As much offline fun as Xbox 360 has to offer, Xbox LIVE is really where the action's at, from multiplayer games to exclusive downloadable content.

As a parent, you should know that Xbox 360 offers a wealth of Family Settings. Your kids can enjoy Xbox LIVE while you rest easy knowing that they will only encounter games, players, and activities that you deem appropriate—even when they're playing on a friend's system.

You and your child can create an Xbox LIVE child membership on the Xbox 360 console or on the Web at Xbox.com. Your child will set some preferences; you will control the safety settings and membership level.

To create an Xbox LIVE child membership on the Xbox 360 console:

1. On the Xbox 360 console, go to My Xbox and open the child's profile.
2. Select Join Xbox LIVE and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. The child will enter his or her account information, including an age and an e-mail address.
   Notes
   • Make sure your child puts in his or her correct age. The Family Settings are all tied to the child's age.
   • If your child does not have an e-mail address, you can help him or her create a Windows Live Hotmail account for free.
4. After your child finishes the previous step, you'll be prompted to take over. You'll create your own account so that you can control what your child can and can't do when using Xbox LIVE.
   Note If you don't have an e-mail address, you can create a Windows Live Hotmail account for free.
5. The Family Settings you choose will control a wide range of safety settings, including how much time your child can spend playing on Xbox LIVE, who your child can communicate with, what kinds of games your child can play, and whether or not your child can download new games. For more information, see Family Settings.
6. Next you'll choose the kind of membership you want your child to have. The information on the screen describes the features and costs of each option.
   Note If you choose a Gold membership, your credit card will be charged. If you choose a Silver membership (which is free), then your credit card will only be used to verify your identity, but won't be charged.
7. After you choose a membership, your child will be asked to choose a Gamertag (name) and avatar (an animated character that represents your child online). Once your child finishes those steps, he or she can play on Xbox LIVE right away—after thanking you for your help, of course.

To create an Xbox LIVE child membership on Xbox.com:

1. On Xbox.com, go to the Join Xbox LIVE page.
2. The child will enter their e-mail address in the Join Xbox LIVE section. Select Join Now.
   Note If your child does not have an e-mail address, you can help them create a Windows Live Hotmail account for free.
3. The child will fill in the required fields on the Welcome to Xbox LIVE page.
   Note Make sure your child enters his or her correct age. The Family Settings are all tied to the child's age.
4. When all required fields have been filled in, select I Accept to agree to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and Privacy Statement, and proceed.
5. After your child finishes the previous step, you'll be prompted to take over. You'll create your own account so that you can control what your child can and can't do when using Xbox LIVE. The parent will enter their email address on the Parental Approval Required page.
   Note If you do not have an email address, you can create a Windows Live Hotmail account for free.
6. The parent will fill in the required fields on the Parent Account page. When all required fields have been filled in, select I Accept to agree to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and Privacy Statement, and proceed.
7. The parent will enter their credit card details on the Parent Age Verification page. Note Your credit card will not be charged at this time.
8. Select Create. The parent will configure the Family Settings they wish to apply to their child’s account on the Family Settings page. The Family Settings you choose will control a wide range of safety settings, including how much time your child can spend playing on Xbox LIVE, who your child can communicate with, what kinds of games your child can play, and whether or not your child can download new games. For more information, see Family Settings.
9. Select Apply.
10. On the Welcome to Xbox LIVE page, select Done. Note In order for your child to use their new Xbox LIVE account to sign into LIVE on the Xbox 360 console, you will need to complete the Gamertag Recovery feature on the console..