Adventures in Parenting

Are your children spending too much time on computer/video games and won’t stop playing?

Will an Internet Use Contract solve your problem?

When we draft such a contract, we want to make the kid promise to all kinds of restrictions – “I will not play more than 2 hours a day.  I will not chat with strangers. I will not give out personal information…”

But what about the parent’s responsibility to help your child stay off the games? Is our only responsibility to nag them to keep to the Internet Use Contract?

I found an excellent Internet Use Contract by Jason Dick that includes what the parent promises to do.

If we expect a child to keep promises of an Internet Use Contract, are we brave enough to make some promises to do our part as well?

Take a look at Jason Dick’s sample.

Parent/Child Internet Use Contract
Parent Contract
1. I will make or find a list of recommended sites for my children to visit.

2. I promise not to use a computer or the Internet as an electronic babysitter.

3. I will try to get to know my child’s online friends and “buddy list” contacts, just as I try to get to know their other friends.

4. I will frequently check to see where my children have visited on the Internet.

5. I will set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by my children and will discuss these rules, posting them near the computer as a reminder. I will monitor for compliance with these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time my children spend on the computer.

6. I will report suspicious or illegal activities to the proper authorities.

7. I will provide my children with opportunities for other types of entertainment and recreation involving outdoor and/or physical activity.

8. I will seek out options for blocking and filtering inappropriate Internet content for my children

9. I will not overreact if my child tells me about a problem they are having on the Internet, but will work with them to solve the problem and prevent it from happening again.

10. I will put the home computer in a family area.

I agree to the above.
______________________________________Date___________________
Parent’s Signature

Child Contract
1. I will not give my name, address, phone number, school, or my parents’ names, address or phone number; to anyone I meet on the computer.

2. I will never, ever meet with anyone I’ve talked to online without getting my parent’s permission first.

3. If my parents ask me for my passwords, I will give them to them. I will NEVER give out my passwords or any of my family’s passwords to anyone else, not even friends or other family members.

4. I will not try to win free things or buy things on the Internet without my parents’ permission. If I get a message that I won something, I will show it to my parents. If I get emails asking for private information, I will also show my parents

5. I will use good manners when online, including clean language and respect for others. I will not pick fights or use mean words.

6. I know my parents will supervise my time online and use software to monitor or limit where I go online. I understand they are doing this because they love me and want to protect me.

7. I will never enter a site that says I must be 18 years old to enter.

8. I will never download games, music or videos without parental consent, as I know many viruses can infect our computer this way.

9. I will never click on any links in emails or open attachments from people or sources I am not familiar with.

10. I will limit my time on the Internet to:____________a day, excluding homework.

I agree to the above.

____________________________________Date___________________