• Staying educated. You are doing an excellent job starting with this guide! You must stay diligent in keeping up with technology and how it evolves. If your child comes to you and asks to download an app that you are unfamiliar with, download the app and try it out yourself first. If they are looking into playing a new video game, play it first, or even with them! You would not send your child to a playground in a neighboring community without visiting it first – operate the same with the digital space. Play around with this space and do your research. If your child already has an app or game, ask them to teach you about it and how it works! This allows for increased open dialogue. • Put tape or a sticky note/sticker over a device’s camera when not in use. You can do this with a multitude of devices, including your computer(s) and cellphone.
Photo by New York Post. • Build a culture of openness . It is important to establish trust and a two - way dialogue about technology and social media . You want to be approachable to your children when , not if, a concern comes up in their digital lives. This can make the difference in our children reaching out to us instead of peers for advice when situations arise. • Remember technology is not going anywhere. Introduce technology into your home and your children’s lives at a pace you feel comfortable with, relative to your child’s age and emotional maturity. • Remember we are the caregiver, not a friend. We are not our children’s best friend s , but we can still have a close relationship while maintaining this boundary. We are responsible for ensuring their safety in the online world just as much as we are responsible for ensuring their safety in the offline world! • Google yourself and your family. Any names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, or social media usernames that are associated with your family can be searched online; see what shows up before others do. • Remember the permanency of the internet. We must remind our children about their digital tattoo and how what they post online and send electronically can have lasting impacts. Not everything we post online stays, but we do not get to decide what stays and what does not!
These tips are intended to be used in whole or in part alongside your personal parenting methods. You as a parent/caregiver know what is best for your child. It is important to put our children’s well - being first; allowing
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