Have You Had The Safety Talk?

Giving your child a cell phone should be a big decision.

These 3 steps will help you have the talk so everyone in your family can feel confident about the choice.

Start Now

HAVE YOU HAD THE SAFETY TALK?

Intro

Set Boundaries

Teach How To Respond

Prepare For The Future

Talking about safety on cell phones and devices will strengthen your relationship with your child.

These next 3 steps will help you:

SET BOUNDARIES with your child around devices to keep them safe

Teach your child HOW TO RESPOND appropriately to uninvited texts, photos, or messages

Develop tools to BE YOUR CHILD'S GO-TO PERSON for challenges in the future

How To Get Started:

1. Educate yourself on the risks children are exposed to when they have regular access to a smartphone or device: Educate Yourself (PDF)

2. Begin some light "starter" conversations with your child about devices, self-esteem, and how devices affect our relationships: Use Our Conversation Starters (PDF)

Create and set boundaries for your child's cell phone and devices. To do this, LOOK AT YOUR OWN CHOICES you are making on your cell phone and devices.

A DIGITAL MEDIA CONTRACT is a great tool to use once you have assessed your own digital choices. Remember, though: a contract is only as good as the RELATIONSHIP that binds it. The tools in the next steps will help you strengthen your relationship with your child.

How To Set Boundaries:

1. Take a look at your own device choices and habits: Take Our Device Control Assessment Quiz

2. Set boundaries together by creating your own family digital media contract for everyone to follow: Create My Contract

If your child has access to a phone or a device, they are going to come across DIGITAL RISKS. Risks include: pornography, peer pressure, sexting and sextortion, bullying, and more.

Help your child learn HOW TO RESPOND to these risks in an appropriate and safe way by using our worksheets.

Finally, MODEL APPROPRIATE CHOICES. Your strongest message about safety will come from your child observing you interact with your cell phone and the internet. Do you know what you are teaching them?

How To Teach Your Child To Respond:

1. Review the facts with your child: Educate Yourself (PDF)

2. Practice with your child how to respond: I REALLY Want A Cell Phone (10 Yrs And Younger) -OR- I REALLY Want A Cell Phone (10 Yrs And Older) (PDF)

3. Model appropriate choices and habits: Model This, Here's Why (PDF)

When your child has a phone, be prepared to REVISIT your boundaries, digital media contract, and important conversations you've had about risks.

YOU are your child's safe adult when they have a problem or need to talk about something that happened because of their device. Look for different ways to let them know you love and support them, even when they make a mistake.

We also encourage you to talk about SAFE RELATIONSHIPS with your child because they might go to someone else during a difficult time, and we want that person to be safe. Our tools can help you start these conversations.

How To Prepare For The Future:

1. Revisit your boundaries and digital media contract regularly: Create Your Own Digital Media Contract

2. Affirm your child regularly that they are special and worthy: Affirmation Cards - Simple -OR- Affirmation Cards - Colorful (PDF)

3. Talk about safe relationships: Worksheet for Children: How To Tell If Someone Is Safe (Worksheet 10 Yrs And Younger) -OR- How To Tell If Someone Is Safe (10 Yrs And Older) (PDF)

Available in Spanish.