• Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.

•  Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wi-fi? This will affect whether the safety settings you set are being applied.

• "88% of young people in this county do not feel at risk online." Talk to your child about what they are up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them. If they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.

• "A third of parents would like more information." Watch Thinkuknow films and cartoons with your child. The Thinkuknow site has films, games and advice for children from 5 all the way to 16.

• "Social media is having a massive impact on children's friendships and mental health." Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.

• "1 in 2 children aged 5 – 11 in every classroom in Northamptonshire would go and meet someone they met on the internet." Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they may share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.

• "70% of parents don't have a say in the apps their son or daughter download." Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.

• "77% of children in Northamptonshire have no limits on the internet at home." Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly. 

Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls

Parent Resources

Below is a list of resources for parents which you may find helpful in supporting your child online.  These have been recommended by the UK Safer Internet Centre.

● Advice for parents and carers from Childnet https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers

● Tips, advice and guides for parents and carers from the UK Safer Internet Centre https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers

● Guides on popular apps and games from NetAware https://www.net-aware.org.uk/

● Reviews and information about games, apps, TV shows and websites from Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

● Help on using parental controls and privacy settings from Internet Matters https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/

● Information and reporting of online grooming or abuse from CEOP https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/