Are you really connected to your kids... especially to your networking teens?

Here's a short test for you Mom or Dad: What's your child's favorite TV show? Their favorite movie, musician and magazine? What sites do they visit on the Internet? Name their three best friends. Name their favorite teacher - their least favorite teacher. Five of their Facebook friends. So, how are you doing? Could you answer all of those questions? Could you answer even half? The point is, to be connected to our kids we have to enter their world. We need to know what they like, who they like and what has their attention. So get involved. Start asking questions and get connected.

Facebook rules

For instance, are you savvy about social networking? Many teens are on - or want to be on - social networking sites like Facebook. As parents, it's up to us to set careful guidelines before our children venture into the rapidly changing world of social networking. First, sit down with your wife to discuss whether or not you will allow your teen to join Facebook. Then set some guidelines that would be appropriate, based on your teen's age and maturity level and trustworthiness. Here are examples of guidelines you may want to set:

1) Parents will know the password and have access to child's page.

2) Parents can customize their child's settings to make profile safer (privacy, visibility, etc).

3) Email of posts, friends, etc. come to family's home e-mail.

4) Parents will have an account on Facebook, and children must add and keep parents as "friends."

5) Children will not add strangers as friends, or use the Facebook "chat" application to talk to strangers.

6) Parents will set a limit on the time that children are allowed on Facebook.

7) The computer will be kept in a common area of the house, such as a living room or play room, where it will always be in easy view.

8) Children will not share personal information (address, phone number, pictures, etc.) with anyone on Facebook that they do not know well.

9) Children will immediately tell their parents if they see anything or talk to anyone on Facebook that makes them uncomfortable; and parents will take immediate action to block or report that material.

10) If the child breaks any of the set guidelines, his or her account will immediately be deleted and a probation period will begin until they re-earn their parents' trust.