DO NOT let them have the internet in their own room. Have the computer in a common room where there is no secrecy. And make sure your children know that if they identify themselves online, it's all over.

For me, I wouldn't let my son go on line without me being right there with him. And when he is older I will allow him on line without me with him but not unless someone either myself or my husband is in the room with him. I would also have a very good filter. One that lets me see where he's been and what he's been doing.

I keep my children safe inside of my ovaries, no threats to them at all.

For EACH and EVERY parent to watch and check on their children.

Well you should keep your children safe by telling them what is bad and what you can not go on. You should also trust your child to listen to you is they do not listen then you should disipline them. You can get blocks but they take forever i would just watch what they are doing and check the history of your computer to see what websites they went on.

Education and supervision. You need to tell them why you are concerned for their safety and what you do not want them doing online. They need to understand the risks of what they do online. Often I hear parents telling their kids complete untruths, which is counterproductive, because our children quickly become more knowledgeable about the technology than we are. So parents need to be properly informed as well. They need supervision. No computer in a room behind a closed door, especially young children. If they are using the computer in in area where you can appear quickly and without warning, they are being supervised. I do not have much respect for automated parental controls because of their ability to be circumvented, their imperfection for starters. I have explained this in depth in other posts. This is only my opinion of course.

Keep them away from computers. My 2 cents.

1) Learn about computers yourself. Don't rely on experts as any have an agenda; either a holy crusade or a desire to get rich selling snake oil. 2) Don't trust filters. If I have to tell you why then you would not understand my explanation. 3) Remember that there is always a generational gap and that today's culture may be alien to you. Different is not always bad, but innocent-looking isn't always wholesome. I bring this up merely because you have to understand the modern world in order to protect your kids from the worst aspects of it. Don't expect the rules that worked for you and I to work for them. It's a different world. 4) Give the kids a LITTLE freedom and slack. Smothering them and watching over their every move will either breed resentment (more than the natural resentment most kids have anyways; possibly enough to push them to do something stupid like run away or get violent) or cause them to rely on you to ALWAYS protect them, even when they are 47, since they never had a need to learn to protect themselves. 5) Don't automatically assume that the moment you allow them unmonitored 'net use that they'll surf over to Guatemalan Goat Porn or hook up a date via Myspace. If you did a good job as a parent, they won't. If not, then what they do on the 'net is the least of your worries.

well... its funny that most people would say things like block porn or censor this and censor that... the truth is that you are neglecting them if you do not allow them to learn everything