Helping Parents Develop Internet Safety with their child.
Netsafe’s Online Safety Parent Toolkit is a simple and practical seven-step framework to help parents with digital parenting in a rapidly changing world. Their downloadable version of the Parent Toolkit offers practical tips that will help you talk to your child about online safety. It includes:
- Quickstarter tips for parents, whānau and young people
- Information to enhance your digital parenting knowledge
- Details about the online risks and challenges your child may face
- Advice about how you can help your child
It’s important parents feel confident to have ongoing conversations with their child about their online activities, as these conversations have been proven to minimise the harm that can occur if things do go wrong online.
Seven ideas to help you get started
The following tips have been developed with parents in mind. They are designed to enhance your digital parenting knowledge and reinforce key elements of online safety
1. UNDERSTAND. Read about the potential online risks, challenges and sometimes illegal behaviour young people face to understand what may happen.
2. LEARN. Ask your child about what they do, who they talk to and how they use devices to learn about their activities. Check in regularly to see what has changed.
3. EXPLORE. Take the time yourself to explore the sites, apps and technologies your child uses to improve your knowledge and understand their experience.
4. AGREE. Create a family code with your child to agree on what they can do online including sites to visit, appropriate behaviours, privacy settings and limitations.
5. TEACH. Recognise each child has unique needs, but some online safety concepts are universal. Start by teaching yours the 5 tips to help your child thrive.
6. MODEL. Be a good example to your child. Make sure you role model the sort of behaviours you want to see your child use online and offline.
7. PLAN. Make a plan so everybody knows what to do if something goes wrong and where you will be able to get advice and support in challenging times.
Download the Toolkit from; https://www.netsafe.org.nz/parenttoolkit/