In the digital age, stranger danger has spread from the streets to the devices we hold in our hands, so raising children who can recognise and respond to online threats should be a priority. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with concern for your child’s safety online and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. In fact, 85.8% of respondents in the latest Choosi survey agreed that they’re concerned about online security and privacy.
We spoke to Ruth Dearing, Peaceful Digital Parenting expert, and mother of two herself, who wrote the #1 international best-seller, ‘How to Keep Your Children Safe Online’ for her top tips on how to educate your kids about online security and teach them the skills they need to stay safe online.
Communicate and Educate
Communication is key. Speak regularly with your children about how they use the internet, the dangers of the online world and the potential consequences if they’re not careful. The point is to educate them on the dangers but also make them feel comfortable talking to you about the Internet, so if there’s a problem they’ll feel comfortable talking to you about it.
This may involve talking about real life examples you’ve heard about in the news, asking your child about their own activity on social media, showing them examples of inappropriate sites they should avoid, or just talking about the different types of online dangers that exist.
Topics you should educate your child about may include:
- Cyberbullying: Communicating why words hurt and how to be a good friend online
- Online predators: How they disguise themselves and what to do if your child feels unsafe
- Unsuitable websites: Anything that exposes them to violence, pornography, bullying or behaviour that they may regret in the future.
Teach By Example
Kids do what they see, not what they’re told. Especially if your child is a visual learner, showing them how to create a safe online environment will help them understand better.
It’s never too early to show kids how to lock devices and avoid unwanted downloads. When it comes to tweens and teens, financial scamming and online bullying pose the greatest risks.
Sit down with your kids and help them set up their social media accounts. Explain how privacy settings work and the importance of secure passwords, as well as the risks of bad password management. Online awareness won’t just happen overnight. However, take heart in knowing that it will build up with supervision from an early age and when you demonstrate safe online behaviour in a simple and practical way.
If you’re going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk. Lead by example by showing your children how you practice online safety when you’re on social media or on the internet.
Use Analogies
If your child is having difficulty understanding the importance of safe online behaviour try using analogies, whether it’s bedtime stories, TV shows, fairy tales, cartoons or movies. They’re much more likely to understand the connection between actions and reactions if they mirror stories that are already familiar to them.
Think Little Red Riding Hood, where she meets the Big Bad Wolf and tells him where she is going. As a consequence, the wolf goes ahead and waits for Little Red Riding Hood at her Granny’s place. You can use this analogy and relate the Big Bad Wolf to an online stranger that might ask your child where they’re going or where they live.
Keep It Light-Hearted And Fun
Online safety can be a boring topic for kids to learn, making it hard for you as a parent to get your child engaged and listen to what you’re trying to teach them. There are several different types of resources online aimed to teach kids about online safety in a fun and entertaining environment. A quick search will return comics, apps, games, e-learning platforms and more.
Follow up with a casual discussion about what they learnt. They’ll love it if you ask them to teach you more about it. Ask if you can play two-player in the game or app or even ask them to read the comic strip to you.
Enforce Boundaries
It’s a good idea to set strict rules around device time and internet usage the moment your children start engaging with personal technology. Limit their use until they can manage their own screen time appropriately, and only allow greater access after they can prove to you they’ve understood the safety lessons you’ve shared with them.
For young children, create separate profiles on your devices to limit what apps or websites they can access. As they get older and demonstrate the ability to browse online, you can consider giving them more control. However, make sure the rules remain in place and that everyone is clear what the consequences are of breaking those rules. It’s not just about the trouble they’ll be in, but more so the consequences of dangerous online behaviour. Your children need to acquire a good understanding of how they will personally benefit from following the rules.
