Australia’s eSafety Comissioner has released an excellent guide for parents of Under 5s to keep them safe online. Young children are online before we know it and with remote learning there is more exposure for our young children to the online world. The key advice is true for all children and it is important for parents to talk to their children about being safe online when they are very young. You can download the full booklet, but here are some key tips for you:
- Teach your child about personal information. Explain that personal information should not be shared with anyone they do not know and that includes their address, photos that identify them and their birth date and age.
- Block – make sure that all devices that your children have access to have parental settings enabled and that includes the sites that they access.
- Be kind – encourage positive online behaviour. Talk to your children about being kind online and always ask permission before you take a photo of your child. It may seem silly to ask permission of a 2 year old but it is important to model good online behaviour at an early age.
- Ask for help – teach your child that it is okay to ask for help and they should always tell a trusted adult of they are contacted by anyone online they do not know.
- Build good habits together. How devices are used and managed in your home is important. Decide on the right amount of screen time for your child and talk with toddlers and preschool children about a ‘times up’ strategy. It is also important to have activities that you explore together and be quite clear about what they can do on their own.