What Are The 5 Ways Parents Talk To Their Children About Online Safety

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5 Ways Parents Can Talk To Their Children About Online Safety

The Internet has become a scary place for adults and children alike. But, the Internet can be even scarier when it comes to being a parent with a child old enough to use computers, tablets and smartphones. Parents are always looking for new and innovative ways to speak with their children about being safe online. In this post, we will discuss five excellent methods that parents can employ the next time they need to speak about Internet safety with their children.

Emphasize the Public Nature of the Internet

One of the first things a parent must do when speaking with a child about online safety is emphasize the public nature of the Internet. Let the child know that anything they …show more content…

If you wait until your child comes to you for advice, or with questions, he or she might already be in trouble on the Internet. When you initiate the conversation, you put your child in the position to avoid issues online. The conversations should occur as part of everyday life and be originated when watching the news or hearing about online bullying or sexting cases.

Listen Without Judging

If you have initiated the conversation, as mentioned above, you might get open dialogue in return from your child. Do not turn this open dialogue into an interrogation or a time to judge your child if he or she offers up any issues they have run into while using the Internet. Even if they share a very difficult situation with you, the need for the conversation to remain free of judgement is very important.

Make Your Values Known

Another important thing to consider when talking to your children about online safety is that you should make your values known. These values can be how you expect your children to act in school, at someone else’s house, at a restaurant and even online. Let them know that bullying is unacceptable not only at school, but also online. Also, make it known that sexting and sending pictures of their body is not acceptable in the least bit. Have this conversation every so often in order to refresh their memories about your