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Chat Rooms for Kids Above 10

Tulika Nair
With kids becoming increasingly internet savvy, how would you decide which are the safe chat rooms? We will tell you what you should look for in online chat rooms for kids above 10 to determine that they are safe.
There are many horror stories abounding about how young kids gets lured by people leeching off their naiveté. With the access that kids have to technology and the lack of surveillance, many of them are increasingly getting addicted to social networking sites and chat rooms.
These services allow them to stay in touch with other kids their age, and in today's time are an essential to enhance standing in one's peer group. How do you ensure that your kid is not a victim of malevolent intentions? How do you ensure that your kids are frequenting safe online chat rooms?
As a parent, your fears are warranted, and you would want to ensure that your children only log on to kids chat rooms that are safe. There are many websites out there that are hosts to chat rooms for kids under 12 that ensure internet security.
But even if you know that your child is on a safe website, it is important that you keep track of the chat rooms that your child frequents, and give him/her a list of chat rooms which are okay according to you.

Choosing Safe Chat Rooms for Kids Above the Age of 10
● As a parent, the responsibility of finding good online chat rooms for teens lies on your shoulder, and it is important you educate your child about which website is safe and which is not. Your kids should be aware that they should not give out any sort of personal information on these chat rooms.
Kids should be made aware of the dangers associated with the web, and you should especially inform them (gently so) about the many adults who pose as kids to lure children into the world of child abuse and human trafficking. Search the internet for chat rooms which are safe and vouched for by other parents before you allow your kid to access these websites.
● If your child is a member of chat rooms for kids under 13, then insist that he/she start a profile under a pseudonym to ensure privacy. Also, educate your kids about not uploading pictures of themselves without ensuring that it is safe.
While browsing the internet, you will find many chat rooms meant especially for kids. If you go through these websites, you will get a general idea of the kind of people who frequent them and also the kind of conversations that go on there.
● Most good chat rooms for kids have a set of rules that inform the kids about what is allowed and what is not on their website. This could include rules that have strict policies about swearing, posting sexually explicit content, posting links of other websites, etc.
These websites ensure that the kids follow these rules strictly, and breaking any of the rules can result in the kid being banned from the website.
If you are still unsure about which chat rooms your kid can be frequenting in your absence, then it may become important for you to have a talk with him/her about which are the online chat rooms for kids that he/she is allowed to visit.
● The older your child is, the more important it is for you to have an open communication with him/her about the internet. You need to set down ground rules for what is allowed and what is not. It is important that as a young kid, he/she tells you about the sites he/she visits.
You can use family safety tools that will help create profiles for family members, and help in filtering the content on the internet. Keep the computer in an area where you can keep an eye on the sites your kid is on.
Encourage your children to inform you of anyone who chats with them and makes them feel uncomfortable in the process. Ensure that they know that they are not in trouble for chatting with this person but have done a good thing by informing you about the same.
● There are some reputed chat rooms for kids above the age of ten like kidscom, kidzworld, kidchatters, chatavenue, etc., that allow them to chat in a different room, and indulge in appropriate activities. These websites also host events that make kids more aware about things like environmental conservation and recycling, etc.
These websites are monitored by adults so that there is not inappropriate content. Also, they allow parents to monitor the number of times their kids frequents the chat room. Some of these websites also determine the time for which the chat room is open.
These websites ensure that child safety is of prime importance, and no anti-social elements can cause trouble for the kids. While some of these websites are free, some of them charge a nominal fee for registration.
Hopefully, this guide to safety in online chat rooms has helped you learn more about how you can choose an appropriate one for your child. As a parent, it is only natural that you would want to know that your kid is safe and not at risk of being hurt or taken advantage of.