Safe Search Kids - Education, Parenting, Internet Safety for All

Food and household goods top the list of major child-related costs for 38% of surveyed parents — outranking childcare, which came in second at 29%. That ranking surprises most people. Ask any new parent what they’re dreading financially, and childcare is usually the first word out of their mouth.

But the slow, steady drain of feeding a growing child and keeping a household stocked turns out to be the heavier burden for more families than any single line item on a daycare invoice.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 U.S. parents and caregivers documented exactly where the money goes — and how hard it hits. The results paint a detailed picture of what raising children actually costs, not what people expect it to cost. Those two numbers are rarely the same. Sixty-seven percent of parents said raising children is more expensive than they anticipated, with 38% saying it costs “much more” than expected and 29% saying “somewhat more.”

Here is how the biggest costs break down — ranked by what parents actually report.

No. 1: Food and Household Goods — The Relentless Daily Cost

Groceries and household supplies don’t arrive as a single large bill. They arrive every single week, which is part of what makes them so difficult to manage. Infant formula alone can run $150 to $300 per month depending on the brand and whether a child has dietary restrictions. Diapers add another $70 to $100 monthly for a newborn, and that cost persists for two to three years. Add wipes, baby wash, laundry detergent used in larger quantities, and food once a child starts eating solids, and the monthly total climbs fast.

As children grow older, the costs shift but don’t shrink. A school-age child eating three meals at home on weekends and after-school snacks throughout the week adds meaningful volume to a family’s grocery bill. By adolescence, food costs often peak. This is the cost category that compounds quietly over eighteen-plus years, which is why more parents cite it as their top financial pressure than any other single expense.

No. 2: Child Care — The Fixed Monthly Commitment

Childcare ranks second, cited by 29% of parents as a top cost — and for families currently paying for it, the numbers are striking. Fifty-four percent of surveyed parents are currently paying for childcare. Of those, 32% spend between 20% and 29% of their household income on it.

To put that in concrete terms: a family earning $80,000 per year could be spending $16,000 to $23,000 annually on childcare alone. Urban families often pay more. Full-time infant care in cities like Washington D.C., San Francisco, or New York can exceed $2,500 per month at licensed daycare centers. According to Child Care Aware of America, infant care costs have outpaced inflation in most states, making this a structural problem rather than a temporary budget squeeze.

Unlike groceries, childcare is a fixed commitment. Missing a payment means losing a spot. That inflexibility forces families to cut spending elsewhere, often in categories that affect long-term financial health.

No. 3: The Monthly Budget Overage That Catches Families Off Guard

Twenty-four percent of parents surveyed said their monthly spending increased by $1,000 or more after having children. That number tends to shock people who have spent time with a baby budget calculator — because the line items seem manageable until they aren’t.

What the calculators don’t capture is the friction cost of having children: the extra takeout order on a night when no one has time to cook, the last-minute clothing purchase when a child outgrows a size mid-season, the copay for a sick visit that wasn’t in the monthly plan. These are not irresponsible choices. They are the predictable unpredictability of raising a child, and they accumulate.

Forty-six percent of parents say child-related finances cause them stress always or usually. That sustained financial pressure affects decision-making across the board, including one of the most significant decisions a family can make: whether to have more children. Half of surveyed parents said they have delayed or avoided having additional children due to financial concerns.

No. 4: Child-Related Debt — When Costs Exceed What Savings Can Cover

Fifty-eight percent of parents have gone into debt — through credit cards or loans — to cover child-related expenses. That figure cuts across income levels and family structures. Debt is often the mechanism families use to bridge the gap between what childcare costs, what an emergency costs, and what their savings account holds.

Medical bills, unexpected childcare gaps, school supplies, extracurricular fees, and back-to-school shopping are among the most common debt triggers. Credit cards are the most accessible tool, which also makes them the most expensive over time. Carrying a $3,000 balance at a typical credit card interest rate can add hundreds of dollars in interest annually to a family’s cost burden.

Rocket Mortgage’s findings on family expenses also found that housing factors into the financial calculus significantly: 43% of parents said they needed more space after having children, and 41% cited the desire for homeownership stability as a priority. As the survey itself notes, this data suggests that many families still view a stable home as an important part of the American Dream, despite the financial challenges they may face to get there — and that aspiration is a meaningful motivator, not an obstacle.

