Wellbeing

E - Safety and the Holidays 

With the holidays just around the corner, your children might be spending more time online for entertainment and to connect with their friends. As a parent or carer, you can help them have safe and positive experiences online. Have a conversation with your child today about how to stay safe online and to deal with online safety issues like cyberbullying, inappropriate content or unwanted contact. eSafety has lots of great advice and resources for parents and carers to help keep young people safe online.

Online Gaming 

Online gaming provides children with lots of opportunities for skill development, beneficial play, creativity, self-expression, belonging, and social connection. To make sure they get the most out of gaming, parents and carers also need to help them build skills to navigate risks and put in safeguards. 

Are you familiar with the benefits or the risks your child might be experiencing whilst playing online games? Regardless of the console or device they use, what type of game they play, if they play alone or with others, or how often they play, it is important to understand your child’s unique gaming experience. 

Playing online games with your children is a great way to learn more about their interests, while also developing a greater understanding of how they interact and communicate with others online. When adults get involved in positive ways it can also strengthen family relationships and enable families to manage conflict about gaming in more productive ways. 

For more information on gaming and simple tips for how you can make this a safer and more positive experience, go to eSafety's gaming guide for families. The eSafety Guide includes the latest platforms, games, and apps, with information on how to apply safety and privacy settings, and how to report abuse or other harmful behaviours.

Source: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Catherine Osadnik

Wellbeing Leader