This week we celebrated Safer Internet Day. The theme this year was ‘Want to talk about it?’ The children had age appropriate discussions around how to talk to adults about what they see and experience online.
Why care?
We are seeing a rise in online behaviour that is risky and upsetting for children. As a parent or carer you play a crucial role in developing your child’s understanding and safety of appropriate online behaviour. The kids say the right thing when they are learning about online behaviour but they do not always behave that way when they are online.
How to support?
Often parents and carers say that they want to support their children but are not confident with how. Below are links to straightforward top tips that will support you with keeping the children happy and healthy online. You do not have to be an expert!
What are the risks of phones and social media?
Like any technology there are benefits and risks. Some of the common risks we notice are:
- cyberbullying and unkind messages
- unwanted messages from strangers
- sexulaised language and content
- excessive screen time impacted health and sleep.
Many of the risks depend on how technology is being used. We do not support children using social media as they are not at an appropriate age. If you choose to allow your children to access social media or have a phone, please remember it is your responsibility to monitor their activity and help them resolve any issues. Too often the children’s education is being disrupted because of incidents outside of school that either distract the children or require teachers to take time out of lessons to investigate and restore relationships.
Thank you for working with us to support your children with being happy and healthy online. This might be the biggest challenge to your parenting and the children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Further support
