At Boys & Girls Club of America, part of our mission is to ensure that all children have an ongoing relationship with a caring adult. We realize that the children in our communities, be they our sons and daughters or otherwise, need the positive influence of an adult to help them learn and grow into responsible, healthy, productive members of society. Every child has the potential to be great, and we can all play a part in supporting them as they reach for success.

The positive influence an adult can have isn't just contained to the real world - it also applies to the virtual world. It is important that every child learns how to be a good cyber citizen and that they learn how to behave in a safe and healthy way online. In addition to helping children learn the ways of the world, and prepare them to be healthy, mature functioning members of society, adults should equally prepare them for the digital world.

Spending just a little bit of quality time with our children online can make all the difference. Some activities we suggest include:

• Watch them play their favorite video games — Talk to them about the kinds of video games they like to play. This will help you better understand what your children are playing and help make sure that they are not playing games you do not approve of.
• Visit their social networking profiles (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, etc.) together — See how they are presenting themselves to the online world, view who their friends are online, and talk to them about the importance of preserving a good reputation off and on line.
• Ask them to take you to some of their favorite websites — Have them show you the places that they hang out in the digital world. Not only will you get a better idea of what they are doing online, but you might learn even more about the kinds of things your child is interested in.
• Show them some of your favorite websites — Help them learn more about the kind of interests you have such as a sports site, news site, or a blog you follow.
• Talk to them about their online experiences — Make sure they know they can talk to you if they encounter a problem online, be it cyberbullying, or inappropriate contact from a stranger. Keep the lines of communications open.

We know it's not easy to be a parent these days. Finding quality time to spend with our children, amidst the daily stresses of life, is oftentimes, difficult. Just carving out some quality time to spend with our kids, can make a difference. It is these conversations and actions that will help make the digital world, and in turn, the real world a healthier, safer place to live.

Cyndi Court, Executive Vice President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Cyndi Court is the executive vice president of resource development and marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, one of the nation's leading youth development non-profit organizations. BGCA provides life-changing programs to some 4.5 million youth served through membership and community outreach, inspiring them to BE GREAT.