Safeguarding Your Family On Internet 2

Now the concluding part on Safeguarding your loved ones on internet. A brief recap though is expected. In the first issue I said that you should install safety software, computers or laptops or Ipads to be used in common areas and no internet on phones. It will be nice if you read the first post on this topic so as to make heads and tail of what I am talking about.

4. Other kids coming into your home

I love having other kids over to our home most especially now kids are on holiday for the Easter Celebrations. I  love to make my home available for visits. But I learnt something from a friend who is a bit older and with older children than mine. She said that when her kids friends come visiting, she takes all their cell phones and laptops and keeps them with her- not allowing any of them to take them up to her kids’ rooms ( and I thought I was the only paranoid Mom) You see I don’t care how nice the kids are-whether they go to church or from christian background (there’s always a black sheep somewhere  if you get my drift). No child is ever far from falling into temptation and how many mothers really have that time to check on what their kids are up to these days.

5. Don’t be naive

You need to be smart oooo. You need to be ON the internet and learn to be a little savvy with technology. I have a friend who wonders  how I know so many social media and how they work and she will often tell me,” hey you are trying o, me (i.e she) once I check my facebook and chat, that is it ooo”. The Oga at the top saga in my country started like this, if the poor man paid a little attention to what was happening around him , he would have known what a website was! Our kids learn how to use the computer and phones quickly! I’m amazed! You need to figure out a few things to keep them from stumbling onto things that they should not read or see on the internet. Don’t delude yourself by thinking that your child or husband is exempt from that temptation. Learn how to read history – or know when they’ve cleared their cache. SEE SISTERS, IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I’AM TALKING ABOUT, GOOGLE IT!

6. Accountability

This is very important. Be open and honest with your husband and kids about internet usage. For your husband, it will not be an easy conversation. In developed settings, the husband will have a group of God fearing and reasonable friends who helps him keep accountable in the area of lust and sexual temptations, but in the part of the world where I come from, hmmmm? The average African man sees it as a right but when the man decides that for his sake and his family that he must be held accountable, that is a plus sistas. Sistas, encourage your husband  as I have done mine, there shouldn’t be a man, married, or otherwise who doesn’t have a friend in their life asking them some hard questions oooo. Because the society we live in gives the man the right to do and undo, it might be difficult for you to be the one he is accountable to. Chances are you will nag him constantly. If he is a christian, he will need godly men but if he is not, he probably won’t want to be a part of anything like that and you must be understanding of that and then you will need to be very prayerful.

7. Social media restrictions

Hey, trust me, I am all over the place in the social media world- as a mother I feel is part of my job. I must know what all the social media is all about ooo. I encouraged my husband to get into a few of them,- half for business, half for fun. You have to decide when it’s time for your child to be on social media, if ever. For now I worry for my upcoming teenager that is my boy that is 12 going on to 13. Being on any of the social media is not open to discussion for now, when that time comes, the Trinity ( God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) will let me know what to do.

You may not agree with me on some of what I expressed. That’s OK. What’s more important is that you have a plan for your family. Sistas, if you have not thought of this, it’s time you do. As a mom, wife, woman etc, it’s coming whether your child is 1 or 13. Don’t forget you have a husband who is also part of your family to care for.