library. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Laura Barta is the author of My China Travel Journal, a storybook about life in China (available from Amazon in print and Kindle) and the founder of Whole Wide World Toys ( http://www.wholewideworldtoys.com ), which develops toys that teach children about life in other countries and cultures.

By Liz Carson

As parents, it's easy to get bogged down with errands, work and the various afterschool activities that your children enjoy. However, it's important to not overlook the importance that community service will have on you and your child's life. For children, specifically, there are many benefits to having them involved in some sort of community service effort.

Reasons to Get Involved

Volunteering can be one of the most satisfying, fun and productive ways to unite your family and teach your kids about values. It's a way to help children understand how their actions impact others around them. When children volunteer, they are providing important services at a low or no cost to those who need it. This shows them that when the community flourishes, so to do the individuals of that community.

What Kids Learn

Volunteering can easily become a part of kid's lives if introduced early on. Instead of being a chore, it will be something they expect and look forward to doing. It can be a huge learning experience for them as well.

- Responsibility: Community service is one of the best ways to instill responsibility in children. They learn the importance of making a commitment and sticking to it.

- Morals and values: Values like honesty, humbleness, gratefulness, and being non-judgmental are some of the many things that children can learn by doing community service. It helps kids think beyond themselves and gain a wider perspective on life.

- Job Skills: There are various areas of community service that deal with different careers. These can include hospitals, schools, politics and many more. By getting the opportunity to volunteer in any of those areas, kids will get a better idea of what they might be interested in once they get older. It also helps build skills like teamwork, leadership, time management, etc. that will help kids be more prepared for the future.

- Productivity: Instead of having kids sit on the couch playing video games, give them the opportunity to fill idle time wisely by volunteering. It can be a wonderful alternative to traditional after school activities.

- Acceptance: Kids have a tendency to judge other based on what they know or have been taught. By introducing them to community service, they will have the opportunity to interact with people of different backgrounds, abilities, ages and income levels. This will help them see that diverse individuals can come together over shared common values.

Community service also promotes family bonding. Since family time can often be cut short due to busy work schedules or extracurricular activities, community service is a great way to have fun and feel closer with your family. Not to mention it feels good to help others. When children see that their efforts are making someone else happy, they will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. The feeling of fulfillment can be endless when helping out a worthy cause.

By Chris Tedesco

Parents are asking questions about public school education in their area. Specifically, parents want to know how to help their children learn to read. Learning to read is the most important skill our schools will ever teach our children but the Nation's public schools are severely deficient in regards to reading with math skills a close second. Reading is paramount since reading comprehension is needed for all other subjects. If a child cannot read at grade level by the end of the third grade, their chances of graduating decline significantly. Worse, 74% of children who cannot read at grade level by the end of the third grade will never catch up. Nationwide, the NAEP assessed that 33% of children are reading at a grade level by the fourth grade and in California, the percentage is even lower (24%).

Three key levers were identified by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to address the growing child literacy crisis.

· School Readiness- too many children showing for school not ready for what school has to offer.

· School Attendance- too many children are missing too much school and too much instructional time. Summer Learning

· Loss- too many children are losing too much academic ground during the summer.

In order to be successful, literacy programs will also need volunteers to help promote reading comprehension in the participating communities. Volunteers can help with everything from attendance to parental involvement. Identifying those children who are missing the most school and pairing them with the volunteers can prove an effective warning system. Attendance has a direct effect on learning to read, so parents and volunteers should be alerted when children are absent so they can try an understand why the child is not attending school. The volunteers should learn to discuss absences with the childrens' parents so obstacles keeping the kids from attending may be identified (bullying, problems keeping up etc). Although volunteering any time is valuable, a commitment of at least five hours a week should be expected for any real results.

Child literacy is in a crisis with comprehension levels at an all time low. Education about child literacy in the U.S. will go a long way to identifying how we can teach our children to read and how we can reduce child illiteracy if more parents and volunteers get involved. If we take these steps now, child literacy can go from learning to read to reading to learn.

For more information on child literacy go to: http://www.sacramentoreads.com/

By Manju Jose

Kids and Internet- Security Tips

The Internet educates, positively influences and provides a creative outlet for today's kids. But the internet can be a confusing and dangerous place too. Internet stalkers and predators are taking advantage of families that are not aware of basic internet safety rules. With the right precautions we can safeguard our kids. The following tips will guide parent's to provide a safe browsing world for our kids.

I. Create separate user accounts
a) Create limited access User Accounts for Kids.
b) Never give administrator privilege for kids.

II. Use age appropriate browsers
a) Use Kid browsers like KidZui, Buddy browser etc.
b) Adjust web browser security settings

III. Block/filter contents - Age wise
a) Use parental control feature in Windows 7, Vista & XP
b) Use software's like Windows Live Family Safety, K9 Kid protection etc

IV. Set download Limit for kids
a) Use router with QoS capability
b) Use software's like KidsWatch, PC Time Limit etc.

V. Use antivirus & antispyware
a) Use antivirus software's like Avast, AVG etc.
 

VI. Limit Chat Room Access for Kids

VII. Use Mobile Internet Security
a) Use Security Software's like Norton Mobile Security, F-Secure

VIII. Get alerted
a) Set alerts using software's like Action Alert if anything suspicious occurs; review the activity
b) Log Keystroke, chat and email using software's like Refog, Actual, Home Keylogger

IX. Create a set of rules with your child that clearly establish your expectations relating to both safety and ethics
a) Keep the computer in the common room
b) Should never give out personal information on the internet
c) Children should always alert parents when they come across anything uncomfortable
d) Do not respond or open emails and messages from strangers
e) Should never arrange a face to face meeting with someone met online
f) Respect the privacy of other users on the internet, just as you expect your privacy to be respected
g) Don't steal copyrighted software's by downloading from the internet. It is a crime.
h) Protect your reputation. Nothing is private online
i) Be a good Cybercitizen

X. If you suspect any online exploitation of your child, report it to local law enforcement agency immediately.

Parents must establish and teach good habits before your child begins communicating online. The more we become involved with our children online, the less likely we will have to deal with dangerous issues involving our kids.

Apply your "Real World" parenting skills to the "Virtual World".