Keep your children safe online
Keep Your Children Safe
In today’s digital world, it’s all too easy for children to come into contact with strangers online, and it’s important to ensure that our children understand the risks associated with this.
Here are 5 simple tips that parents can use to help their children stay safe online:
1. No ‘Stranger’ Friends Online
It’s important to talk to your children about the dangers of speaking to strangers online and encourage them to be aware of who they are talking to. Reinforce the message that if someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or scared, they should tell you or another trusted adult immediately..
2. Advise them to NEVER to give out personal info
Advise your children to never give out personal information such as their address, phone number, or social media accounts to anyone online.
3. Build trust so they confide in you
Remind your children that if someone online makes them feel uncomfortable or scared, they should tell you or another trusted adult immediately.
4. Warn about opening files from strangers
Make sure your children understand the importance of not clicking on unknown links or downloading any files from people they don’t know.
5. Remind them NEVER to meet stranger…
Remind your children that they should never meet up with anyone they’ve met online, no matter how well they may know them. This could be a way for someone to gain access to their personal information.
Conclusion – Practice
Parents can help children develop these skills by providing them with opportunities to practice. For example, parents can encourage children to practice their conversational skills by talking about their day with them or by engaging in conversations about current events or topics of interest.
Parents can also give children choices to help them practice making decisions, such as which activity to do or what to have for dinner.
In addition, parents can help children develop their critical thinking skills by asking open-ended questions or discussing solutions to problems with them.
They can also provide age-appropriate books or games that help children practice thinking logically or reasoning through problems.
Finally, parents can model good communication and decision-making skills for their children, so that they can learn by example.
By taking these steps, parents can ensure that their children stay safe online and develop the skills necessary to make good decisions.
