*Disclosure: This is a paid collaboration with ESET.
As my job is being online, and working online I like to think I know a lot about the online world. However, when it comes to my children using computers themselves and being open to the internet, it scares me. When Alice joined the junior school last year, her homework started to involve more work online. We would use the internet to research topics and it’s something that she enjoyed doing.
Fast forward to the lockdown back in March and suddenly all her school work was online. We were introduced to Google Classroom, a platform that her school decided to use. In terms of using it, it was brilliant because it was really easy for both Alice and I to use and it made our homeschooling experience a lot easier. However, it also fast forwarded Alice being online and using the computer a lot more. She was suddenly able to chat to her friends in her class online, and whilst there were no private chats, it was all on a main stream for her teacher and classmates to read. It did mean that she quickly had to learn about ‘posts’, ‘comments’, likes etc and I have to admit I felt like I didn’t have the tools to teach Alice the correct way to be online, what she needed to look out for, and how we as her parents could keep her safe.
The Google Classroom was a success for homeschooling and her school decided to keep it and use it for homework once they returned to school in September. Then in October, Alice’s school bubble was closed and we had 4 days of homeschooling again. I realised that this was going to be our life forever now. there was no turning back the clock and she was going to have her school work online even after Covid.
Thankfully, ESET got in touch and introduced me to their Safer Kids Online initiative and their mission is – To build a safer online environment for children, by educating them, their parents and teachers about cybersecurity and raising awareness about its importance.
It is a free platform that aims to educate schools, children and parents with free online resources and I couldn’t wait to take a look. There is a workbook that you can download for free, which you can work through with your child. It gave me an idea of what Alice already knew, and where there were gaps that I could then teach her using the resources from Safer Kids Online.
I was really surprised that Alice knew the logos on some online platforms. Some she guessed, like FIFA and the football logo and TikTok she didn’t know, but it was the only one left and worked it out. I had never heard of Roblox before, but Alice knew it.
When it came to writing down 5 personal pieces of information, I was really pleased that Alice knew what these would be and that she knew you shouldn’t share this type of information. Thankfully her school does teach the children online safety and it’s good that Alice had taken it in.
We had a chat about it, and I said to her “If you were chatting online to one of your friends and they asked you for your address. Would you give it to them?”. Alice replied “I’m not sure, I think that would be ok, because they are my friend and not a stranger”. I then went onto explain to Alice, that unless the person is standing in front of you in person, you can never be 100% sure you’re talking to who you think you are online. Someone might be pretending to be one of your friends. This really opened Alice’s eyes to being online. I did reassure her that at the moment the online places she talks to her friends i.e. the school platform, is safe. But, as she gets older and is using more online spaces she needs to be more aware of this.
The workbook is a great place to start with your child, as it has activities they can do, and it provokes a conversation.
We then looked at the kids zone that is available on Safer Kids Online and there are a series of animated videos to watch through YouTube Kids. They’re a great way to get the key messages to your child. They are short and snappy and in a language that they understand.
There is a parents section, and within this area you will find articles, guides and FAQs to help you understand more about the online world and to protect your child.
I found it really eye opening and very useful. It has given me the knowledge that I need to keep my children safe whilst using the internet. I used to feel scared about letting them be on the laptop, without me standing over them, now I feel more educated on it.
With Holly starting the junior school next September, and more of her school work going online. I’m going to also take her through the workbook, and start preparing her for being online more independently.
You can access all the free resources and download the free workbook on the Safer Kids Online website.
The world that we live in, is an online world and there is no way of getting away from it. If we embrace it, learn and educate ourselves and our children, then it can open new doors. We might have a child that is a technology queen and the next coder!
Disclosure: This is a paid collaboration with ESET.
