Facebook.

The very word strikes fear into the hearts of parents like you everywhere. Isn’t that the place where Chris Hansen tries to catch predators? Didn’t Kimmy down the street have her ex-boyfriend, a Hells Angel whom she met online, post naked pictures of her up on her “wall” when they broke up? Really?

Don’t worry, because the Daily Wildcat has created this handy-dandy guide for how to set up and use Facebook to stay in your son or daughter’s life. It turns out it’s not quite the terrible thing it appears to be.

First, set up a profile.

This takes very little time, as all you really need is a functioning email address. If you’ve just discovered the Internet, Gmail and Yahoo are two of many sites that hand those out for free like lonely people hand out pithy cards on Valentine’s Day.

Once finished, take the time to actually enter some information about yourself.

As a general rule, try not to put up too much personal info; if you don’t want to submit all the trees in your yard to toilet paper attacks again when your son’s friends add you as a Facebook friend, it’s probably best not to put up your address.

For the love of all that’s holy, add a picture or several.

Hard to believe, I know, but there really is more than one “Samantha Johnson” in the universe. Pictures help identify and keep different people straight; you wouldn’t want your daughter confusing her dear, loving mother with some catty girl in another sorority, now would you?

After you’re done, check to see if any of the people you know personally are on Facebook.

If so, add them as a friend by pressing the button at the top of their profile. Doing this gives you a chance to look as though you have your own life and arrived fashionably late to the Facebook party, without looking as though you’re there just to stalk your child … though, of course, that will still be your main priority.

All right, here’s the biggest step: Add your son or daughter as a Facebook friend.

If they accept you, feel free to go the extra click and add them to Facebook’s newly implemented “lists.” Pro Tip: If you add them to your “Close Friends” list, Facebook will give you some help and notify you every time they do anything at all. Annoying? Perhaps for a slacker parent, but certainly helpful for you.

Though Facebook can appear intimidating to the uninitiated, the actual experience boasts a user-friendly interface and an easy way to keep in touch with anyone you care about. Beyond just that, it offers a way to contact people you’ve lost touch with over the years. If you’re dealing with empty nest syndrome now that your kids have left home, there’s never been a better time to light your social life back up. Even if you don’t add your children, Facebook’s benefits far outweigh its negative qualities.