Of course the best way to stay safe online at Christmas, is also to stay offline! Time away from our screens not just keeps us away from negative feelings, (which can come from playing games, looking at social media and group chats )but it also gives us a chance to build relationships, get more active, concentrate better and have a positive impact on our mental health and sleep patterns.
So step away from the phone, laptop, gaming centre and TV and look at our list of activities that you and your family can enjoy together. The list below offers many ideas to get you started but we're sure you can find plenty more that suit your family's interests. Don't forget to share these with the Internet Safety team. Let's work together to inspire our children to balance their freetime and feel better for it!
Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, excitable children and time to relax with family and friends. And of course, there are new toys to play with.
With a huge increase in sales of devices (around 13 million people receive smartphones for Christmas each year) it is important to ensure that you and your children are safe when playing with new kit. To help, we’ve set out a few top tips to help keep your household safe online over the holidays.
Most devices have controls to ensure that kids can’t access content you don’t want them to. Make sure your “in-app” purchases are disabled to avoid a nightmare surprise in the new year.
Tablets are really popular with younger children, and the market has several which are geared towards child friendly content. When it comes to using them, start slowly; only download games and apps you have checked out carefully (sites such as www.net-aware.org.uk, or www.commonsensemedia.org provide useful advice!) and steer them towards age targeted content such as www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/cbeebies/features/iplayer-kids or YouTube Kids.
If you have older children, and are thinking about getting them a new phone for Christmas, this can pose its own challenges:
The old online safety message about having your home computer in a communal place becomes defunct, because phones are literally mobile computers and have the power of most traditional desktop PCs.
Our advice is to set some ground rules, and ensure they understand them. For example:
Agree a time limit or number of games beforehand, to avoid repeated disagreements around how long they can spend online.
It is advisable that the phone stays out of the bedroom to avoid those night time interruptions.
If you’re genuinely concerned about them, ask them to allow you access to the phone.
It is possible to install software onto devices that monitors online activity, alerts you to inappropriate behaviour, and can block access to certain content. This type of software is becoming increasingly popular, but while this might sound tempting, it does pose a number of issues around your child’s right to privacy & could have an impact upon your relationship with them. SWGfL published this blog earlier this year, which covers the subject in some detail and raises some interesting points.
SWGfL also covered this in its Parenting in a Digital Age series earlier this year, in this blog.
Consider setting parental controls on your Wi-Fi – you can block access to inappropriate or adult content, and set time limits which may help rein in those excessive Minecraft sessions. The UK Safer Internet Centre has advice on this here.
Finally a word about games. This year there are so many exciting games and consoles around, there is a good chance you might have one in your house. Whether a DS, Nintendo Switch or PS4, there is something for everyone, and every age.
Consider whether your child is mature enough to join an online community, and whether the games they are playing are appropriate. For more advice on this visit www.pegi.info or www.askaboutgames.com. Our blog from earlier this year, ‘The real cost of online gaming’ also gives an insight into the type of things to be aware of when it comes to gaming.
Finally, make sure you enjoy your tech together, it’s the perfect time of year!
Welcome back to a new school year!
As summer comes to an end and the dark nights draw in, it’s a good time to think about our children’s internet safety.
Throughout the year, we will be working alongside you to ensure that our children are safe and happy online. We will regularly blog hfl safety online newsletters, as well as useful guides to help you to keep on top of your child’s internet safety and help them to make positive choices online.
As in past years, there will also be a national safer internet day in February to raise awareness of ‘a safer and better internet for all, and especially for children and young people’.
To find out more about Safer Internet Day, follow the link of the website below and SAVE THE DATE now!
As the end of term approaches, and for some the end of Fairlands, it is important to think about how we can prepare our children for keeping safe online, both over the holidays and to prepare them for the next academic year.
Attached is the latest Parent and Carers newsletter from hfl, which includes tips, guidance and also some links that can help you to help our children.
Dont't foget that https://parentzone.org.uk/ is another source of guidance for parents and carers when faced with internet safety issues in the home.
Year 6 will also be taking part in an online assembly on Thursday 6th July 2023, which will particularly help them in their transition to secondary school. Parents are also invited to sign up. Look out for information on how to do this, over the next week.
You’re probably well aware of WhatsApp and its huge user-base. The app has become a go-to for a convenient and easy way to keep in touch on an individual basis as well as in groups.
But are there any possible risks, and how safe is it for children? Here's everything you need to know
(Parent Zone)