No. 5: The Long Game — Education Savings

Sixty-one percent of parents are currently saving for future education costs, which signals both awareness and anxiety. College costs have risen sharply over the past two decades, and families are absorbing that pressure earlier and earlier.

The challenge is that education savings competes directly with current expenses. A family managing a $1,500 monthly childcare bill and a stretched grocery budget has limited capacity to fund a 529 plan consistently. Many parents manage it by saving small amounts regularly rather than waiting for surplus income — a reasonable approach, but one that requires the budget to have any room at all.

What the data ultimately shows is that no single cost dominates the family budget. It is the combination — food, childcare, monthly adjustments, debt management, and long-range savings goals — that shapes the overall picture. Understanding where each dollar goes is the first step toward managing it effectively.

References

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. (2017). Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015.

Child Care Aware of America. (2024). Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply. https://www.childcareaware.org/price-landscape24/

A few years ago, many cybersecurity teams treated security reviews like scheduled maintenance. Teams would perform assessments, review findings, fix identified issues, and revisit the environment later. That approach worked reasonably well during a time when business systems changed at a slower pace.

Today’s environments look completely different. Companies deploy code daily, connect new software platforms regularly, expand cloud resources constantly, and support employees working across offices, homes, and mobile devices. Security conditions can look different on Monday than they did on Friday.

However, this has changed how organizations think about protection. Security teams no longer want visibility limited to occasional checkpoints because threats do not wait for scheduled reviews. A new application can introduce risk overnight. A configuration change can expose sensitive systems within hours. An overlooked integration can create an opening that attackers discover long before a routine assessment takes place.

Continuous Validation

Many organizations have realized that security findings become outdated surprisingly fast. A clean assessment completed three months ago may say very little about current conditions if dozens of software updates, infrastructure changes, and new integrations have happened since then. Security teams increasingly want verification that reflects today’s environment rather than yesterday’s.

This need has increased interest in approaches that support ongoing evaluation. Continuous penetration testing helps organizations examine how defenses hold up as systems evolve throughout the year. Instead of treating testing as a standalone event, businesses increasingly view security validation as an ongoing activity that keeps pace with operational changes. The goal is to gain confidence that protections remain effective even as applications, cloud resources, and business processes continue changing.

Faster Vulnerability Detection

One of the biggest advantages of continuous monitoring comes from speed. Cybersecurity teams know that the earlier a weakness is discovered, the easier it often becomes to manage. Problems identified shortly after they appear typically require far less effort than issues that remain hidden for extended periods.

Modern organizations release updates frequently, which creates opportunities for new vulnerabilities to emerge between traditional assessments. Continuous monitoring helps security teams notice unusual activity, unexpected system behavior, and newly introduced weaknesses much earlier. Rather than waiting weeks or months for the next review, organizations can identify concerns while they are still relatively contained.

Digital Asset Visibility

Many businesses operate in environments that grow and change constantly. New devices connect to networks. Employees adopt new applications. Departments subscribe to cloud services independently. Development teams launch new resources whenever projects require them. After a while, keeping track of everything becomes surprisingly difficult.

Continuous monitoring provides visibility across those moving parts. Security teams can observe changes as they happen and maintain a more comprehensive understanding of what exists inside the environment. This awareness matters because unknown assets often create security challenges. A forgotten application, an overlooked device, or an unmanaged cloud resource can become an attractive target simply because nobody is actively watching it. Continuous visibility helps reduce those blind spots and supports stronger oversight across increasingly complex digital environments.

Cloud Security Oversight

Cloud environments have given organizations remarkable flexibility, though they have introduced new security responsibilities as well. Resources can be deployed within minutes. Teams can expand infrastructure quickly. Services can be activated across multiple regions with very little effort. While those capabilities support business growth, they can make security oversight far more challenging.

Continuous monitoring helps organizations maintain awareness across cloud environments that rarely stay the same for long. Security teams gain insight into changes, configurations, and activity occurring across cloud resources without relying solely on periodic reviews. This ongoing visibility becomes especially valuable for businesses operating large cloud environments where dozens of changes may happen every day.

Ongoing Threat Visibility

Cybersecurity programs increasingly prioritize ongoing threat visibility because modern attacks rarely announce themselves clearly from the beginning. Suspicious activity may start with subtle changes, unusual login attempts, or unexpected system behavior that appears insignificant on its own. Such early signs can go unnoticed if organizations only examine their environments occasionally.

