Tell NSPCC about the family rules you have to keep safe online - chance to win a £300 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AmeliaMumsnet]

NSPCC have teamed up with O2 to launch their #ShareAware campaign. Here’s what they have to say: ‘We tell our children to share, but online it’s different. In fact, sometimes sharing online can be dangerous. That’s why we’ve joined forces with O2 to ask parents to be Share Aware and keep children safe online. With the internet changing all the time it can be hard to keep up to date but our Net Aware guide gives an overview of the sites young people use. . Our straightforward, no-nonsense advice will untangle the web, and show you how you can be just as great a parent online as you are the rest of the time.’

As a parent, your main priority is to keep your self and your family safe, and this means agreeing on some rules for when you’re surfing the web, for both you and your child. As part of their #ShareAware campaign to keep children safe online, NSPCC and O2 want to know about the family agreements you have in place to make sure you and your DC stay out of trouble - the family contracts you have in place within your home to help things run smoothly.

So, maybe you always make sure there’s an adult present when your DC is online or have you agreed to not share images of your child without their permission? Perhaps no one is allowed on their phones at the table. Every family has a set of rules that works for them, so post on this thread to tell NSPCC and O2 about your family agreements and you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

For more information, or to download your family agreement template, visit Share Aware
here to download your family online agreement template.

Thanks so much for taking part, and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply.

I have 12 and 13 year olds and we have always had a no devices in the bedroom or at the table rule. It's become second nature to them now and means there's a break from being online for all of us.

We have one computer, in the lounge. The girls have their own account set up with parental controls and we get a weekly report of their activity, website visited etc just in case anything had slipped under the radar.

It is very important that screen time is supervised! My eldest (11 years old) has to hand her phone over at 9 and is not allowed it until the next morning!

Enabled parental controls on all devices they use

My two are never allowed their tablets in their bedrooms - they have to use them in a communal room where I can keep an eye on them, even with parental controls set. Communication is key - I talk to them openly about dangers and they know to ask me if they are unsure about anything. Most importantly - be very careful with personal data/info.

I really worry about this, it's such a new part of parenting and one where the technology and problems are constantly changing.
DSD is desperate to be able to talk to her friends over some kind of messaging thing. She's 9 and claims all her friends already have it. DP has just said no so far (her phone is just an old handset with some games downloaded and no internet etc) but at some point we will need to help guide her through this.
Our younger ones only use it to watch CBeebies/now tv/Netflix and are in the room with us .

I've set all parental controls on their tablets so they can only access age appropriate content and have no access to social media. They only get to use them in the living room when I'm about so they are supervised.
Rules will change as DC get older but we have discussed online safety and they will only get more online freedom gradually so they can learn how to be safe.

I said to my 13 year old, 'You wouldn't put a picture of your face, with your name and address and school and mobile number, on a poster in the window of Tesco. So do not do it on the internet. No pictures of bits or bottoms. No asking for pictures of bits or bottoms. Anyone, anyone at all could be a hairy-handed trucker pretending to be a young person, and unless you know them in real life first, do not go and meet people. Ever.'

I got 'aaawww Muuum, I'm not stupid and I wouldn't anyway, eeew!'

I have access to all social media accounts. I control the phone account and the money. I know how to track sites visited through the router. Any dodgy browsing, any inappropriate behaviour from anyone, the phone will be confiscated, the internet heavily policed. All the safe surf stuff is on. No phones in the bedroom. Computer in the living room.

Mine have to have their bedroom door open, allow their siblings in to join in, not use it in the hour before bed and if they are misbehaving I turn the wifi off.

DC is still too young for social media but has started playing some online games. We are very open about internet safety, we talk a lot about not giving out any personal information online and only playing with friends that you know in real life.

We also have filters on the Broadband line and parental controls.

IKEA, can I ask how you set up that weekly e-mail from your son's laptop? TY

We don't allow DD to use the Internet without an adult watching. And I take the screen away when an advert is playing (accompanied by an explanation that people are trying to sell her something she doesn't need). I'll definitely need some advice on how to handle things when she is older and needs a bit more freedom.

From the earliest age I have taught my daughter how to keep safe - but at the youngest age without actually scaring her. I told her that NO adult would ever stop to ask a young child for directions or to go with them and that it was not rude to run as fast as she could away from anyone who did. When she was young I never left her with people I didn't know but (due to my own experiences) was still wary of those that I did. As she grew older I moved to the dangers of being online and how to stay safe. Children who were banned from television in the past would sneak to watch it at their friend's houses and so it would be naive to think that she may never find a way online even if she wasn't allowed to access the internet without supervision at home. Now she is older I have the passwords to all her accounts and her phone. I understand that to a young teenager her Instagram account is like a diary she may not want Mum to see. I just need her to know that I can access if it ever I have any concerns. As she has grown I have made her watch age-appropriate programmes on the subject that she wanted to shy away from but that I needed her to see regarding online and 'real-world' safety. The whole time, the most important thing is to always have an ongoing dialogue without nagging.

We have parental controls on the computer and the rule that is if the kids set up passwords on their computer or phone we know the passwords.

Talking and being open and involved

As my child is under 2, she hardly uses computers or iPads as of yet. We do plan to have pins on the iPad and to have a family laptop, as of which she would only be allowed to used in the living room. That way, me or my OH can keep an eye on what she's on.

Parentals controls on absolutely everything - it's much easier than it sounds to do. Make sure that they don't know your password tho!

And frankly I think we're encouraging manners and REAL communication by banning all screens while eating. We do make exceptions to munch pizza and popcorn when enjoying a family film, but that makes it more special rather thatn the norm.

I have a 3yr old and a 7yr old. Both have parental controls on their tablets. My 3yr old has kidsyoutube and is always with an adult when on youtube. My 7yr old doesnt have social media and hes not allowed to download anything without my approval (none of my children know the password tp make purchases). They both have a time limit

No unsupervised play on the tablets

My 4 year old enjoys watching videos on YouTube. Our rule is that she can only use the kids YouTube app and must have an adult nearby who can hear what she is watching.

We have parental restrictions on all our devices and I definitely do not allow any technology at the dinner table or in bed.

DD (7) has her own tablet that has online games and movies she can watch, it is locked down so that it has no direct internet access. She knows I monitor her usage and the games she has are all vetted by me first (ie nothing with a chat function.)

She is occasionally allowed to use youtube on the adult tablet, but that is done with a grown up in the same room. We've had a chat about writing things on line and she knows she'e not even allowed to comment on youtube videos.

No phones at the dinner table, I must be a friend/ contact on all social media and phones are banned for homework time. If they need help with an answer they can look it up in a book or I will google for them

Never talk to strangers, never follow anybody (other children when out playing) without telling the grown up you are with.
No unsupervised access to any electrical devices.

We have parental controls installed on all devices (and they report if something not allowed has been attempted to access), and ds only has internet access in the sitting room. We regularly check the logs and he knows it.
Lots of discussion about what knowing someone actually means, and about what it is appropriate to say