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Many of us rely on the internet for work, education or communication on a daily basis. The internet allows us to access information, shop online and stay connected with friends and family all over the world. However, many parents worry about internet safety for their children.
Before your child starts to use the internet it is important to discuss cyber safety and make them aware of the dangers they face online. It is best not to let your child use the internet unsupervised, however, if this isn’t always possible, be sure to have the correct parental controls in place.
Here are some tips from an independent school in Hertfordshire on exploring internet safety with your child…
Learning about internet safety
Parents should do their research into internet safety to learn about the dangers children are susceptible to online. There are many helpful online resources that cover topics from cyberbullying to privacy settings and tools like the best vpn for firefox that you can use to help your whole family stay safe online. If you require further advice on internet safety, your child’s school may also be able to help. Talk to your child about how they are spending their time online and regularly check in to make sure that the content they are viewing is suitable.
Teaching your child how to stay safe
How much you divulge to your child about the dangers of the internet depends on their age and maturity. Explain that talking to strangers online isn’t safe and sometimes people aren’t who they say they are. Advise your child never to accept friend requests from people they don’t know and most importantly never to meet any strangers they have spoken to online.
Setting up parental controls
It is really important to ensure you have the right parental controls in place before allowing your child to go online. This includes computer games. Some online games have the option to switch off the ‘chat’ function so that your children can not make contact with others whilst playing. You can also restrict certain websites and add a permissions setting to your children’s devices. This means that you will need to authorise all apps before they are downloaded.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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