Course description

Not sure which settings matter, when your child is ready for a phone, or what to say if something goes wrong online? This course shows you, step by step and without jargon, how to help your children enjoy the internet safely: talking about life online, parental controls, a first phone, social media, games, bullying, scams, screen time and what to do in a crisis.

It's a full course, not a list of tips. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, each with a practical task. You follow a fictional family in north Wales through one summer, from a first tech audit to a new secondary school phone, with the settings they changed, the mistakes they made and how they put them right. Every section has a worksheet, model answers, a cheat sheet and ready-to-use checklists and templates.

What you'll learn

• Getting started: what children do online at each age, the four kinds of online risk, keeping risks in proportion and auditing your family's devices.
• Talking with your children: starting conversations at every age, and what to do when your child tells you something worrying.
• Parental controls: broadband filters, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, search and video settings, and what controls can't do.
• A first phone: deciding when, choosing the phone and plan, setting it up, location sharing and phone rules.
• Social media and games: minimum ages, privacy settings, group chats, sharing photos, age ratings, online chat and in-game spending.
• Harmful content and contact: upsetting content, the warning signs of grooming, nude images and sextortion, extreme views, and who to contact.
• Bullying, scams and privacy: cyberbullying, scams aimed at children, account safety and what you share about your children.
• Screen time and wellbeing: balance, sleep, a family media agreement, being a good example and when to get help.

The final project

You'll review your family's devices and settings, write a family online safety plan, prepare an action card for when something goes wrong, and plan how your approach will change as your children grow. A project brief, a plan template and a plan workbook are included.

Who this course is for

• Parents, carers and grandparents of children aged about 3 to 16 in the UK.
• Families getting ready for a child's first phone or a move to secondary school.
• Anyone who feels the technology is moving faster than they are.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then do the practical task using the checklists and templates in the practice pack. Difficult topics are covered calmly and without graphic detail, with the UK organisations to contact. You keep lifetime access, so you can come back as your children grow.

What will I learn?

• Understand what children do online at each age and the four kinds of online risk
• Talk with your children about life online so they come to you when something worries them
• Set up parental controls on broadband, tablets, laptops, smart TVs and games consoles
• Decide when your child is ready for a phone, and set one up step by step
• Help your child use social media, group chats and games more safely, including age ratings and in-game spending
• Spot the warning signs of grooming, bullying and scams, and know who to contact
• Balance screen time with sleep and family life, and write a family media agreement
• Write a family online safety plan that grows with your children

Frequently asked questions