Continuous monitoring allows security teams to observe activity over time and identify patterns that might otherwise remain hidden. Instead of relying on isolated reviews, organizations gain a running view of what is happening across networks, applications, devices, and cloud services. Such a broader perspective helps teams investigate concerns sooner, understand evolving risks more clearly, and make decisions using current information rather than historical snapshots.

Faster Incident Response

Speed matters enormously during cybersecurity incidents. Once suspicious activity begins, every minute spent figuring out what happened can increase the impact of the situation. Traditional review models sometimes leave security teams working with limited information because visibility depends heavily on scheduled assessments and historical reports.

Continuous monitoring helps reduce that delay by providing ongoing awareness of activity across systems and networks. Security teams can often spot unusual behavior much earlier and begin investigating before problems spread further. Faster awareness supports quicker containment, better decision-making, and a more organized response process.

Multi-Platform Visibility

Most organizations no longer operate from a single network or location. Business operations may involve cloud services, internal systems, remote employees, mobile devices, third-party platforms, and software applications spread across multiple environments. Each connection creates another area that requires attention.

Continuous monitoring improves visibility across those environments by providing a broader view of activity occurring throughout the organization. Security teams can follow connections between systems, identify unusual behavior across platforms, and understand how different technologies interact.

Configuration Management

Many security problems do not start with sophisticated attacks. They begin with simple mistakes. An incorrect permission setting, an exposed storage bucket, a forgotten administrative account, or a poorly configured application can create opportunities that attackers later exploit.

Continuous security models help identify those issues before they become major concerns. Instead of waiting for periodic reviews to discover configuration problems, organizations can monitor environments regularly and flag unexpected changes much sooner. This approach allows teams to correct mistakes while they are still relatively small and manageable. In many cases, preventing a problem is far less disruptive than responding to one after it has already caused damage.

Expanding Attack Surfaces

Every new application, connected device, cloud service, remote worker, and third-party integration increases the size of an organization’s digital footprint. Businesses benefit from those technologies, though they also create additional areas that require protection. Cybersecurity teams now manage environments that are far larger and more connected than they were just a decade ago.

This growth has encouraged around-the-clock observation because risks can emerge from many different directions. A security approach designed for smaller, more contained environments often struggles once dozens of systems interact continuously.

Cybersecurity programs are moving toward continuous monitoring because modern digital environments rarely stay still. Applications change, cloud resources expand, users connect from different locations, and new technologies enter business operations constantly. Traditional security reviews still provide value, though many organizations now recognize that occasional assessments alone cannot provide the visibility needed for today’s conditions.

Coding has quietly become one of the most valuable skills a child can develop, and the options for learning it have never been better. But with so many platforms, apps, subscriptions, and live class programs competing for your attention, it can be genuinely difficult to know where to start.

This guide cuts through the noise. We’ve rounded up the best coding classes for kids across different ages, learning styles, and budgets – with a particular eye on what safety-conscious parents actually need to know before signing their child up.

Why Coding Classes (Not Just Apps) Make a Difference

There’s no shortage of free coding apps and browser games for kids. Many of them are genuinely good as an introduction. But there’s a meaningful difference between an app that teaches isolated puzzles and a structured coding class that builds real skills progressively.

The best coding classes offer:

• A curriculum with clear progression from one concept to the next
• Feedback either from a live teacher or an adaptive learning system
• Projects that feel meaningful to the child (games, apps, animations)
• A safe online environment with appropriate supervision and privacy protections

That last point matters more than most review articles acknowledge. When your child is learning online, the platform they’re using should meet the same standards you’d apply to any other children’s digital product: strong privacy policies, no unnecessary data collection, age-appropriate content, and clear parental controls.

What to Look for Before Signing Up

Before diving into specific recommendations, here are the key questions to ask about any coding class:

Is it age-appropriate? A platform designed for 14-year-olds will frustrate a 7-year-old. Look for programs that segment by age or skill level, not just “kids.”

Is there a free trial? Quality programs offer one. If a platform asks you to commit financially before your child has tried a single session, that’s a red flag.

What’s the privacy policy? For younger children especially, check whether the platform collects personal data, whether accounts require an email, and whether your child’s projects or profile are publicly visible by default.

Is there a real teacher or is it fully self-paced? Both formats have their place, but for younger children and beginners, live instruction tends to produce faster, more confident results.

What will they actually build? Coding education that results in a finished game, animation, or app is far more motivating than one that results in passing a quiz.

