Top Tips for Parents & Useful Resources

1. Talk to your child about their online safety and internet use.  Keeping an open dialogue is essential in keeping them safe. e.g- who they are talking to, services/apps they are using and any issues they might be having. 

(see conversation starters below)

2. Set some boundaries for device use in the home which explain the rules and expectations. Be a good role model by considering the amount of screen time you have. To create family rules it may be useful to have a family agreement 

(see template below).  

3. Give your child strategies to deal with any online problems- e.g reporting/blocking/ speaking to an adult. Encourage them not to retaliate as this may make things worse. 

4. Use filtering software to block any potentially harmful content. 

5. Familiarise yourself with the age ratings for games and apps which can help to indicate the level and suitability of the content.  

6. Encourage your child to 'think before you post'. Private content shared online could easily become public if it is shared on.

7. Familiarise yourself with the privacy settings and reporting features available on popular sites, services and apps.

8. Understand the law. Some online behaviour may break the law, for example when downloading or sharing content with others. 

9. If your child is being bullied online, save all available evidence and know where to report the incident, for example to the school, service provider, or the police if the law has been broken.

10.  Set up a family email address that your children can use when signing up to new games and websites online. 

11. Encourage your child to protect their identity by using nicknames (where possible) instead of their full name online and create strong passwords for every account.