Tips For Keeping Kids Safe Online This Holiday Season

By
Jim Turner
– December 15, 2011Posted in: Education, Featured, Parenting, Rants, Video

Our kids will soon be off for their holiday break at school.  This means 2 weeks of trying to entertain the kids while I try to carry on with housework and with real world work on the job.  I hate to admit it, but I do let the Internet babysit at times.  My kids play video games, and they watch movies and play around watching funny videos on YouTube.  I am challenging them to read a little more this holiday break, and their school is also running a program that will allow to win prizes for reading over the holiday break.

Last April on my radio show I took some time out to do the show at my kids’ school.  It was “Take Your Kids To Work Day” and I decided instead to take my work to the kids.  We talk about some tips how to keep your kids safe online and I use some of those examples.  Be sure to listen in and feel free to give your own tips.  Some of the things we need to make sure to do as parents is to educate our kids to the dangers of being online.  Some of the finer points I wanted to throw out there for discussion by Dads are the following:

  • Remind Your Kids That Online Actions Can Reverberate – Once Posted It Can’t Be Taken Back
  • Explain About Putting Stuff Online Only a Parent Would Approve
  • Understand Privacy Settings
  • Review Your Child’s “Friends”
  • Avoid Sex Talk Online
  • Always Pay Attention To What Your Kids Are Doing Online
  • Talk About Privacy

I have a Tween now that has a mobile phone and we are learning as we go with her use of the phone and how she is being social using the phone.  We are setting rules now that we hope will help her understand how a mobile phone can be used as a weapon of mass destruction and can be a huge responsibility. We have set out to help her understand ramifications of texting, photos and videos.  I would love to know some of the tips you parents have for your kids. A couple of ours:

  • No phone after 9 p.m. (nothing good happens after 9)
  • No pictures of other kids are taken without their knowledge and never shared
  • Dad will read all texts…(Minors have no rights!)
  • Phone Charged At Night In Parents Room

This holiday vacation is going to be tougher as my kids get more gadgets as gifts and as gaming online becomes even more social.  I can only hope common sense prevails.  Now to start enforcing those common sense lessons.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

About Jim Turner

Founder of One By One Media and Bloggers For Hire, Social Mediasphere Radio Host, Daddy Blogger, Speaker, Social Media Manager