Parent Resources

Useful Online Safety websites

Top Tips for Parents and Carers

• Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them. If they know you understand, they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
• Keep up to date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
• Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
• Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.
• Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s Wi-Fi? This will affect whether the safety settings you set are being applied.
• Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think.

https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/online-gaming-advice/the-basics/

This section of the site is around online gaming and each tab hosts a wealth of information, ideas, resources and useful tips. Content below gives a brief overview of what you can find on each tab – all are well worth a visit…

The basics: key trends, advice by age, top tips to keep gaming healthy

The risks: impact of gaming on behaviour, gaming addition, contact with strangers

The benefits: why do children enjoy it? What are the benefits to online gaming? Tips on how to choose the best games

The resources: guides for parents and children, setting controls, review sites to help choose games

https://www.internetmatters.org/ Under the setting controls section, you will be able to find specific guides for phones, apps, devices and even broadband providers. Each one has a downloadable guide with clear step by step instructions on how to use settings and controls effectively.

https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/have-a-conversation/ Lots of resources to help parents and carers talk to their children about life online and how to keep a positive, honest and open dialogue!  One resource in this area is the family agreement template – a great way to all agree as to the expectations for being safe whilst enjoying all that the online world has to offer. Downloadable blank templates are available.

https://www.internetmatters.org/digital-family-toolkit/ Spend just 8 minutes answering questions about your child’s digital habits and you will then receive a full toolkit of tailored resources to help support and protect your child online. Lots of really useful information that is all relevant to the responses that you give. A fantastic to navigate aspects of online life. Can answer for multiple children of multiple ages and interests. A great time saver!

https://pegi.info/ Visit the PEGI website directly to learn more about the content in games. Content is not suitable for children of primary ages and it is really important that parents and carers are aware of what children are being exposed to.

https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/online-gaming-advice/the-basics/ This section of the site is around online gaming and each tab hosts a wealth of information, ideas, resources and useful tips. Content below gives a brief overview of what you can find on each tab – all are well worth a visit… The basics: key trends, advice by age, top tips to keep gaming healthy The risks: impact of gaming on behaviour, gaming addition, contact with strangers The benefits: why do children enjoy it? What are the benefits to online gaming? Tips on how to choose the best games The resources: guides for parents and children, setting controls, review sites to help choose games