Raising children in the age of smart technology, gadgets, mobile apps, easily available porn, cyber bullying, cyber predators and sexting is quite a task. It is dangerous for kids and worrisome for parents.
It is not just their security but also their health that is under attack. Children nowadays, suffer from fatigue, stress, dry eyes, sleep deprivation and emotional difficulties as well.
In these circumstances, it is vital for parents to know how they can raise children that are responsible and secure in the tech world.
Here are three things that every parent needs to do. Don’t wait for a certain age, start doing it as early as possible:
Talk about internet safety
When they start using the internet, start talking about the importance of safety. Discuss various dangers and their outcomes. The effect on their emotional health as well as their physical fitness.
Categorically tell them what is safe to share and what is not. Like sharing sexual or nude selfies is outright wrong. Harassing someone, even for fun, is wrong. Trusting strangers, sharing location, passwords and personal info with the public is unsafe.
Also, talk about reporting any kind of bullying or sex solicitation to elders so that it can be handled.
Take up digital monitoring
Use a parental app to keep an eye on their online and phone activity. Take the example of FamilyTime parental control app.
It has different ways to monitor children and restrict risky doings. See its features in detail:
- App blocker to block unsafe mobile apps
- Screen time limits to keep excessive device use under control
- Calls, contacts and SMS monitoring
- Suspicious contacts Watchlist
- Web history
- iTunes adult content filtering
- in-app purchase and app download restriction
- Location tracking
- Geofence places: check-in and check out alerts
- Panic button
- Pickup alerts
- Driving limits and over speeding alerts
FamilyTime app is compatible with Android and iOS devices.
Have a digital detox
Have a digital break every once in a while – on holidays, weekends and slow days. Put the devices away and have fun together. Play indoor and outdoor games, indulge in reading, treat your family to a good dinner or cook, do arts and crafts etc. There are so many things to do once you get rid of your phones. Make it a habit and a tradition in your house so that the children can adopt it and take it with them as well.
These things are important to do. When children are taught about cyber safety and how to safeguard themselves, there are better chances of them having a ‘clean’ digital life.
The rest you can take care yourself with the help of a parental app. It is also very important that you are a good role model for them by keeping your own digital activity limited and responsible. Be safe and be happy.
4 comments
thank you for the article. I don’t know how other kids, but with mine talking doesn’t actually works, they can promise things, but they are just kids. All the kids are trying to do forbidden things, to break the rules, to be wiser than parents. I think parental control apps are very helpful in controlling and protecting kids, and thanks God somebody invented them (I don’t know what would I do if I couldn’t use them and limit my kids). I know there is a lot of different parental apps, my family uses Kidslox, I like that it is very easy to set up, it is cheap and customers support replies fast if I need something.
This is something I worry about constantly. I do not like that my kids can have access to the internet all the time. I know that they can find anything there (even porn). I would like to have something to protect my kids from it. I see that lady tells about Kidslox. I think I will check it, maybe it will help our family too.