June is National Internet Safety Month Tips #CyberSafe #sponsored

June is National Internet Safety Month and I'm sharing with you safety tips and information to make sure your kids are protected on the internet.  I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating. 

I won't even ask, "Are your kids on the internet," because in the year 2013 just about every kid has or has had access in one way or another. The internet is at home, at school, in public libraries, on your phone, at grandma's house, summer camp and anywhere else your kids go to play. Do you have concerns regarding internet safety? Do you have set parameters for them no matter where they access the internet? I'd love to know.

We've always taught our girls to not use the internet at a friend's house. Now that they are 14-18 years old we can no longer control that. They all have iPhones, computers, iPads and the internet is with them and every where they go. We have stressed over and over about not talking or friending strangers. We have asked them not to share the internet with friends but we know it happens. I also know every social media site that they are on. As their mom and parent, I follow or friend them on all their social media sites to keep watch as needed.

My girls have never had to deal with cyber bullying but do know that indirectly on Facebook comments will be made that could involve them or others that they know. We've found that said comments come from adults, too. Have your kids been involved in cyber bullying? If so, I'd love for you to share your experience in the comments so we can all learn from them. 

Did you know that one in three parents believe their teens to be much more tech-savvy then they are? I actually believe it because so many of the parents that I talk to locally do not even know or understand 90% of what I talk about. I am more tech-savvy than my teens, for now, and hope to stay that way. They are always asking me questions which is the way I want to keep it. 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America created a brief, 7 question quiz to test your parent cyber smarts. You can find the quiz here at Cyber Survivor Challenge Quiz. I took the quiz and found out that it is against the LAW (oops) to have a child under 13 registered on Facebook. How many of you knew about this law? How many of you have broken this law? You don't need to tell me but if your child is under 13 please remove them from having their own Facebook account. The quiz provided details on what you should know as a parent. I was glad that I survived the quiz! Please take it if you have kids or grandkids who use the internet. 

Parents please educate yourself about the internet. The best resource out there I feel is through Boys and Girls Clubs of America because they are always committed to kids! They want to ensure the safety of the youth and provide tips and tools to guide parents and adults especially in the ever changing cyber world. 

Check out the CyberSafeFutures.org website where you will find resources to make sure that you are staying up-to-date with the latest cyber information. Keep the kids #cybersafe by you being cyber-smarter than your kids!

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