WELCOME TO KNOW yOUR TINGS

The internet is mostly fun, but also has some dark corners. The more you understand, the more you can help. Take some time to get to know your child’s online environment and so you’re ready when they need you.

Your fears might not be their issues. To learn more about how your kid spends their time online, establish an open dialogue. It’ll help you beat your assumptions, and better understand what they’re up to online.

Now you know what they’re doing, it’s time to try it yourself. The easiest way to learn their online world is to explore it. Film a TikTok, make a meme, ask them what emojis mean to their age group. Getting familiar with digital environments is one of the best ways to level up your parenting knowledge.

Now you’re clued up it’s time to come to an agreement. When co-creating rules for their digital life, you want them to be supportive and reasonable. Intense rules tend to be cast aside. Finding a balance is the key to creating a useful agreement.

Don’t skip school. If your young people don’t know how to recognise a scam, or how to block distressing content, or report someone who is harassing them, then school is in, and you’re the teacher. And if you’re not a confident teacher, ask a family member or friend to give you a hand.

Let’s not lie to ourselves, kids aren’t the only ones who pick up bad phone habits. Have a think about how you use your phone so you can be the best role model for your family.

If tings go wrong, what are the next steps? Have a list of organisations somewhere the whole whanau has access to. Perhaps it’s your school, Netsafe, Youthline or Safe to Talk. Is there a family member you can reach out to if the problem is confusing, or your children can reach out to if they’re too embarrassed to talk to you about it. Whatever the plan looks like, make sure everyone knows it.