Age-Specific Tips

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5-7

Many children in this age group are just beginning to take interest in computers. To this point, most computer use has likely been in the company of a parent, guardian, or trusted adult.

Five to seven year-old children may already know about basic Internet technology through television, advertising, friends, siblings, and parents.

It's important to set basic rules and guidelines for Internet use including the following:

• A parent or trusted adult should always supervise a 5-7 year-old's Internet activity
• Make sure your child understands that the Internet is a public place
• Use filtering software
• Set strict limits on the amount of time children spend online
• Before visiting a website with your child, take time to explore the site yourself to make sure it is age-appropriate
• Use a critical eye while visiting websites with your child. Pay attention to what your child is interested in, and address safety issues as they arise (ie. chat components, posting messages, trading items with others, avatars interacting)
• Teach your child how to use age-appropriate search engines, as well as "favourites" and "bookmarks" 
• Let your child know that if s/he feels a situation is potentially unsafe, it probably is

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