I’m a mother who has seen it all online.

I was working in the Internet filtering industry back when my kids were small enough that I did not have to worry about them using the Internet. Then, it was all theoretical.

It was actually my then 5 year old daughter who first woke me up to the real dangers I was helping to protect against. Her older friend was showing her something she found on a website. It was an x-rated cartoon.

And it was my 13 year old daughter who taught me how even the smartest kid is naturally naïve enough to be tricked by a stranger. I found myself tracking down a young pedophile with sadistic tendencies and agreeing with his mother that if she took his computer away, we would not go to the police.

And when my 12 year old son asked me how to withdraw the funds he accumulated in his Paypal account and my reaction was, “What PayPal account?” I clearly understood, I was not nearly involved enough in my kids’ online activities – me, the tech savvy mom who was working inside the Internet security industry on a project meant to protect children online.

If You Don’t Start Getting Involved in Your Child’s Online Life NOW, There Will Be Consequences Later.

It’s not scare tactics – it’s the reality we live in.

Going online alone, without any monitoring, guidance, rules or limitations is no different than allowing your kids to do the same offline – travel to the city, to the mall, to parties – with no parental guidance or involvement.

I started IP Parent to drive home the fact that the Internet is no different than real life. Not anymore. It’s simply another dimension in our lives.

Our kids are not making the same distinctions we do. For them, there is no point where Facebook ends and real life friendship begins. They don’t differentiate between playing a video game with friends online and getting together with friends outside. They don’t have an innate understanding that one type of entertainment is healthier than another or that spending too much time in the digital world might infringe on their social skills and their physical well-being. They don’t sit at the computer for 4 hours without moving from the screen and think to themselves, “Hey I better get up and stretch, I’ve been “online” for too long.” Why? Because the Internet is totally integrated into their very being. They are Cyber Natives.

A parent needs to have visibility into every dimension of their child’s life. The fact that technology is involved does not make it any different. The fact that they CAN use passwords and delete things so that you will not have access does not mean they should be allowed to. Don’t forget, you are the parent, you make the rules — not Facebook, not Google, not World of Warcraft, not other kids.

If your kids are online and no one has made sure they know right from wrong, no adult is present or involved and there is no accountability, your kids are in danger.

And don’t be naïve. It is not only about warning your children to not talk to strangers. It’s not only about stopping them from  giving out personal information. It is much more. It’s everything from how much time they are online, to the type of activity they are involved in, to what they are exposed to either accidentally or on purpose, to what they are uploading. It’s about being bullied. It’s about being a bully.

It’s about them growing up safe and growing up to be the kind of person you hope they will be. It’s about being accountable.

Founded by Sheryl Sitman, an expert on online safety and a veteran of several technology and software startups and initiatives,IP Parent is a resource and training center for parents like you.