The Best Coding Classes for Kids

1. Codeyoung – Best Overall Coding Class for Kids

Best for: Ages 5–16, all skill levels
Format: Live online classes (1-on-1 and small group)
Price: From $22 per class
Free trial: Yes

Codeyoung sits at the top of this list because it solves the biggest problem with most kids’ coding education: the absence of a real teacher.

Most platforms are self-paced, which works well for motivated, independent learners. But for younger children, beginners, or kids who tend to lose interest in solo screen activities, self-paced coding apps often lead to one or two sessions and then nothing. Codeyoung’s live class model addresses this directly. Your child has a scheduled session with a qualified mentor who responds to them in real time, adjusts the pace when something isn’t clicking, and celebrates their progress.

The curriculum is structured and progressive. Younger kids (ages 5–9) start with Scratch, MIT’s block-based coding environment, where they drag and drop colourful code blocks to create games and animations – no typing required. As they advance, they move into text-based programming with Python, web development, and even Generative AI concepts for older learners.

From a safety perspective, Codeyoung’s live class model also means a real adult is present in every session. There are no public community forums, no open chat between unknown users, and no exposure to unmoderated content. For parents who want their child to learn online but are cautious about unsupervised digital environments, this is a meaningful advantage.

Codeyoung is STEM.org accredited, which signals that the curriculum has been reviewed and verified against educational standards – not just assembled for marketing purposes. The platform has a 4.5+ rating on Google and is designed to cater to international school systems.

Book a free trial class before committing. The first session is complimentary, and it’s the most reliable way to find out whether your child takes to the format.

Parent verdict: The live teacher model is what sets Codeyoung apart. If your child has drifted away from self-paced coding apps, or if you want their screen time to be genuinely supervised and structured, this is the class to try first.

2. Scratch – Best Free Starting Point

Best for: Ages 6–16, creative learners
Format: Browser-based, self-paced
Price: Free
Free trial: N/A (fully free)

Developed by MIT’s Media Lab, Scratch is the most widely used coding platform for children in the world and it earns that status. The drag-and-drop interface lets kids build games, animations, and interactive stories by snapping together colourful code blocks. The learning curve is gentle, the feedback is immediate, and there’s a large online community where kids can share what they’ve built.

On the safety front, Scratch has invested significantly in its community moderation. New accounts require an email address for registration, and there are clear community guidelines. Public projects can be viewed and “remixed” by other users, so parents should be aware that their child’s work is visible to the Scratch community by default – though usernames can be anonymised, and profile information is minimal.

The limitation of Scratch is the absence of structure. There’s no teacher, no curriculum guiding progression, and no one checking in. For motivated, self-directed kids it can be wonderfully open-ended. For kids who need direction, it can feel overwhelming or lead to repetitive, shallow projects. If you’re wondering which programming language to introduce after Scratch, this guide to the best coding languages for kids in 2026 offers a clear, age-by-age breakdown of where to go next.

Parent verdict: An excellent free option, especially as a complement to a structured class. Best for curious kids who like to explore independently.

3. Code.org – Best Free Structured Programme

Best for: Ages 4–18, school-aligned learning
Format: Browser-based, self-paced
Price: Free
Free trial: N/A (fully free)

Code.org is a non-profit whose mission is to expand access to computer science education. Their courses are organised by age group, beginning with pre-reader-friendly content for children as young as four. The earliest courses use audio instructions and visual-only navigation, making them genuinely accessible to children who aren’t yet reading confidently.

The content is thoughtfully produced. Many courses feature characters from Minecraft, Frozen, and Star Wars to make the coding context immediately engaging. Their Hour of Code initiative has introduced over a billion students to programming concepts worldwide.

Code.org has strong privacy credentials. The platform is compliant with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) and GDPR, doesn’t serve advertising, and doesn’t sell user data. Parent and teacher accounts can monitor progress without requiring children to create their own email accounts.

Parent verdict: The most trustworthy free, structured option. Particularly strong for primary school-age children and families who want curriculum-aligned learning that mirrors what schools use.

4. Tynker – Best for Game-Motivated Kids

Best for: Ages 5–18
Format: Self-paced, browser and app-based
Price: Free to start; paid plans from around $20/month
Free trial: Yes (limited free content)

Tynker wraps coding education inside game-like experiences that younger kids find immediately compelling. The platform offers block-based coding for beginners, transitioning to Python and JavaScript for more advanced learners. For Minecraft fans, Tynker’s Minecraft-themed coding projects are a reliable hook for kids who might otherwise resist sitting down with an educational platform.

