Families

Welcome to Cyber Friendly Primary Schools

This tool has been designed to help families understand how to develop positive online social and emotional learning skills with their kids.

What do I need to do?

To use this tool we ask you to reflect on each of the statements below by thinking about what you know about your child’s social and emotional learning skills and capabilities online. You may already be helping your child develop these skills or you might find there is room for improvement!

The – and + sliders are not designed to score responses, instead they allow families to reflect on their current level of knowledge and where they might need additional support. When the slider is moved from left to right, tips and resources will appear that have been selected to help families build on their knowledge in each of the online social and emotional learning skills.

This collection of resources have been developed by researchers, organisations and agencies who produce the latest evidence based information about children online.

Alternatively, search for each of these skills in the Knowledge Hub for more information.

Self Awareness Online
Recognising feelings and emotions and moods online.
I can help my children to label and recognise their feelings, emotions and moods when online.
How could I talk with my children about recognising their feelings, emotions and moods when online?

It is important for children to learn how to recognise and label their own emotions when they are in online environments whether it is playing games, using social media or doing schoolwork. These emotions may include happiness, love, fear, excitement, anger, jealousy depending on the situation.

Some feelings can influence behaviours and be more difficult to recognise or to deal with than others. Talk with your children about the way our body can give us clues about our feelings, emotions and moods e.g. "what do you think it means when your heart beats faster or when your face becomes hot?" (Media Smarts)

The Parent Toolkit has some conversation starters and advice for building self-awareness in primary school aged children including:

Talking to your children about their feelings e.g. “What made you feel good/upset today?”

Sharing personal stories about the feelings, emotions or moods you felt in similar situations

Using many different words to describe your own emotions

Using books, TV or movies to point our feelings and asking your children why the characters are feeling the way they are (Parent Toolkit)
I can help my children reflect on how their feelings, emotions and moods may be influenced in positive or negative ways by their online environment.
How could I talk with my children about how their feelings, emotions and moods may be influenced in positive or negative ways by their online environment?

The Digital Citizenship Guide can be used to help to talk with your children about how their feelings may be influenced positively and negatively by experiences they have when using digital devices, for example if they experience conflict or cyberbullying.

eSafety kids has advice and conversation starters on various topics such as I saw something online I didn't like.

eSafety parents offers specific help on the subjects you may be trying to discuss with your child.
Managing Ourselves Online
Managing feelings, emotions and moods and setting rules and limits online.
I can help my children use strategies to regulate or manage their reactions to emotions when they have positive and negative experiences when online.
How could I talk with my children about using strategies to regulate or manage their reactions to emotions when they have positive and negative experiences when online?

A quick way to support your children recognise and manage emotions is to help them:

Name it: What am I feeling? Identify and understand how the emotion affects you.

Explain it: Why am I feeling it? Think about what you are feeling and why you might be feeling this way.

Accept it: It is okay to feel this way? It helps to be kind and understanding to ourselves for the way we feel. This helps us accept our emotions and not blame others or judge ourselves for how we feel.

Manage it: What can I do to deal with this situation? The goal is always to recognise and accept your feelings are happening without losing control and also finding ways to feel better (Friendly Schools).

Media Smarts have resources for parents related to Online Ethics including the Building Empathy in Children and Teens – Tip Sheet provides some tips for encouraging empathy when children are experiencing strong emotions when online.

Help your children to find strategies and techniques to manage their reactions to emotions. The Parent Toolkit has some tips for building self management skills in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students

The Raising Children Network have information and strategies related to social and emotional changes in children aged 9-15 years.

Media Smarts have parents Digital Citizenship Guide to help parents talk with their children about managing their emotions when fights or arguments happen when online.
I can help my children to understand how the time they spend online can affect their physical health, relationships, wellbeing, and school work.
How could I talk with my children about how the time they spend online can affect their physical health, relationships, wellbeing and schoolwork?

The "Screen time and wellbeing" infograph has research findings about the pros and cons of screen time and how it can affect social and emotional wellbeing.

The eSafety Commissioner has help for parents related to children achieving a healthy balance in their online and offline activities including:

Signs that screen time is having a negative impact on your children’s health, relationships, schoolwork and wellbeing

Chatting with your children regularly and helping them stay aware of how much time they are spending on different online and offline activities

Reducing your own screen time to set a positive example

The download "Screen time for your child – 7 tips" is a short summary of their strategies and advice.
I can help my children set agreed rules or limits for the amount of time they spend online.
How could I talk with my children about setting agreed rules or limits for the amount of time they spend online?

Telus Wise provide information on how to keep screen time under control in the tip sheet "Managing screens in your home"

Work together with your children to set rules around screen time. Some advice on how to do this can be found on the Raising Children’s "School-age screen time: tips for balance" page

Parental controls can be used to set time limits that block online access after a set time. The eSafety Commissioner's information on parental controls explains this further.

eSafety parents offers tips to help your child achieve a healthy balance in their online and offline activities.
Social Awareness Online
Respecting others online, understanding positive and negative relationships online.
I can help my children respect the opinions, feelings and rights of others when online.
How could I talk with my children about respecting the opinions, feelings and rights of others when online?

"Good habits start young" by the eSafety Commissioner has advice and strategies for parents to encourage respectful communication and empathy in our children when they are online.

Media Smarts have resources for parents related to Online Ethics including the Building Empathy in Children and Teens – Tip Sheet which has some tips for encouraging empathy when children are experiencing strong emotions when online.

The Parent Toolkit has some tips for building social awareness in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students.
I can help my children understand the difference between positive and negative online relationships and ways to manage these effectively.
How could I talk with my children about the difference between positive and negative online relationships and ways to manage these effectively?

