I don’t pretend to know everything about the world of technology. I know how to send a text, communicate via email and write a blog, as well as a few other bits and pieces that I need for work.

I am well aware that, like most adults, children put me to shame with their own technological wizardry an understanding of computers.

For the average Hectic Mum this could be a problem. We all worry about what our children might be exposed to on the internet and most parents want to know how to ‘kidproof’ a computer to make sure their children are safe when they’re surfing the net.

While it’s difficult to keep an eye on what children are doing online, to say nothing of what they’re putting on websites, who they’re chatting to and what they’re downloading, I have found a couple of things that could be a help.

The Family Online Safety Institute is a site dedicated to providing resources for parents who want to make sure that their children are safe on the net.

One option is to buy an internet security package such as Norton Internet Security and then install the “add-on parental control pack” software for free which will:
• Provide password-protected control profiles for adult, teen, and child.
• Offer predefined standard profiles that are customizable for the individual user.
• Block inappropriate Web sites based on user control profile settings.
• Log attempts to access blocked Web sites.