Tynker’s privacy practices are solid. The platform is COPPA-compliant, and parents can set up a child account linked to their own without requiring a child email address. Progress is trackable through a parent dashboard.

The free tier is limited, and unlocking the majority of content requires a paid subscription. The paid plan is reasonable for the volume of content available, but it’s worth taking advantage of the free content first to confirm your child’s interest before committing.

Parent verdict: Reliable, engaging, and safe. The Minecraft integration is one of the most effective ways to get a resistant child interested in coding.

5. Khan Academy – Best Free Option

Best for: Ages 8+
Format: Self-paced, browser-based
Price: Completely free
Free trial: N/A (fully free)

Khan Academy’s computer science courses don’t get as much attention as their maths and science content, but they’re good as well. The platform teaches JavaScript, HTML/CSS, SQL, and computer programming fundamentals through interactive exercises and video explanations.

Khan Academy’s privacy standards are among the best of any educational platform. It is a registered non-profit, collects no advertising data, and has been independently reviewed for compliance with children’s privacy laws globally. Parent accounts allow full oversight of a child’s activity and progress.

The limitation for younger children is that Khan Academy’s coding content is better suited to ages 8 and up. IIt assumes a level of reading and abstract thinking that most 5–7 year olds aren’t yet ready for. For older children and teens, however, it’s one of the most academically rigorous free resources available.

Parent verdict: Excellent for older kids and teens, particularly those preparing for GCSE or A-Level Computing. Unmatched privacy credentials.

6. Tinkercad – Best for Creative, Hardware-Curious Kids

Best for: Ages 8–16
Format: Browser-based, self-paced
Price: Free
Free trial: N/A (fully free)

Tinkercad is a free browser-based platform from Autodesk that covers 3D design, electronics, and crucially, code blocks. It introduces coding through visual programming linked to real-world outputs: kids can design a circuit and write simple code to make an LED blink, or design a 3D object and understand the logic behind its construction.

For children who are drawn to making physical things, or who find purely screen-based coding abstract, Tinkercad offers a compelling bridge between coding and the tangible world.

Privacy-wise, the platform is COPPA-compliant and allows teacher or parent-managed accounts for under-13s. Public sharing of designs is optional, not default.

Parent verdict: A distinctive option for creative, hands-on kids. Less suitable as a first coding introduction, but excellent once a child has basic familiarity with programming concepts.

7. CodeMonkey – Best for Younger Beginners

Best for: Ages 5–14
Format: Browser-based, self-paced
Price: From $4/month (home plans)
Free trial: Yes

CodeMonkey starts with its “Jr.” programme for children aged 4–6, using simple sequencing puzzles to introduce the concept of giving a computer step-by-step instructions. As kids advance, the platform introduces CoffeeScript and eventually HTML and CSS. The game-based format maintains engagement through clear levels, visible progress, and rewards.

The platform is well suited to the lower end of this age range. The earliest levels require no reading and are navigated entirely visually. Parent accounts provide progress tracking, and the platform is COPPA-compliant.

Parent verdict: A gentle, well-paced entry point for younger children who aren’t ready for more complex platforms. Pairs well with Codeyoung’s live classes once a child has the basics.

How to Choose the Right Coding Class for Your Child

Different children respond to different formats. Here’s a practical framework:

If your child…	Try…
Learns best with a real teacher	Codeyoung
Is self-directed and loves to create	Scratch
Needs curriculum structure, free	Code.org
Is obsessed with Minecraft or gaming	Tynker
Is 8+ and academically motivated	Khan Academy
Likes building physical or 3D things	Tinkercad
Is 5–6 and just getting started	CodeMonkey

A few practical tips before you decide:

Start with a free trial. Every paid platform on this list offers one. Take advantage before committing to any subscription.

Sit with your child for the first session. Not to help, but to observe. You’ll quickly see whether the format holds their attention, whether the content is at the right level, and whether they’re likely to come back.

Don’t invest in annual subscriptions upfront. Monthly billing gives you the flexibility to switch if something isn’t working. Many platforms offer a discount for annual payment. It’s worth waiting until you’ve confirmed your child is engaged before taking it.

A Note on Screen Time and Online Safety

Coding education is screen time but it’s productive screen time with a clear learning outcome. Most child development experts draw a distinction between passive consumption (watching videos, scrolling social media) and active creation (building, making, solving problems). Coding firmly belongs in the second category.

