Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for BGCA. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions are honest and my own.
As the parent of a tween, one of my biggest concerns is keeping her safe when she’s online. We’ve had the common discussions about using only your first name, visiting websites we’re familiar with, and not giving out personal information. But a she gets older, I know she’s going to want to connect with friends online. She sees me chatting with fellow bloggers and website designers who have become close friends. I have a feeling that her paper and pencil pen pal letters will eventually migrate to Skype, Facebook, and other social platforms.
As a parent, I’m thankful for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Cyber Safe Site. If you’re not sure how to talk to your kids about online safety, or if you have questions, you have to check out this amazing resource. You can tap into the cyber safety expertise of the CyberTribe, a panel of teens who are ready and willing to answer your specific questions. These kids offer real, honest, practical advice to parents. Click here to submit your question, or click here to read the CyberTribe’s answers to previous questions. Bonus: Anyone who submits a question to the CyberTribe right now can enter to win an iPad mini and $500 for the Boys & Girls Club of their choice.
In addition to the CyberTribe resource, the Cyber Safe Site offer parents powerful tools like a glossary of common online terms and a quiz to check your parental cyber smarts.
My favorite resources on the site are the discussion cards. Parents can use these cards to springboard important conversations about social networking, cyber bullying, mobile technologies, and online privacy. To find the cards, go to the resources page. Then click the Learn More button under any topic. You’ll find tips for parents, the discussion cards (in print or email form), and links to additional resources.
Growing up in a digital age offers our kids a unique set of challenges. As parents, we need all the resources we can get to teach our kids how to navigate the issues they’re going to face. Be sure to bookmark the BGCA’s Cyber Safe Site so you have the tools you need.