Protect Your Child on the Internet
With advancement in internet technology, every kid knows how to operate a mobile phone or tablet. If you are a parent, you are always searching for new ways to control what your kids do online. Think of the internet as a big city, but without an adequate police force. That’s where you come in.
Keeping the recent lockdowns and pandemic in mind, families around the world had to spend most of their time at home. The closure of preschools in Dubai also lead to dedicating more hours on the internet. It may start with school, socializing or simply playing games however, internet is not a safe space for children. Not all websites and online activities are suitable for kids. Some might be extremely dangerous for mental health while others can be related to life threatening crimes which most kids are unaware of. The question is what can you do as a parent? The best thing is to monitor online time and activities in various ways. Here are some guidelines to keep your child safe from the harmful effects of the internet.
Talk About The Issues:
Social media can be challenging for teens. Although its great for socializing and entertainment, it can also distract them and may expose them to cyberbullying or cause low self-esteem.
The best action to prevent your children from being exposed to the harmful effects of social media is proper education regarding the subject. Teach your kids about computer literacy and smart social media habits. Discuss about what they are reading, watching and who they are communicating with online. Proper dialogue among parents and children is essential because a time will come when they will access the internet without any safety feature. So, don’t forget to prepare them for the outside world.
Schedule Screen Time:
As most British preschools in Dubai have started online classes, kids get more screen time than usual. If you feel like your kids are spending time with smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs a little too much, it’s high time to set a few rules.
In such a situation, consider limiting the number of hours per day or week for the usage of smart devices. You can also enforce limitations to the different types of devices and programs available.
Start taking interest in their online activities so you can get an idea about the kind of activities they indulge in. Once you know the interest of your child, try to find alternate TV shows and apps for them to try. You might schedule a screen-free time for your family on a daily or weekly basis.
Know Your Parental Control:
Innocent searches online can lead to not-so-innocent results, so it’s always good to learn about the parental controls offered by various apps, devices and web browsers. Research about the search restrictions that can help you control online activity on your device. Such filters will block websites with explicit and inappropriate material at a young age and offer a secure web browsing experience.
If you need help in this endeavor, don’t hesitate to ask the school teachers. At Mosaic Nursery in JLT, the teachers and school administration work shoulder to shoulder to instill good habits among kids. Call us at 04 425 6670 for further queries.