That said, reasonable limits still apply. For primary school-age children, 30–45 minutes per coding session is typically enough to maintain focus and enjoyment without fatigue. Older children can sustain longer sessions, particularly when working on a project they’re invested in.

On safety specifically: the platforms listed above all have solid privacy policies and appropriate measures for children’s accounts. Still, as with any online activity, it’s good practice to:

• Create accounts using a parent email address for children under 13
• Review what your child is building and sharing
• Know whether their projects are public or private by default
• Keep an open conversation going about their experience online

Coding education should expand your child’s world safely, confidently, and with you in the loop.

Final Thoughts

The best coding class for your child is the one they’ll actually stick with. For some kids, that’s a self-paced game on a free platform. For others, it’s a live class with a teacher who knows their name and celebrates when they finally get their animation to work.

If you’re not sure where to begin at home before committing to a class, Codeyoung’s guide to teaching kids to code at home is a practical starting point for parents with no technical background. And once you’re ready to explore paid options, start with a free trial. The first class is free. From there, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what format works best for them.

Whichever route you choose, starting early pays dividends. The logical thinking, problem-solving, and creative confidence that come from learning to code are skills that transfer well beyond the screen and they compound over time.

Well, it’s actually two things.  1. Buy a paper shredder.  2. Shred your mail or any document with personal information. Before recycling, most paper went in the black bags and disposed of in a local dump.  One might think that the odds of someone breaking into the dump and going through bags to find the identity of people would be slim to none.

Regardless of the actual risk of your identity sitting in a city dump, these days recycled paper ends up at a recycling facility.  Blue bags or bins are emptied out onto a conveyor belt and sorted by workers.  Now, think of how easy it would be for one of these workers to spot a piece of mail or document with someone’s full name and address on it.  It would only take a second to slip that paper into their pocket. There begins the paper trail of your identity, or the identity of a family member, being stolen.

In reality, the paper trail starts at home.   And let’s be clear, neither discarding personal documents in a black bag or blue bag is safe.

Identity Theft Not Just From Data Breaches

When most people think of identity theft, they think of data breaches. This is when hackers infiltrate large corporations and steal the personal information of thousands, or even millions, of people at once. That stolen data is then sold on the dark web to identity thieves.  They use it to open credit cards, take out loans, or file fraudulent tax returns in your name. It’s a very real threat, and the scale of it can feel overwhelming and out of your control.

But not all identity theft is orchestrated by sophisticated cybercriminals operating from across the globe. Sometimes the threat is much closer to home.

Your Recycling Bin Could Be a Goldmine for Thieves

Local identity theft is more common than most people realize. A discarded bank statement, a pre-approved credit card offer, or an explanation of benefits from your insurance company contains enough information for someone to do serious damage.

Unlike a data breach that requires technical expertise, stealing from a recycling bin or a trash bag requires nothing more than opportunity. It can happen on your street, in your neighborhood, or at a local facility. It could even be carried out by someone you may even recognize.

A shredder eliminates that opportunity entirely. For less than the cost of a dinner out, you can make your personal documents completely worthless to anyone who might find them. Remember, children and teens are also at risk of having their identity stolen.

What Documents Should You Be Shredding?

Most people know they should shred obvious things like bank statements and tax returns, but the list of documents that can put you at risk is longer than you might think. A pre-approved credit card offer that arrives in the mail has enough information on it for a thief to activate the card on your behalf.

An explanation of benefits from your health insurance company contains your policy number and personal details. Even a simple piece of junk mail addressed to you confirms your full name and address, which is often all someone needs to start piecing together your identity.

Here is a general rule of thumb: if a document has your name and address on it, shred it. If it has any account numbers, policy numbers, or financial information, shred it without question. When in doubt, run it through the shredder. The few seconds it takes is a small price to pay for the peace of mind it provides.

Don’t Forget About Your Family Members

This is where many people drop the ball. You might be diligent about shredding your own documents, but what about the mail that arrives for your spouse, your children, or an elderly parent who lives with you?

Identity thieves do not discriminate by age. In fact, children and seniors are often targeted precisely because their credit histories are either clean or rarely monitored. A child’s Social Security number can be used for years before anyone notices, and by the time they apply for their first credit card or student loan, the damage is already done. Make shredding a household habit, not just a personal one.