New York ? Cold weather keeps children indoors for long stretches of time, and many youngsters turn to the Internet for entertainment.

Stephen Haag, chair of the department of information technology and electronic commerce at the University of Denver, developed tips for keeping children safe while they’re online:

1. Don’t deny children access to the Web at home. Stopping kids from going online at home won’t keep them from going online at a friend’s house, the library or somewhere else — and in those places, parents can’t keep a watchful eye.

2. Surf the Web with the kids at least one hour per week. Ask them what Web sites they go to. This will help parents understand the likes and dislikes of children, and how they use the Internet.

3. Keep the computer in a central part of the house to reinforce the idea that Web surfing is an activity the whole family can share and enjoy.

4. Install monitoring software that can restrict what types of Web sites can be visited and keep a daily log of Web activity. Some software also will send e-mails to parents when children try to access a restricted site.

5. Set time limits, especially for younger children. Treat the Web like TV.

6. Show children examples of productive surfing by visiting Web sites with educational and intellectual value.

7. “Spy” on children once a month. It’s a parent’s right to do this, Haag says. It’s possible to view lists of deleted files, temporary files and Web logs.