Ep #154: Keeping kids safe online

Kids are growing up with access to online, and parents must help them navigate that safely.  A one-size-fits-all approach to internet safety and usage isn't realistic. Your child's age and needs should determine screen time and internet usage and recommend using the same rules to both your child's online and virtual environment.  Parents should be monitoring what their child is doing online.  You should be familiar with what apps, games, and websites they are visiting and what they are teaching. There are a lot of apps and articles that can give parents an idea of what their child is doing online. One we recommend is Common Sense Media.  Parents can find additional app recommendations in the show notes at SmarterParenting.com As they grow, how they interact with apps and online may change. It's essential to have continued conversations about what is appropriate and inappropriate. Effective Communication allows both parents and children to have meaningful, healthy, and productive discussions regarding time limits, usage, and how they spend their time online, creating healthy digital literacy.  As technology becomes more ingrained in our lives, the recommendation for a child's use of technology has changed and will continue to change. What type of media your child is accessing is more important than how long they are accessing it. For example, it's better for a child to play an interactive learning game for three hours than playing a non-learning game for an hour. While thinking about everything you need to teach your child about online safety may feel overwhelming, remember you don't need to teach everything all at once. It would be best if you were having ongoing conversations that you adjust and revisit as needed. You can do this!  For more information about online safety, don't forget to check out this episode's notes on SmarterParenting.com