Impulsivity and the internet can make for a dangerous situation for ADD or ADHD children. ADD or ADHD children, especially boys tend to be less mature for their age than boys without ADD. Parents should talk to children regarding safety and the internet.

Most parents would not send a child to run an errand at the local store without first showing him how to get to the store, yet many parents never think about allowing a child to surf unsupervised. The best choice is to educate your child about Internet safety before you log him onto the web.

Always set clear and concise limits about who, what, where and when your child is allowed to go online. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on average out of seven children who surf the Internet regularly, at least one child will encounter a sexual solicitation before he or she has turned eighteen. Does your child know what to do if this happens?

ADD children, especially teenagers, need to understand they should never give out any personal information, including their name, address, and telephone number, school name, or school location, and never send a picture of themselves. It is important that personal email addresses and screen names should bear no resemblance to their real name.

People feel anonymous and safe online and that gives one a false sense of security. You cannot know whom you are talking to online unless you knew this person in real life before meeting online. Do not meet anyone from the Internet in person without telling your parent.

Children need to log off and tell a grownup about any threatening, sexually explicit email, instant message, or any online conversation that makes them uncomfortable.

By allowing children unlimited computer access behind closed doors you are putting your child is at risk. The Internet harbors a dark side where pedophiles log on nightly invading homes and bedrooms without having to leave the comfort of their home. Explain to your children how some adults pretend to be a child the same age and gender as the child to gain the child’s trust, when the person is usually an adult grooming the child for an inappropriate sexual encounters.

There are computer programs that monitor online activity. These programs document what a child is doing online. These programs can also restrict children from entering certain websites. This software also can block e-mail or instant messages, and chat sessions that contain inappropriate or sexually explicit words.

Finally, parents should show children how the Internet works to locate someone. Begin by going to the Google search engine. Then type in your name, use different versions of the name for different results, and see what pops up. This method is not successful with very common names like Bill Smith or Jenny Jones.

Now try entering your phone number or home address. Are you surprised what information you found about your life? If your home address came up, click the map icon, and watch turn-by-turn directions to your home appear. Are you unsettled yet?