3 top tips for parents to help their children to stay safer online.

This week saw Safer internet Day 2021 take place, and so we at My Primary Tutor thought it might be a good idea to write this week’s blog with that in mind!

As such we have come up with our top tips for parents and carers to support their children as they venture into the online world – how to help them understand the dangers – as well as the wonders – that are out there!

Communication is Key

In an ideal world, our children will be able to come and talk to us when they are feeling worried about anything, especially something that they have found online. Unfortunately, teenagers can be extremely secretive, especially if they think they might have done something wrong! The best way to try and combat this is to encourage communication about what children have been doing online and to try to listen to what we are told with open hearts and as little judgement as possible. If we start this early, hopefully, our children will know that no matter what they encounter on the internet (and in the world around them), they can speak to their parents in safety.

Ask them questions about what they’ve been doing (in the spirit of enquiry rather than interrogation) and find out what they enjoy, what they don’t like, what they find hard, what they wish they could do…

Set an example

When you see a fake news story or get sent a phishing email (assuming the content is appropriate) share the experience with your child, and tell them what you did. The earlier children become aware that not everything they see on the internet is necessarily true, and the more ways they know of fact-checking, the more likely they are to use these strategies as they themselves move into the online world.

Know where to seek help

The online world moves quickly, and it is almost impossible for adults to keep up with the latest social media craze for adolescents, or to know about what games they are playing etc. The best we can hope for is to know where to go to find out more information and to try to stay up to date. At my Primary Tutor, we love Think U Know. Not only does it have resources for children of all ages (including some fantastic videos you can watch with your primary aged child), but it also has a wealth of information for parents and carers. Best of all, it is linked to CEOP (The UK Police branch of Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command), so you can be certain that the advice you are getting is backed by bodies who are in the know.

Keep an eye on our social media this week – we’ll be linking resources and games that we think you might enjoy with your child.

As ever, don’t forget that if you are in need of assistance, or would like more information about this topic, you can always contact us on myprimarytutor@yahoo.com