Avoid addictions. Make sure that your kids don’t spend too much time online. Consider having a computer curfew every night, and a rule that they can’t get online each day until their homework is done first. Carve out plenty of time for them to build face-to-face relationships and build strong in-person social skills. Limit their time talking and texting on their cell phones, too, if it’s causing them neglect other parts of their lives.

Encourage them to be true to their identities. Don’t let your kids hide behind their computers and pretend to be people they’re not. Urge them to be completely honest about who they really are instead of projecting an image of someone they’d like to be. Discuss how their true identities are rooted in the reality of God’s love for them rather than anything less than that.

Discuss the dangers of cyberbullying with them. Encourage your kids to treat other kids online the way they would like to be treated themselves, and to speak up for kids who are being victimized by others using the Internet as a forum to bully them.

Prepare them to resist pornography. The sad truth is that, despite all the parental controls you can possibly put into place, it may just be a matter of time before your kids stumble across some porn online. Regularly explain to your kids why it’s damaging to view porn, and teach them to shield themselves from inappropriate images they might unexpectedly encounter.

Help them avoid predators. Regularly remind your kids to be careful about what information they give out online. Teach them to guard their privacy, and never respond to messages from people they don’t know.

Vicki Courtney is the founder of Virtuous Reality Ministries® which reaches more than 150,000 girls and mothers a year. A mother herself of three teens, she seeks to provide both teens and their parents with the tools necessary to navigate today’s promiscuous culture. She has done hundreds of radio and newspaper interviews and appeared on CNN, Fox News, and CNN Headline News to discuss issues impacting teens. She is the creator of VirtuousReality.com, an online magazine for teen girls, which has attracted visitors from all 50 states and more than 30 countries. She is a national speaker to women of all ages and the best-selling author of numerous books. Vicki resides in Austin, Texas with her husband, Keith and three children, Ryan, Paige and Hayden.