We have all been stuck in the house for the past few weeks. Most of us are working from home while trying to keep our kids distracted from the gloom of the current television news cycle. We’ve been trying our best to keep them in some kind of routine and committed to their studies; a difficult task now that all schooling is being done virtually.
Often times, we discuss limiting our children’s screen time. So, what happens when schools make the shift to fully educating online? Well, it becomes a bit harder to control. Even if you now find yourself working from home, being under the same roof with your kids 24x7, monitoring their internet usage is not the only thing you have to get done during the day.
But take a pause. Try to be a little flexible with your kids in this category right now. Yes, they are spending a lot more time on computers, tablets, and cell phones. But consider the shift they have had to make. It might seem like they are getting off on easy-street, but learning with minimal social interaction can be tough. Your kids may need more breaks than usual to make it through the day. And sometimes those breaks come in the form of surfing the internet or playing a quick game online with friends.
Don’t sweat the small stuff, though. I would, however, suggest you make sure they are taking cyber safety seriously.
A few points...
- Make sure they are aware of common online mischievous activity like phishing attempts to collect personal information (addresses, email, name, etc.) or potential criminals checking for status updates to learn when families are away from home
- Discuss with them their behavior while gaming online (trash talking, sending messages through gaming apps, etc.). Individuals who target children are notorious for picking up their next subjects in these forums.
- Have general conversations with your children to find out what they like to do online and what sites or apps they like to visit. This can give you insight into what you may need to discuss with them further.
Remember, the internet is a valuable resource (arguably essential) for our children. Allow them to make the most of it. Encourage them to explore, but to be smart in their exploration.
