There’s a lot to take in when it comes to your child’s digital world, so here’s a handy 10-point checklist to get you started.
- Think about how you guide your family in the real world and do the same in the digital world (even if it sometimes feels like your son or daughter is the technology expert in your home!)
- Have a go with some of the technologies your child enjoys – if you haven’t already, download some music, set up a Facebook® profile or play a game on their Nintendo® Wii
- Talk to your friends, family and the parents of your child’s friends about how they help their children manage their digital world – you might get some useful tips
- Try not to use technology as your child’s babysitter – we all do it sometimes but it’s important to know what they’re up to
- Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and rules especially for younger children – their online reputation will follow them forever so it’s never too young to start
- Make the most of built-in tools, such as Parental Controls, SafeSearch options and privacy controls (check out our ‘how to’ guides)
- Remind older siblings that certain websites, technologies and apps might not be appropriate for their younger siblings to use and ask them to look out for them
- Make digital issues part of everyday conversation – don’t shy away from talking to teenagers about difficult subjects like cyberbullying, sexting and copyright infringement, for example
- Keep communicating – show your child that you understand how important technology is to them and reassure them that they can come to you about anything that is worrying them in their digital world