Start “The Talk” With Your Kids |
A cyber expert's online tips for parents
In the first installment of her new biweekly column for Canadianparents.com, Lynn Hargrove the original cyber mom, dishes on how to open the conversation about online safety with your kids.
Parents should have at least one "Talk" with their kids each year to review family Internet safety rules and to reintroduce Mom and Dad to their children's online lives. If you have the Talk with your child, you'll be amazed at what you'll learn about their experiences with technology. It's also a good way to reinforce your rules for using the Internet in your home.
Kids will change their online behaviour and activities from year-to-year and new websites crop up every day, so, as parents, we really need to make sure we stay connected to our kids by having an open conversation about what they do and see online.
Keep it simple, the goal is to understand how your child is using technology, recognize any potential risk factors that need to be addressed and ensure you are the person your child goes to if something weird or uncomfortable should happen when they are on the web. Try to have the conversation during a quiet time when there are no time pressures and you have the Internet at hand. Keep the chat neutral, non-confrontational. You'll get better insights if your child doesn't think he or she is getting blamed for something. Here are some sample questions to guide your Talk:
- What are your friends' favourite things to do online?
- What are the coolest or newest websites? (Or online activities or services)
- Can you show me your favourite sites? Why do you like them? (If a game, ask to see how it's played)
- Have you heard of anyone being cyberbullied in your school? (You may need to explain what cyberbullying is.)
- Has anything weird, or that made you feel uncomfortable, ever happened while you were online?
By staying engaged and keeping the conversation open, your child is more likely to come to you, should anything awkward, embarrassing or scary happen in their online world. Click here for more on starting The Talk.
Click here to read Lynn's next column about finding safe sites for your child to surf.
About the Author
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Lynn Hargrove, Director, Consumer Solutions for Symantec (Canada) Corp.
The original cyber mom, Lynn Hargrove has been with Symantec (Canada) Corp. for more than 10 years, holding various senior-level positions. Over the years, Lynn has worked closely with a number of Canadian organizations, such as Ontario Provincial Police, to educate parents about family online safety and cybercrime. Her daughter Sydney is eight years old.
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