Article
Tweens (kids ages 8 to12) begin exploring more on their own. They need to feel "independent," but not alone. It's important to be with them — or at least nearby — when they're online. Consider keeping the computer in an area where the child has access to you or another adult.
If children aren't already using the internet for their schoolwork, this is when they're likely to start. It's also when they can discover resources for hobbies and other interests.
Many tweens are adept at finding information online, but they still need adult guidance to help them understand which sources are trustworthy.
Think about limits.
As you consider what your tweens see and do on the internet, think about how much time they spend online. Consider setting limits on how often they can be online and how long those sessions should be.
Consider parental controls.
For younger tweens, parental controls — including filtering or monitoring tools — can be effective. However, many middle school kids have the technical know-how to get around them.
Search Terms
This article is part of a series: Talk to Your Kids
Read Our Privacy Act Statement
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
Comment Policy
This is a moderated blog; we review all comments before they are posted. We expect participants to treat each other and the bloggers with respect. We will not post comments that do not comply with our commenting policy. We may edit comments to remove links to commercial websites or personal information before posting them.
We won’t post:
Comments submitted to this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personal information. Also, do not use this blog to report fraud; instead, file a complaint.