June Has officially been declared Internet Safety Month, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has launched Cyber Safe Futures, a campaign designed to raise awareness among parents and guardians on the issue of cyber safety.
I might be the mom who can out smart her kids on most days but when it comes to the Internet they out do me with their cyber-smart abilities which can make this moms a bit nervous with all of the cyberbullying, engagement on social networks , and lack of online privacy issues that take place on a daily basis.
The Cyber Safe Futures initiative encourages parents to have open conversations with their children about important online safety precautions. Touching on those key areas such as cyberbullying, online privacy, social networking, and mobile smarts. The BGCA CyberSafeFutures.org website offers a variety of educational resources and tools for us Moms and of course the Dads to learn how to keep our kids safe online.
Here is just a example of the tips I discovered on the BGCA CyberSafeFutures.org site.
Tips for Parents on Cyberbullying
- Talk with your child about cyberbullying. Use a story in the news as a conversation starter. Ask him whether he knows someone who’s been cyberbullied.
- Tell your child to talk to an adult she trusts if something she sees online makes her uncomfortable, scared or angry. Prepare ahead of time what you’ll say and do if your child comes to you with an online problem. Kids are afraid that if they mention a problem, their Internet privileges will be taken away. But you want your child to talk to you about these issues. By preparing ahead of time, you won’t overreact.
- Talk with your child about being respectful online. Not only do you want to help your child if he is being bullied, you also want to make sure he isn’t bullying others. Model good online behaviors for your child and remind him not to say anything online that he wouldn’t say to someone in person.
Click here for more tips and videos on cyberbullying, online privacy, social networking, and mobile smarts. You can even take the Cyber Survivor Challenge Quiz and see how if you are a cyber smart parent with the simple 7 questions they ask. Click here to take quiz now.
June may be officially declared Internet Safety Month but we parents need to become cybersafe smart parents every month with the tips and resources we can use from the BGCA CyberSafeFutures.org site.
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”