Yesterday saw the return of our WES Talk series for the first time since 2020. In partnership with our Student Wellbeing Approach for 2022, Jordan Foster, clinical psychologist, cyber safety expert and ySafe founder, offered insight on protecting and supporting your child with all things online.
The evening was filled with insightful research and advice surrounding your child’s digital journey and online safety, including the three top tips to ensuring your child is safe online. She addressed the conversations parents should be having at every age and technology-related developmental and behavioural issues, giving unmissable insights into how to support your child’s online access without the arguments.
Jordan’s top tips for parents we took away from the evening were:
- Manage Access. Make sure your child’s access is age appropriate (will vary depending on the age of your children), and manage access on your child’s device. If your child is 10 years or above and they have access to a device you must have some sort of parental control on it. You can then manage screen time, access to apps and minimises risk of viewing inappropriate content.
- Set boundaries. Set rules and clear expectations around device usage and your child’s behaviour when using them. This can be as simple as no devices allowed in bedrooms, the car or at the dinner table. Be clear on your involvement and tell your child what you will be doing, including checking their phone or social media profile. Therefore, you can clearly reinforce these boundaries when your child breaks the rules.
- Openly communicate. Make sure you talk to your child about online safety topics. Engage in a conversation instead of a lecture, and ask your child questions about these topics. Use this as a tool to build your relationship and understanding of your child’s motivations for device usage.
The Wesley College partnership with ySafe, Australia’s leading online safety educators, was developed as part of the 2022 Student Wellbeing Approach.
Thank you to our P&F for their generous support of our WES Talk series and commitment to parent education. Stay tuned for details of who the next WES Talk speaker is going to be!
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