Online
Wellbeing
The online wellbeing section focuses on helping children build healthy digital habits that support their mood, confidence, and balance. It explores how screens, social media can affect sleep, stress, self esteem even their grades.
Talk, talk and keep talking and ask questions
Talking to your teenager means staying curious, asking questions, and giving them space to share what they’re experiencing online. These questions help you understand their world without judging or jumping in too quickly, and they show your teen that you’re there to listen, support, and help them make sense of whatever comes up.
They keep asking for a phone
Smartphone free Childhood: What every kid needs to know about a smartphone - This actually works.
Ensure you set parental controls on your child's device
They are not completely bomb proof but they do help. You should set parental controls as they help protect your child and other peoples from content, contacts, and online spaces that aren’t safe or age appropriate.
What they lose out on, when they're online
Talk to your child about what they lose out on when they spend too much time online helps them understand the impact on real life experiences. No one will look back on their life and say I wish I was on TikTok more. Great video to share with your teen.
Talking to your children about explicit content
Finding explicit content online can be confusing or upsetting for children, and talking about it openly helps them feel safe, and less ashamed if it ever happens. Normalise that there is so much harmful content, they will likely come across it but its not their fault. Really important, always think before you react - you want them to be able to come to you in future.
How to have conversations about Pornography
Addressing online pornography - Do's and Don'ts - Ages 11-13s
Addiction and screen dependence
Tell them these devices are not phones at all they are supercomputers engineered to keep you using and scrolling. Endless scrolling, gaming, and notifications can affect sleep, concentration, and their mood.
Sleep & Grades
Poor sleep and late-night device use can make it harder for children to do well at school. Using phones or tablets before bed leads to later bedtimes and broken sleep, which leaves them tired and less able to focus or remember information in class.
Mental health effects
Heavy device use, especially on social media, can affect a child’s mental health by increasing stress, comparison, and pressure to keep up with constant messages. Too much time online can make children feel overwhelmed, anxious, or left out, and it can also take time away from sleep, hobbies, and real life.
Listen to your body
Children need to learn to trust and listen to their body because it often tells them what they need before anything else does, this is in the online and offline world. If their stomach feels tight, their chest feels heavy, or they suddenly feel tired or overwhelmed, those are signs their body’s asking for a break, some help, turn away, get away.