Keeping your children safe while they browse online is probably the biggest concern a parent faces before allowing their family to freely explore the Internet.

Google knows this and has a suite of features and guidelines to help parents make sure their child’s online experience is safe.

In the global sense, Google has a few basic guidelines all parents should follow.

First, parents and children needs to discuss online safety and the dangers that lurk on the Internet in terms of data phishing, identity theft, and more.

Second, parents and children should work together in using the technology that the children will eventually use on their own. Teach by example and let them learn from your good browsing habits.

Third, everyone should have an open discussion about what kinds of websites exist on the Internet, which are appropriate to browse, and why others are not.

Fourth, instill the importance of robust passwords and safe online habits. Teach your children to always log out of their accounts and to only share their password with you or another trusted adult - never anyone online.

Fifth, when it comes to social media and other website sharing services, limit what your child can do or discuss this with her first.

Sixth, check age restrictions on some social media platforms and websites - young users may not be allowed!

Finally, keep the dialogue running, trade tips with other parents, and stay at the forefront of being proactive about protecting your identity and those of your children. An ounce of precaution is often worth a pound of cure in this case.

Google also provides an awesome service where you can create an email address for your child that is under 13 years of age using Family Link.

Accounts created through Family Link enable parents to set a whole range of different filters and options that their child can explore online.

These include restrictions on Google Play store purchases, what websites they can view on the Chrome browser, filtered Google search, restricted Android apps, and even location tracking.

Family Link will even monitor your child’s activities to provide you with alerts and to tailor the service to their habits. Of course, if you want to disable this feature, Google allows that, though you may lose some functionality.

Family Link will also allow you to change the email profile information at any time, up to and including deleting the account entirely. Using Family Link to create your child’s account through your own works as an email verification service so that your child’s email is linked to a parent or guardian. You can even reset the password for the account, giving parents a robust set of options for account maintenance and recovery.

Creating an account for your child in the Google Family Link app is a simple process and takes less than fifteen minutes. After that, your child will have their own Google Gmail account and will be ready to interact with the online world within the parameters you have established