Parenting guidelines . . .

. . . for talking and posting about your kids online. I found this info very useful. I would like to thank Diane, for this info. Even though we don't have children of our own yet, Hubby and I have talked about whether or not we want pics and info posted about out kids online. I believe these guidelines are excellent.

It is at strong recommendation, should you choose to display your child's picture on your profile, please do one of these two things...... Never post the child's name. Use terms like "My little man" or "darling princess". Also always make sure no mention of where you live, whether it be hometown or street address is displayed anywhere on your profile. Be careful how much information you divulge on someone's comments. A recent flag report was sent to us with what sexual predators have admitted to looking for while scanning myspace and the Internet for potential "prey". By learning the child's name and where you live, even in the general area, they can then coax your child by name to their vehicle once they've been recognized. They also watched for how many, if any, siblings their potential victim has because then they can assume how often they will see that child alone. More then one child, is most always a hardship and enough for them to move on. They have been known to watch specific profiles and obtain specific information off people's comments, such as schools or daycares their children go to. The latest MySpace predator bust resulted in the arrests of 16 individuals who were wanted in connection to assualts involving rape and violence in 30 states. So they move around. Keep your profile private whenever possible and allow your photos only to be seen by people on your list you know and trust. A survey of these predators also suggested they usually start looking at the people who use their children's photos as their profile pic. Again, parents of myspace aged teens and pre-teens.....please be aware of who your children are talking to and what they are talking about. Monitor their use and if possible, keep it minimal. The Internet can be used as a marvelous teaching tool, amoung many other wonderful things. We have also seen the downside of Internet use. We wish everyone happy computer time, but please be aware of certain and potential dangers. To learn more how to better protect your children, please visit www.missingkids.com or call 1-800-THE-LOST. Our many blessings, B.S.T.