As the world gets more digital, it’s almost inevitable that your children will spend time in front of a screen. For us, that time was spent watching our favourite shows on TV. For your kids, however, this time will likely be spent online.
Whether it’s on an iPad, your phone, or smart TV, much of the content available for young children today is on the internet. When watching normal TV, your kids are limited by what’s currently being broadcast. This is great for parents because often kids programming is deliberately scheduled and there are laws in place to ensure certain content isn’t shown at certain times.
The problem is that the internet doesn’t have the same checks and balances. With a few accidental taps on a screen or clicks of a remote, your kids could end up anywhere on the internet.
So, how can you look after your kids when they’re watching videos online? Keep reading to find out!
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Choose the Right Content
The best place to start is by choosing the right content – which sounds easy enough but it can sometimes be harder than you think. The obvious solution would be to pre-watch everything you want to show your children, but who has the time for that?
Choosing the right content, however, will ensure that your kids can laugh, learn, and stay safe when they’re watching videos online. For example, there are a number of excellent free kids cartoons available on YouTube that teach kids important life lessons whilst keeping them entertained!
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Teach them Not to Touch
As we mentioned, accidental taps and clicks can allow your children to wander the internet. The problem is that search bars and pop-up ads are so easy to use that even kids can figure them out.
To help your children stay safe, teach them not to touch your iPad or play with the remotes. This can help to avoid little accidents. If they insist on using the remote, it can help to take it out of the room.
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Install Website/Ad Blockers
One of the risks of your kids using the internet is that they don’t quite understand how it works. They haven’t learned what can happen if you click on a pop-up ad or accidentally open the wrong website.
Kids love surprises and movement so we’re sure you can imagine how they’d respond to seeing a pop-up ad!
To help keep them safe we highly recommend installing site and blockers. This can help to stop them from stumbling across inappropriate websites or clicking on ads and links that are unsafe.
There are plenty of products available that have been specifically designed with kids in mind that can help with this.
Final Thoughts:
When it comes to keeping your kids safe online, there are simple steps you can take. Follow this guide and you’ll be taking effective steps to protect your children.