Digital safety for children

Keep children safe using open communication

Have an honest and open conversation with your children about who they talk to and how. Make sure they value friendly and understanding understand interactions and that mean, discriminatory or inappropriate contact is never acceptable. If your children encounter this, tell them to discuss it with you or another trusted adult immediately. Monitor if your child is scared, sad or secretive about their online activities or if they are being bullied online.

Spend time together online

Think about how your child can have safe and positive online interactions with friends, family and yourself. It is now more important than ever to connect with others. This is an excellent opportunity to incorporate kindness and empathy into your 'virtual interactions'.

Help your child identify 'fake news' and age-inappropriate content that may make them more anxious about the COVID-19 virus. You and your child can learn a lot about the virus together thanks to the many digital resources available from reliable organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.

Together, look for apps, games and other online entertainment that suit your child's age.

Children should have fun and express themselves

Now that children are at home so much, it is a wonderful opportunity to express their own opinions online and support others during this crisis.

Encourage your child to to take advantage of digital tools that they can actively engage in, such as videos with exercises for children and games that also require them to move physically.

Make sure they alternate their time online with offline activities, outdoors if possible.