This is a sponsored post in partnership with Google and Forward Influence Network. All options are 100% my own. #ItsCoolToBeKind #BeInternetAwesome
The internet can be a wonderful place where we shop, research, watch movies, play games and interact with the world but it can also be a very dark place full of mean people. Chat rooms, Facebook groups and countless other avenues accessible online have become a safe haven for people to hide behind their keyboard and bully others and spread hate. Since October is National Bullying Prevention Month we wanted to provide you with ways you can teach your kids it’s cool to be kind online so they can help stop this bullying behavior and so the internet can be a healthy, productive space for us all.
Teach Kids The Golden Rule
We all know that the Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one’s self would wish to be treated, but do your kids know that? From a very young age this age-old principle will do your kids well if they learn and apply it in their lives. Good-ole cyberspace is no exception so teach your kids how to act appropriately online. Decide as a family what kinds of actions and behavior toward others are important and how that looks in digital forms: texts, posts, comments, photos, videos, etc. Talk about what being positive and kind means to you and let your kids express their thoughts as well. Practicing respect, kindness and positivity within the family circle, then online, is a great place to start.
Teach Kids by Example
Your kids are watching everything you do and say. My oldest daughter recited something back to me word for word that she heard me say on the phone a week earlier, I had no idea she was listening. Be kind at all times, online or not, in front of your kids because believe me they are watching and learning by your example! They think the world of you so if you are an upstander (person who knows what’s happening is wrong and does something to make things right) then they will want to be one too!
Teach Kids to Respond
As a parent one of the most important things I can do is teach my kids how to respond to bullying behavior and negativity online. Most of the time your kids don’t know how to respond to situations presented to them and they need help developing digital and social skills. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the family unit when it comes to teaching kids how to respond to drama and cyberbullying! A great tool to help you do this is Google’s free multifaceted program, Be Internet Awesome.
It’s cool to be kind Online
Be Internet Awesome is designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety. The program is available in English and Spanish and consists of an ISTE standards aligned curriculum, ready-made Pear Decks for each lesson, Interland – an adventure-packed online game about digital safety and citizenship – and plenty of resources for educators and parents.
Through BIA students and families will learn how to make choices that stop online bullies dead in their tracks and how they can do their part to make the internet a safer kinder place. My kids and I had a blast playing the Interland games because the activities are fun and they kept the open-hearted discussions going. I encourage you to check out Interland and put your kindness to the test! Play some games with your kids and just have some fun while you all learn together that is is cool to be kind online!
Elizabeth Hurt
Elizabeth is the mom behind Mom Always Knows, a space inspired by generations of strong women who always seemed to know just what to do.
She is a wife, mother, believer, and Dallas-based blogger who loves sharing practical, relatable, and encouraging content for moms and families. Her faith, family, and everyday life continue to inspire the heart behind Mom Always Knows.
As a mom raising two daughters, Elizabeth knows motherhood is full of joy, questions, challenges, and constant learning. Through Mom Always Knows, she shares helpful ideas, honest encouragement, and real-life resources for women navigating family life, motherhood, home, faith, and everything in between.
This is definitely such an important topic! Being kind to everyone that we meet and especially teaching and showing this to our kids is very important. Thanks for sharing an spreading some awareness!
Nicole recently posted…9 Reasons Marketers Love Brand Management Tools
I love this! Keyboard courage is a real, toxic thing and I never want my kids to go there. I even see this behavior in adults in the workplace, and it drives me crazy!
Yes adults should set the bar high and sometimes fail!
These are some great tips. Being a teen is tough enough and dealing with mean kids and bulling at school and now you have to deal with it online. This is great to teach our kids to be kind online.
I really hate bullies! I really want to protect my kids!
So much hate in the world, everyone just needs to be kind! Thanks for the tips
So true! : )
I didn’t grow up with computers, so teaching my kids how to navigate an online world can be challenging. This is very helpful!
I didn’t either! Crazy how things change!
This is so important. Social media is a part of life these days and it’s much better to exercise kindness than fall into the meanness trap.
and its so easy to be kind!
This is a great topic and starting young is very important. i have seen many kids get social sites without their parents knowledge, so thinking it won’t be your child is silly. Just teach them at a young age because technology is not going away, it’s only going to become more and more prominent in their lives…
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So important for sure!
With more and more kids using the internet and spending more time online, this is so important to teach them. I have told my kids to be kind but never told them to do it online. I need to do this now.
Glad I could help, check out Google’s program!
Thanks for your tips. I will share with my nephews that just start to use the internet.
Awesome!
It is cool to be kind, thanks for the tips
Definitely some good tips. Middle School is tough enough and add the internet to it… We really struggle with some of the stuff my daughter is exposed to and we remind her all the time that kindness is a better option.
It is tough so every bit helps!
I am a firm believer of “kids see, kids do” and so I teach by example as you noted. But also, I have no reason to be rude online too.
Yes me too for sure!
I always taught my children to be kind to everyone everywhere. As far as I’ve seen they all followed through, now I know kids can be different when they are away from us so I will never know completely. My 4 grandchildren (and their parents) are living with me right now and in the wake of all the unfortunate suicides have spent more than average talking about the subject of being nice and others feelings.
Gladys Parker recently posted…Capresso Pour-Over Kettle will Please Your Gift Recipients
I am so sorry about the suicide, that happen in my family too!
I think this is such an important thing to teach our children. The amount of hate that is spewed by people online is unbelievable and we need to stop it. Teaching our children to be kind online is one important way to end this, having a whole new generation coming online and being kind to each other.
Jessica Hughes recently posted…Holiday Honey Hustle Challenge + Healthy Coffee Alternatives
We do need to stop it and all be kind! : )