wiredsafety.org is the world's largest online safety and help group

Dr. Jean Watkins, PhD (Psychologist)

Understand the developmental stage that your child is in.  If you don't know enough about it, read about it.  Talk to their teachers and to other parents in their age group.  Set boundaries. 

You must be the one to say "yes" and "no".  You must be the one to teach, remember that you are their primary teacher, about values and morality.  It is you that determines what is appropriate in your family as far as dress, issues of money, what they do with their friends, etc. 

These things must be thought about in advance.  Once you decide that you've made an appropriate decision, stick to your plan. 

You teach first by example; then you provide family rules with consequences for breaking rules.  Above all, never fail to reinforce both positive and negative behavior.  Praise for effort and compliance.  Consequence for failure and defiance. 

Of course all parents know that it is not helpful to be competitive with your children.  Nor is it healthy to dress like them, regardless of how young you look.  Finally, as our purpose is Internet safety put safeguards on your child's computer and monitor what they are doing.