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 8-15 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.