The internet has changed all of our lives, particularly our children’s. For parents and carers this opens up a whole new world of things to be aware of. For many of us, this can all be a bit too much.

You might be struggling to keep up with the things your child is doing online, you might wonder whether what they are doing is safe, and you might also be thinking how can I be as good a parent online as I am offline?

The ThinkuKnow website is really helpful and aims to make online parenting simple and offers many practical tips and simple guidance.

Talk to your child about what they’re up to online.

• The Thinkuknow site has films, games and advice for children from five all the way to 16.

Encourage your child to go online and explore!

• There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.

Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online.

• Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.

Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world.

Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.

Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space.

• For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.

Know what connects to the internet and how.

• Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety setting you set are being applied.

Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet.

• Such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly. Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls.

NSPCC’s Net Aware provides guidance to parents on social networking sites, apps and games which children use and how to keep their children safe in today’s digital world. It can be accessed via https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ . Given that many such new sites constantly appear, this website can be quite useful to stay up to date and keep children safe.

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/staying-safe-ps4-advice-parents-and-carers

https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/gaming-consoles/xbox-one-and-xbox-one-s-guide/

NSPCC have joined forces with O2 to help parents explore and understand online life as children know it and I had previously shared information about their website. The NSPCC and O2’s Net Aware site and app have now been updated with all-new reviews from parents and young people. It provides online safety information and advice on privacy settings and other features, as well as recommended age guidance and risk ratings for inappropriate content. Net Aware is a tool for parents or anyone working with children, who want to better understand what young people are doing online. You may find it useful and share it with your parents/carers. Please click https://net-aware.org.uk/

The thinkuknow website has lots of handy information for specific audiences. Click the links below to access their pages.

Are you…

5-10 years old? 

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/4_7/

8-10 years old?

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/

Parents/Carers?

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/

Please click on the links below for more…

Parenting in the 21st Century –     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyzokhRfRJA

Filter and settings  –  http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/0/22728225

Home without control –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IOOn2wR8bU