**Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I was paid a fee to promote this guide.
A lot of parents are understandably concerned about keeping their kids safe online. I know I am. My oldest is only 9, but she’s already using the internet for school and for fun. So are my 8-year-old and 5-year-old, actually. I have parental controls set up on the computer, but is that enough? I’m always hearing about various ways that middle and high school kids are fooling their parents with various apps that I know nothing about.
This is a very real concern for many parents and children. What if they are approached online by a predator? What if other kids at school start cyber-bullying them? How will I know, and what do I do about it?
I have so many questions, and that’s why I’m happy that I found the Parents’ Survival Guide to Online Safety, operated by Kid Guard. I learned so much, like the signs that your child is experiencing cyber-bullying and what to do if he or she is. They also have a lot of great resources for learning to keep your kids safe from online predators. For instance, did you know that it’s common for online predators to pretend to be a child living in the next town over so that A. Your child will think it’s normal that they haven’t met yet, and B. Your child will think they can eventually meet up? These predators also frequently “friend” groups of children who all know each other. This gives your child a false sense of security. “If Ashley and Kelsey are friends with him, it must be safe for me to be friends with him too.”
As this guide points out, the best way to keep your child safe online is to talk to them. But if you think that your child needs another level of protection, Kid Guard also has a cell phone monitoring service. You can actually monitor everything your kid does on his or her phone. You can see every chat, tweet, post and email. They have a 10 day free trial if you want to check it out.
I know this is the kind of thing we’d all rather not think about, but we owe it to our kids to learn as much as we can about online safety.
I agree - communication really is the key to keeping your children safe online…and in general! Thanks for linking this up to #coolmumclub x
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So true. My kids are still young, but my 3rd grader already has email through school. Do your kids have devices yet?
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It’s so scary, the whole online thing. My eldest started high school this year and I’m forever grateful that he has no interest in social media as yet. Although I’m sure it’s just a matter of time…
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That is very lucky! My oldest is in 3rd grade and I actually discovered that she was being bullied by checking her school email. 3rd grade! Does your high schooler have a phone?
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It’s quite terrifying. My little one is small still but I’m already worried about how we’ll manage his safety.
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It really is. My oldest is 9 and we’re already dealing with this. How old is your little guy?
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It’s a scary world we live in. As a mom of 5, it’s hard to keep up with all their doings online but it’s so important! This is the first I’ve heard of a cell phone monitoring service. I may have to look into that.
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Yes, me too! It’s so handy, because there are so many apps these days that I’m not familiar with. Do any of your kids have phones yet?
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Now that mine are no longer babies or toddlers, I am honestly freaked out by the whole online thing! Thanks for the tips. #coolmumclub
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Yes, my oldest is in 3rd grade and it’s already starting! She doesn’t have a phone or anything, but they have email for school. Doesn’t that seem so early?
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