As parents, we all want to think the best of our children. However, sometimes they don’t live up to our expectations. Even a child with the best of intentions can find themselves involved in the darker side of social networking. The good news is that parents can take some simple and free steps to begin effective parental monitoring.

Talk about your expectations

Kids can’t follow a rule if it doesn’t exist. Clear expectations must be set or your child is likely to make mistakes. The resource link on the uKnowKids homepage has free safety tips and an Internet & Mobile Safety Pledge for Kids. 

From photos to group homework assignments, the Internet is the way that our kids (and adults, too, if we're honest) communicate with others. We share videos and music via Twitter and Pinterest. We post to each other's Facebook walls and chat or instant message with others. We blog about ourselves and our interests. What does all that information sharing amount to?

Although parents and their kids both share a lot online, the perception out there about information sharing online is different. You and I are likely to think that others are sharing too much; our children are more likely to say that others aren't.