This post is sponsored by our friends at Google in collaboration with Google Family Partner Program. All opinions are my own.
My grandparents fled Cuba to the United States in the 1960s with the hope of freedom filling their sails. Their determination to raise a family with access to information and opportunity is indicative of how I raise my own children 50 years later in a radically different era. I can only imagine what my grandfather would think of the Internet and how it has changed our lives!
What I really wish for my kids (and yours!) is for them to become critical thinkers with the skills to ask important questions, the courage to create solutions and a world where industrious thinking is valued.
Google Family Partner Program
Over the next 6 months, I’ll be sharing Google for Families products and programs to integrate into our everyday parenting to help keep our kids safer online, more efficient and building their skill sets for the modern era.
We’re taking a good look at how parenting and digital intersect in partnership with the Google Family Partner Program. From things like keeping our kiddos safer online by using moderation and setting limits to good digital citizenship or having the courage to tell an adult when they’ve seen something inappropriate, Google for Families is an elementary teaching resource starting with foundational skills on how to use the Internet effectively and efficiently.
Next month I meet up with Google in Los Angeles to chat about the Google Family Partners Program and I can’t wait to share all that I’ve learned! Before I meet with them, I’m curious to know if you’ve heard about Be Internet Awesome. What about Family Link? We’ll be talking about the safety concerns parents have and the tools and resources to help parents, so if If you have any questions, feel free to send an email and I’ll do my best to get it answered.
Raising Digital Learners
Be Internet Awesome
I absolutely LOVE this program! Be Internet Awesome offers the groundwork kids need to be online safely and responsibly. The best place to start is Google’s Be Internet Awesome Family Guide for a list of parents tips and conversation starters.
Then visit the Be Internet Awesome website with your child to engage in conversations about internet safety and behavior. You can also check out how my family uses the program below. My kids’ favorite part of this program is Interland, a free online game for kids to learn how to keep passwords safe, what phishing looks like and more.
Be Internet Awesome is based on the framework of these core values:
- SMART: Where we learn to share with care
- ALERT: Where we learn not to fall for fake
- STRONG: Where we learn how to secure our digital stuff
- KIND: Where we learn that itʼs cool to be kind
- BRAVE: Where we learn that, when in doubt, we talk it out
Related: Digital Etiquette: How to Be Internet Awesome
Family Link
Think about the Family Link app from Google as your tool for keeping kids (especially older kids with more autonomy) safer and efficient while online.
Family Link allows parents to set digital ground rules to guide children through their time online. Parents can view reports of their child’s usage, set time limits, lock devices remotely and even manage which apps are being downloaded or websites they visit.
Check out how we use Family Link and our family rules in the post below.
Related: Internet Safety Tips: How to Use Google Family Link
Digital Parenting
As our kids mature – and even as they travel the world and embark on new adventures – I want them to feel empowered online! I’m excited to see what our kids build and create with the infinite digital resources available to them.
Let me know if you’ve thought about how our digital lives intersect your parenting also!
