Rules for surfing the net

6 tips on how to make it easier for your child to take their first independent steps on the Internet.

When the little ones grow up, they not only want to discover the real world, but also the digital world on their own. For parents, the question arises: How do I accompany my child in everyday life?
Do the same in the virtual world as in the real world: accompany your child attentively. Take an interest in their experiences. Talk about it. This will allow your child to tell you in confidence about what they have experienced while surfing. Nevertheless, it is advisable to take precautionary measures.

Tip 1: Discover together

Even kindergarten children are curious about the Internet. Children's questions are a wonderful way to explore the internet together: Where does the most poisonous snake live? Why are milk teeth called that? Surf together on child-friendly websites where text explanations, films and pictures quench their thirst for knowledge. You can build trust on surfing trips together - and trust is better than strict rules.

Tip 2: Search for child-friendly websites

Websites that are suitable for children are intuitively designed and free of adverts. Children should learn through play. One successful example is the elephant page(wdrmaus.de/elefantenseite) with the little blue elephant from the programme with the mouse. It offers games of skill, tricky puzzles and film clips. Portals such as fragfinn.de or radioteddy.de, helles-koepfchen.de, toggo.de or zambo.ch are also very helpful. There you will find child-friendly explanations of the big questions of mankind.

Tip 3: Agree on rules

The number of situations in which your child is online without you looking over their shoulder is increasing year on year. They must therefore learn to be safe when travelling alone. Talk to your child about the risks of surfing and make agreements about which sites your child can use, how long they can be online and how often. You can also put these rules in writing, for example with the help of a media usage agreement(www.mediennutzungsvertrag.de).

Tip 4: Know your surfing preferences

You probably know your child's friends, what they are interested in and the places they like to go. It is therefore important that you also know your child's surfing preferences. Choose sites that are suitable for children and use technical protection functions. Also explain to your child what you are protecting them from.

Tip 5: Observe your child

Pre-school children usually find it difficult to concentrate for an entire film. If the story is too complex, told too quickly, with too many roles, they quickly lose interest. The same applies to the internet. So keep asking yourself: How quickly and well does my child process content? Distinguish between heart and mind. Observe exactly how quickly your child is impressed or moved and how they can express this. Keep adapting the rules you have drawn up according to your child's level of development.
again and again.

Tip 6: The dose makes the poison

It is difficult to express in figures how long your child should use media every day. What is more important is that media use in leisure activities should be in a sensible relationship to exercise and real-life experiences. Is this the case and do you regularly discuss this with your child? Then media time is a real enrichment.

To the author:

On Medienstark you will find tips and interactive learning modules for the competent use of digital media in everyday family life.
www.swisscom.ch/medienstark

More about media skills and digital media:

Lonely because of smartphones? There are numerous prejudices surrounding the use of digital media by young people. The new JAMES study dispels some myths ...

The mobile phone as babysitter. After JAMES and MIKE comes the ADELE study: it examines the media use of four to seven-year-olds in Switzerland. The most important results - and three tips ...