The thought of all the possible things your child could stumble upon online is nothing short of terrifying for a parent. In today’s day and age where information is so freely and easily accessible to all of us with the infiltration of smart devices in our everyday lives, internet safety becomes a very real concern. Some of the best IGCSE schools in Bangalore are even holding talks and internet safety sessions for students and parents to spread awareness regarding cyber safety.
Read further for our top tips to ensure a positive online experience for you and your child:
- Discover together
When your child is getting started on his/her internet journey, be there to introduce and explain the internet to them. For both you and your child, it would be advantageous to discover and explore the internet together. Look for websites that are exciting and interesting to the both of you, so that you have a fun experience and develop a positive attitude towards the internet together.
- Lay down ground rules
Talk with your child to agree on some basic internet safety rules.
Here are some to get the conversation started:
- Discuss acceptable internet usage timings
- Agree on how to treat disclosing personal information (name, age, address etc.)
- Discuss etiquette of online communication and messaging
- Agree on the type of sites and activities that are OK or not OK in the family
It is good to have an open and non-judgmental conversation about this with your kids, but remember that modeling all these rules for them will be the most impactful way to get them to abiding by the rules.
- Teach your child how to treat information they find online
Most children use the internet to research and learn for schoolwork and personal interests. However children should be made aware that not all information found online is correct. Your child will benefit from checking for information credibility by comparing it to alternative sources on the same topic.
- Refrain from being too critical towards your child’s exploration of the net
Children may come across adult material by accident on the web. Sometimes, your child may intentionally search for such websites; in such cases it is crucial to be sensitive and remember it is only natural for children to be curious about material that is off-limits. Try to use such situations as an opening to discuss the content with them, and reinforce rules for this kind of activity.
Apart from what you teach them about internet safety and decorum at home, what children learn at school about the internet and the way to use this resource also matters. The teaching staff at most top international schools in Bangalore are well-versed with such rules and are careful to keep in check internet activity of kids at school.
