An online e-mail account is convenient because you can set it up and access it from any computer -- and delete messages you don't want your child to see from any computer, too. While there are many online e-mail providers to choose from, Gmail is my choice because it's easy to set up, has a nice uncluttered inbox, offers a large amount of storage for old messages, and gives your child access to other cool tools like a customizable search page, document creator, and calendar. Go to
mail.google.com and click on "Sign up for Gmail."