Children know everything!
It’s a sad reality to accept that naivety is gradually slipping away from children because of the internet these days. Growing up, adults were literal gods to me because they knew “all” and I knew close to nothing. I always wanted to hear them speak, and every word they said captivated me. I mean, that is how it has always been until the creepy hands of the internet snatched naivety from them.
Now, I’m just being extra with my illustrations. The internet is as well a gold mine for children (Take Gradely for instance), and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet. But to get our children to get the best from the internet, certain things need to be put in place.
Let’s get into it.
Gadgets:
Are those really fancy expensive gadgets age-friendly for your child? Well, you might have to check that one out! Not every gadget can be given to children of all ages. That is why we have kid-friendly gadgets these days. So, before ‘going along with the flow ‘, put your kid’s safety first, and do your research. Not everything (gadget) that shines is gold for your child!
Parental Control:
For gadgets that are tagged to be for kids, safety can be guaranteed, but if the gadget you are giving to your child happens to be a regular one, there are parental control settings you can access! And almost every gadget has these features. You get to sign into the gadget, restrict certain sites, software and applications, install kid-friendly versions of regular apps or software, and you receive notifications on your device whenever something gets breached. It varies for each device, but it is a very easy and effective solution.
Social Media:
The debate on whether or not social media is good for children has been up since forever, and I will just tell you straight away that social media is not for kids!
If they are children, let them be Children! Social media is very complex, a lot of times toxic, and unpredictable! This moment, you are seeing wholesome content melting your heart, and the next minute totally random unsolicited content is on your screen! How do you shield a child from that? So, if at all your child has a reason to be on social media, handle the account yourself, or employ a social media handler!
This will save you a lot of stress from concentration issues and fear of the content being consumed.
Screen Time:
After making sure all the other points listed above have been put in place, it is very important to also define when your child or children gets access to their gadget(s). Have it incorporated into their normal schedule, and make sure they follow it. The biggest mistake you can make is to give them unlimited access to the internet.
This will also give you the time for routine checks on their gadgets.
Did you find this post helpful? Leave me a comment below.
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Eniola Makinde
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