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In the digital world we now live in, it’s important to remember to speak to your children about online safety. Depending on your child’s age, you might have some worries about setting and keeping boundaries around screen time.

On today’s podcast, I’m joined by Lisa Honold from the Center for Online Safety. Lisa shares great tips for navigating this discussion with our children in a way that will make them feel respected, while keeping them safe.

This week on the All About Audiology podcast:

* 1:04 – Lisa has two hard of hearing  children, and one child with normal hearing. 

* 5:28 – It’s not common for everyone to know someone with hearing loss, and a parent’s first experience with audiology is often when their child is diagnosed. 

* 11:22 – Choosing a mode of communication is not an easy decision to make, but knowing all of the options available to you will help you make an informed decision. There is no right or wrong decision, every family is different! 

* The 5 Step Guide to Navigating Your Child’s Hearing Loss is a great starting point filled with helpful information, and can be found on our website.

* 17:07 – It can be really helpful in the early years to join parent & child groups, especially ones where the children are a few years older than yours are. You can learn a lot of practical tips from other parents who have already been through it.

* 19:35 – Mutual respect between parents and medical experts is key to getting the best care for your child. Remember that although doctors are experts in their field of expertise, YOU are the expert on your child. Do what is right for you and your family!

* 21:13 – Follow your baby’s lead, and everything will be ok no matter which path you go down. Make sure to carve out time for things that aren’t hearing loss related, and enjoy spending time with your baby.

* 28:27 – Screen time Safety: The average age kids are seeing “adult material” is 11. If there is no way to supervise screens, we will have no idea what our kids are learning about or forwarding to other children. 

* 30:32 – We teach kids fire safety, how to safely cross the street, and how to protect themselves in various situations. We need to remember to add online safety to this list.

* 34:01 – Lisa categorizes three main “buckets” of screen time: Passive, Connection and Creation. Since home education has now massively increased, there is also now another type — Education.

* 36:19 – Talk to your kids about limits and set up a “technology contract” with them, so that they feel involved in the decision making. An app such as Bark can send you notifications that will alert you to inappropriate situations that your child might need help with. 

* 41:29 – Choose your battles wisely, sometimes it’s better to stay behind-the-scenes while monitoring the situation closely. If something is happening that needs immediate attention, go to your child and have an honest discussion.

* 43:49 – If your child is having a playdate or sleepover away from home, make sure you set boundaries. Find out what kind of devices/apps your child is going to have access to and tell them if there is anything you’d like them to avoid using with your child.