Parental Tips

‘Tis the season to be gifting new technology and sharing about fun holiday activities online. You might be wondering amidst all the magic how to do that safely. We’ve assembled some tips to keep the holly jolly IN this holiday season and child predators OUT.

Holiday Online Safety List

Spend Quality (Screen) Time Together. When it comes to winter, it’s nice to curl up and be cozy in bed, but Internet-connected devices should never be in children’s bedrooms. They should only be enjoyed in common areas. This helps keep kids safe from inappropriate interactions online, reducing the opportunity to be asked or pressured to participate in things that are not age-appropriate.

Think outside the box (of stranger danger). 90% of the time kids are abused by someone they know in real life, so while it’s important to be aware of strangers, it’s crucial to be mindful of who is in your child’s life. This is another reason why it’s so critical to honor consent in not making kids hug, kiss or be affectionate with family members if they are uncomfortable.

Children need to be able to and know it’s okay to say no to unwanted contact, even if it’s someone they know.

Make a list (of your child’s passwords) and check it (and their devices!) twice. Keep your eyes on those iPads (and other devices). It’s smart, not snooping to monitor your children’s online activities so you can spot danger, tricky people they are interacting with and signs they might be struggling and need help. Check your kids’ devices regularly and be sure you know how to get into all of their online accounts.

Keep Your Location Under Wraps. Make sure to turn off the location on your phone’s camera so where your photos are taken can’t be traced. The less information child predators have available about your kids and where they are, the better. You don’t want a child predator coming home for the holidays to your house.

We hope these tips help you have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season and that you use this online holiday safety checklist to protect the peace of your time together. The internet can be a fun winter wonderland, but adding these layers of protection can keep you feeling festive instead of fearful.

Also, before purchasing your children a new device, consider these below. And print out our contract if you are putting a new device under the tree!