Educate, Engage, and Prepare. Everywhere you look, you see kids glued to their devices. Whether it’s a cellphone, tablet, or even a laptop, they are mesmerized. And, yes even our own kids are just as guilty.
Kids on devices have become the norm as gone are the days when someone judges you because your 3-year-old is playing a game on your phone while at the grocery store. Playing that game is better than the alternative, especially if it’s nap time.
The older kids get the more we as parents need to worry. Let’s say age 7 on up, as they become more adept at finding their way around online we as parents need to engage more in what our kids are watching or searching for. Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are a lot of kids out there just playing your typical games kids that age play. Right?
But what about the ones that aren’t? The ones bored with the games they have loaded. The ones who are just innocently curious as to what else can they watch or who else can they connect with.
I hear from parents almost daily asking for help on how to be more aware of what’s going on as so many slips right by. Parents with kids who made new friends online, but who the new friends are unknown. One parent, completely unaware, found online gambling with a fake profile had been taking up her son’s time. Another son had set up an adult profile to connect with older women. What starts out as curiosity and boredom can quickly turn to high concern situations that invite potential harm to our kids’ lives.
As parents, we all want to trust that our kids are making the right choices when we aren’t watching. But trusting our kids to ‘always “do the right thing” online is like putting a giant ice cream sundae right in front of them and telling them not to eat it; then leaving the room.
How many of us can honestly say our child wouldn’t touch it? Heck, I doubt I could avoid eating it.
Technology is at most all kids’ fingertips and there is a wide world of predators, scammers, hackers, adult content sites, and clickbait ads just waiting to grab a child’s attention.
My mantra is and always will be Educate, Engage, and Prepare. As parents we are responsible to EDUCATE ourselves on the latest and greatest apps, games, and websites our children use and visit, we must ENGAGE in how our kids are using their devices and we must talk to our kids to PREPARE them at young ages what the dangers are and how to best avoid sites that are harmful to their young minds.
We must talk to our kids about internet safety. It is OK to remove the temptation. Have a cut-off time for devices and do not allow your child access overnight. Limit your child’s screen time and set clear rules and boundaries. Install antivirus software and set parental controls. Review your child’s browser history and let them know you will be monitoring everything.
Having access to the internet can be great when used responsibly. But sometimes it’s a little too much, too soon for our younger children.
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