Southfield Park Primary School

Social Media

You might be struggling to keep up with the things your child is doing online, you might wonder whether what they are doing is safe, and you might also be thinking, how can I be as good a parent online as I am offline? Do not despair! Here you’ll find practical tips and simple guidance.

• Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest.  Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
• Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children.  Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.
• Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily.  It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
• Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online.  It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
• Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.
• Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops.  They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think.  Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly.
• Know the recommended ages for all the main social media sites. All are not recommended for children of primary school age.  See the links below for the actual ages recommended.

AGES

 Below are some handy guides for making sure your social media accounts are safe and the settings are secure.