On Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 11:54 AM, Randall Whitman <[email protected]> wrote: > >> How about Trust! > > Yes, that's a very good point previously absent from the discussion. > I would like my daughters to grow up with the character to warrant trust. > But your point about accidental typos and surprises is also a good one. > There is also the saying Trust *and* Verify. > In the case of original inquirer, the children apparently had already > broken Trust. > > Randall >
Wasn't going to bring it up but yeah, I don't think the technical side is worth all the trouble for older kids. As parents we can only spot check, kids know that. I can't possibly spend all my time setting traps and looking at logs. And the fact is that at some point they are going to be accessing the Internet outside of my control, at the library or a friend's house. Heck, my kids will probably figure out the concept of an https tunnel before other people's kids do. Really, my bigger concern for kids is that they be psychologically prepared for information and images that they are going to find and to warn and teach them to avoid images that you can't un-see. That, and general internet safety rules. As we all know, a 13+ year old boy on a mission to find porn is going to find it regardless of what tricks, traps and blocks we put in place. I hope I have a good enough relationship with my kids that frank discussions and open lines of communication will be enough, because in the end that's all we really have. Everything else is gimmickry. Now if they break hard rules that are laid down, well, that's what warnings and punishments are for. I've felt with my own kids that if I run out of things to can take away, I'm not providing a rich enough experience for them as a father. That said, for younger kids, it's simply about whitelists or no 'net access at all. -- John.
