Let's face it, these days you can barely pay your electric bill without internet access - it's fast become considered an essential and this reliance on online services is only something that is going to continue to grow. For that reason, it's really important that children are taught how to use the internet safely and responsibly.
It can be easy to simply say that you won't let your children use the internet until they are old enough to do so, but with the internet full of great children's TV and videos you will probably find it hard to keep them off the internet forever.
Using The Internet Responsibly
Definitely place a limit on who they can speak to online - we all know that not everyone online is who they say they are and this is most certainly something worth teaching to your children too! When they are very small a ban on speaking to anyone online is a good idea! Once this gets harder to maintain education around what to share online, what details to keep to yourself and even things like sharing your location when you are somewhere is a good idea. At the end of the day, children are going to want to use the internet so ensuring that they know how to use it safely and the reasons why you have these rules in place is essential.
Setting Boundaries
We're probably all a little guilty of using the internet too much in a day, scrolling through Instagram at night when you can't sleep etc - It is really important that we do what we can to ensure that children don't pick up these same habits. It is a good idea to set boundaries on when they can use the internet - for example, only when they are in the living room with everyone else or only for a set amount of time each day. Encouraging homework and household chores first is good too - being able to earn time on the internet for helping around the house can be really useful.
If you have any ideas or thoughts on internet safety for kids then feel free to share them below
Post a Comment