Stay Proactive
Keep your personal computer public... in the family room, with the screen pointing out for responsible adults to see. It's too easy to "find trouble" when a computer with a wide-open Internet connection is in a child's bedroom.
Limit computer use to times when Mom or Dad are home. Consider setting up a password for your computer startup... most computers have some type of password protection. (Just don't forget your password, and don't make it too easy to guess!)
If you have a Macintosh-based computer at home, most of your pop-ups can be blocked with Safari's own blocking software. For Windows-based computers, you probably need to purchase a "spam" filter which keeps out inappropriate material. Internet Filter Review provides up-to-date evaluations of filtering software.
With a little care and concern, parents can make the home computer a great educational resource!
