The internet has proven useful and is a big part of our everyday lives. You will know how important the internet connection is when there is no signal. As for kids, the internet offers wonderful new ways to discover the world. It is a tool for learning, exploring, being creative, and connecting with family and friends. However, unmanaged and prolonged screen time has made them more vulnerable to risks such as inappropriate content, online bullying, and even exploitation. Parenting like a hawk is now needed more than ever. Here are some tips on how parents can help kids become internet-smart and navigate the virtual world safely.
Teaching Young Kids and Teens to be Internet Smart
Parents play a big role in keeping their children safe online, and there are practical internet safety precautions that can protect children from potentially harmful or inappropriate content and activities. Here are some ways to ensure fun and productive screen time for your kids.
Discuss about the dangers of using the internet.
Engage your children in a conversation about how to stay safe online. Preferably, this should be done before they have access to gadgets with internet connection. Discuss potential risks and the importance of setting boundaries and protecting their privacy. Teach them to say no to requests that make them feel uncomfortable and to inform you about strangers who are asking them for personal information. It is also important to let them be “share aware” and to know that anything they post on the internet stays on the internet for others to see for a very long time. At home, we allow our girls to play network games but with one rule: they cannot chat with strangers.
Make house rules that include gadget use.
Remember, you are parents so you get to set house rules. Set rules on gadget use, such as not allowing them to use their gadgets in their room and setting the screen time they can have in a day. Place larger gadgets such as laptops in common areas where they can be better supervised when they are online.
Have access to their online presence.
Drop in on their profiles and posts and look into their app downloads and browser history so you can check for red flags. My daughters’ gadgets are connected to my Google account so that when they install an app, I get an email notification. If I don’t understand the app they downloaded, I ask them about it. Doing this also lets them know that I monitor their online activities.
Try to get to know their online friends and teach them to alert you for inappropriate messages or posts on their social media feeds so you can navigate the situation together. Moreover, it is better to set their posts to “friends only” instead of “public”.
Set parental controls.
There are phone features that can set phone limitations and content controls. Hubby made sure that all our gadgets were connected through the family link. Parents can also manage the websites their kids can visit on Google Chrome and disable the “browse incognito” feature.
Additionally, you can turn on the feature that blocks sexually explicit and violent sites through the search engine’s Family Link app. As for streaming services, set parental controls so your child will only access age-appropriate content.
Read reviews.
Look into an app before downloading it for your child, and take the time to pre-screen games, movies, or a series by reading reviews before allowing your child to play or watch them on his gadget. Better yet, double the fun and play or watch it with him!
Build strong family connections.
Make it a habit to spend quality time with your children. Time + communication will establish trust and make it easier for them to open up to you about the things and situations they encounter while scrolling. To set a more natural tone, you can also share interesting things you found online, such as funny videos, fascinating trivia, or current events while you are having dinner together. This will help set the course for their online behavior and help them to use the internet in a more positive way.
Keeping Filipino families safe online
Even as our kids are already digital natives and most of the time know how to navigate gadgets better than their folks, they still need parental guidance. However, it is still our role as parents to protect them and make them safe, confident explorers of the digital world. We cannot perfectly protect them or shield them from dangers, but at least we can diminish them. But the most important thing is to teach our children how to protect themselves.
Nasa sa atin talagang mga magulang ang pag gabay sa mga online gadgets maganda malaman bawat isa ang mga masamang dulot o maganda neto sa kids kaysa sa atin matatanda .
Now a days nakaka lungkot talaga na marami na sa atin mapa bata man o matanda ay humaling na sa pag gamit ng internet kailang talaga Ng gabay at patnubay kapa sa bata Ang gagamit napaka dangerous para saka nila na Wala tayong gabay…..
Thanks for sharing this mommy, 🥰 very helpful and informative,. Sa Panahon talaga natin ngayon, na usong uso na ang gadgets, mapa bata or matanda man, ay isa na ito sa pinagkakalibangan natin, at isa pa isa din ito lang source para maka connect tayo, sa mga family or friends natin. Gayunpaman, kailangan din nating maging matalino sa pag gamit nitong mga gadget/internet, dahil kung tayo ay hindi magkakaron ng control sa pag gamit ay pwede tayong makakuha ng sakit, dahil sa radiation na dulot nito, at pwede din magbago ang attitude ng isang tao, kapag masyadong nababad sa pag gamit ng internet.
Kaya salute po sayo mommy sa pagbahagi ng pagiging matalino sa pag gamit ng Internet.❤️
As a parent we should set limitations and bondaries, we must be responsible in all aspects especially when it comes to online/digital access at paggamit ng gadgets ng kids. Sa panahon pa naman ngayon, nagkalat na ang bullying, lahat ng threats online and super accessible na sya for kids by using gadgets. We must protect them. Bantayan at i-guide natin ang kids sa tamang paggamit at pag-access ng internet. Kaya ako hangga’t maari my time limit at gina-guide ko kapag gagamit sya gadget.
Worth to read. Thanks for sharing, Mommy Sig!
Salamat mi sa pagshare sa panahon Ngayon madami na my mga Sarili gadgets..pero bilang magulang sa pagkahilig ng anak ko manood nililimitahan ko panood Niya .at chka ginagabayan ko pinapnood Niya gusto ko panoodin Yung my aral na mapupulot ndi Yung anu anu video lang ng maganda my aral na mapupulot..
Agree with you mommy..spending more times with the kids can feel both us parents and kids secure that they doing well everyday..me personally I make more times with them playing and teaching assignments and households chores kasi naniniwala ako na minsan lang sila bata..I treasure every moment with them😘😘😘
In this generation Using Smart gadgets is amust na talaga ..But for us Parent ,Priority natin na magset ng boundaries and limitation para sa mga Anak natin sa Paggamit ng Internet…
Spending Quality time is the best way para mailayo natin sila.
Indeed internet is here to stay and is part of our lives. Instead of prohibitting it completely, we teach our kids how to navigate instead. Instead of keeping our kids out of the water, we teach them how to swim.
Thank you for sharing this Mommy. Napaka importante talaga nitong ganitong topic Lalo na ngayon na halos lahat gumagamit ng internet / gadgets kaya mahalaga talaga ang gabay ng magulang para sa paggamit nito, sobrang Dami pa naman na manloloko ngayon gamit Ang internet, at marami rin na lumalabas sa mga soc med na Hindi talaga nakikita at napapanood ng mga kids.
Mahalaga na maipaliwanag natin sa kids Yung advantage at disadvantage sa paggamit ng gadgets.
At super agree din ako na dapat may time tayo na makabonding ang kids.
Thankyou for sharing ma kea Ako bilang magulang ndi ko masyado pinapagamit ng gadget anak ko manood man sya tipo saglit n Oras lang at ginagabayan ko bawat panood Niya..
Thank you for sharing mii .. wort it to read. Bilang isang parent talaga nasa satin ang paggabay ng ating mga kids .. dapat meron tayong limitations sa mga kids natin sa paggamit ng gadgets … Sa panahon natin kasi ngayon nakakaalarma ang paggamit ng gadgets Lalo na Ang social media talamak ang bullying mga masasamang tao … Kaya mabuti na ating gabayan lagi ang ating mga anak … Agree ako sayo mii .. spend more quality time para malibang sila at maiwasan ang paggamit ng gadgets …
Nowadays, using internet is very important in our lives. In doing projects, assignment, communication tools, movies and more. Walang masama sa paggamit nito basta in moderation lang. As a parent, we should guide them in using properly the internet.