The internet now plays a huge role in our lives, and more so than we often know, in the lives of our children. Not only are internet connections typically found at school and at home but mobile technologies mean a growing number of kids even access the internet from places we would never have dreamed. While you may not satisfy your child's "need" for a smart phone, it doesn't mean their friend's parents don't.

With all this easy access to the worldwide web, children are exposed to an onslaught of potentially dangerous information and dangerous interactions with strange people you do not know. Most parents recognize this but feel powerless to do much about that after all, we don't want to completely cut them off from internet use because, for all the dangers involved, there are also a lot of great benefits to modern communication tools.

So where do we strike the balance?

The first step in gaining some kind of control over how your children use this powerful communication device is, ironically, communication. We cannot completely control how or when our children use the internet, no matter how authoritative we try to become. Our number one step in "defense," if you will, is talking with our children about the dangers.

While completely monitoring every second your child spends online is a bit unreasonable, making rules about giving out personal details or talking with people they do not know is a little more realistic and possible to enforce. So talk with them and explain why the rules exist.

There is a fine line between making your child feel confident in their safety skills and instilling a fear that something bad will happen. That line can be blurred by familial anxiety issues, childhood fears and, of course, television. Let's look at a few ways we can teach our children to be confident in themselves and help them avoid the fear factor - while still remaining safe.

When you are three feet tall in a crowd of people, of whom all you can see are their knees or waist, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Everything starts to look the same, it's harder to distinguish a parent's voice from all the other sounds, vehicle noises are louder, and the scariest part of all: it is harder to be heard. If you are a child it can be very frightening to walk down a crowded street or around a bustling mall. Keep this in mind when you are out with your child. Help them feel safe by keeping hold of their hand. Talk to them about what you are doing, where you are going and how they can help. As you instil a sense of safety and companionship, your child will begin to feel more at ease.

On the other hand, if he or she is more confident and likes to act independently, then a different path is required. Before you leave the house, talk about staying together. Ask them why they think it is important to keep close to mom or dad. Inviting them to share their thoughts gives the child a sense of empowerment and lets you know what is going on in their head. Expand on whatever their answer is in a way that lets them know how important it is to stay together. Use a positive speech pattern with lots of smiles and encouragement. Some children listen well, but forget things later so reminders are necessary.