Media Smarts Digital Citizenship Guide can help parents to talk with their children about healthy or unhealthy relationships, managing conflict and being a positive influence when online.

The eSafety Commissioner’s website has information and advice on how to chat about unwanted contact (any type of online communication your children might find uncomfortable or confronting) or grooming.

It can be helpful to understand how the changes your children will experience as they move into adolescence will affect relationships with the people around them. The Raising Children Network has information about Social and emotional changes: 9-15 years and understanding your child’s developing brain.
Decision Making Online
Making responsible choices and seeking help online.
I can help my children examine the benefits and risks associated with being online e.g. (using games, apps, websites)
How could I talk with my children about the benefit and risks associated with being online e.g. (using games, apps, websites)?

The eSafety Commissioner has provided advice on how to talk to children about sensitive issues or hard-to-have conversations.

The eSafety Commissioners’ Online Safety Guide and Media Smarts Digital Citizenship Guide can help parents talk with their children about the benefits and risks of being online and how to get help if something goes wrong.

The eSafety Commissioner has live webinars for parents/carers and their children, exploring the latest research and expert advice for using technology safely and learning how to help children develop the skills to be safer online.

The eSafety Guide has information about games, apps and social media including how to protect your information and report inappropriate content.

Legal Aid WA’s ‘R U Legal?’ Program includes information for young people, a fact sheet for parents, legal advice about sexting and image-based abuse, filming young people fighting, and cyberbullying. It also includes information about the legal consequences if young people break these laws.
I can help my children get help for themselves or others if they have negative experiences when they are online.
How could I talk with my children about how to get help for themselves or others if they have negative experiences when they are online?

If your children ask for help for themselves or others if they have negative experiences when online, here are some ways you could respond:

Show your children you believe them. It is important for your children to feel confident in confiding their experiences

Take your children’s concerns seriously without panicking

Listen to your children without judgement. Show you understand he/she is upset by what has happened

Remind your children they have the right to feel safe and respected when online

Talk about what actions your children have taken and work out a plan of action together

The eSafety Commissioners’ Online Safety Guide can help parents talk with their children about the benefits and risks of being online and how to get help if they have negative experiences.

The eSafety Guide has information about games, apps and social media including how to report inappropriate content.

The tip sheet “How to push back against hate online” discusses actions children can take if they see hate and prejudice online.
Relationship Skills Online
Communicating and interacting respectfully with others online.
I can help my children communicate in a kind and respectful way when they are online.
How could I talk with my children to communicate in a kind and respectful way when they are online?

Good habits start young by the eSafety Commissioner provides advice and strategies for parents to encourage respectful communication when they are online.
I can help my children use conflict resolution strategies if they experience conflicts when they are online.
How could I talk with my children about using conflict resolution strategies if they experience conflicts when they are online?

Media Smarts have a parents’ Digital Citizenship Guide to help parents to talk with their children about steps to follow if they are in conflict with someone when they are online.
I can help my children demonstrate “Cyber leadership” through their positive and safer behaviour online.
How could I talk with my children about how they can demonstrate “Cyber leadership” through their positive and safer behaviour online?

"Good habits start young” by the eSafety Commissioner provides advice and strategies for parents to encourage their children positive and safer behaviour when they are online.

The "10 tiny ways you can make the world a better place today" by Media Smarts has suggestions from children about how to demonstrate kind and respectful behaviour when online (and when offline).
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Additional Resources

Be Connected has information about devices and the Internet and is designed to improve digital skills and confidence.
The eSafety Commissioner have Easy English resources to help adults and children with intellectual and cognitive disabilities deal with online risks.

Cyber researchers from Telethon Kids Institute have created a number of brief videos which may be helpful to families. These videos can be found below:

Are you concerned about the extra time your child is spending online thanks to isolation or remote learning? Professor Donna Cross explains the 5 Cs of Cybersafety.

When the kids hit the pool, we make sure they’re safe by teaching them to swim and supervising them. “Think of technology like a swimming pool”.

One of the tools we can use to help our kids stay safe online is a family media plan – a document that outlines the who, what and when of digital device use.

When deciding how much screen time our kids should have, we need to think about what they’re actually using their screens for as well.

Deciding when to give your child a mobile phone? There are more factors to consider than just their age.

Are your kids spending a lot of time playing online games? Check out our tips on setting boundaries around game use.

Social and emotional learning online.

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Further information about how teachers and school leadership can help children develop positive online social and emotional learning skills can be found by choosing an option below:

Families

Welcome to Cyber Friendly Primary Schools

What do I need to do?

Self Awareness Online

How could I talk with my children about recognising their feelings, emotions and moods when online?

How could I talk with my children about how their feelings, emotions and moods may be influenced in positive or negative ways by their online environment?

Managing Ourselves Online

How could I talk with my children about using strategies to regulate or manage their reactions to emotions when they have positive and negative experiences when online?

How could I talk with my children about how the time they spend online can affect their physical health, relationships, wellbeing and schoolwork?

How could I talk with my children about setting agreed rules or limits for the amount of time they spend online?

Social Awareness Online

How could I talk with my children about respecting the opinions, feelings and rights of others when online?

How could I talk with my children about the difference between positive and negative online relationships and ways to manage these effectively?

Decision Making Online

How could I talk with my children about the benefit and risks associated with being online e.g. (using games, apps, websites)?

How could I talk with my children about how to get help for themselves or others if they have negative experiences when they are online?

Relationship Skills Online

How could I talk with my children to communicate in a kind and respectful way when they are online?

How could I talk with my children about using conflict resolution strategies if they experience conflicts when they are online?

How could I talk with my children about how they can demonstrate “Cyber leadership” through their positive and safer behaviour online?

Additional Resources

Navigate