Advice for parents and carers

Tablets

How to start a conversation with your child about using a tablet safely:

Why do you want to get a tablet?

Whilst deciding if it is time for your child to have a tablet can be a great opportunity to find out what your child expects to use their tablet for. This could be for connecting with friends, playing games, for homework and research or for something else.

What do you like about using your tablet?

You can ask your child about their favourite websites to visit, what they like using their tablet for, or you can ask them to show you how to play or use their favourite game or website.

What is your favourite app or game on the tablet?

Ask your child about activities or games that you could enjoy as a family, this can be a great time to establish a family agreement to manage your families time online.

What would you do if something worrying or upsetting happened on your tablet?

You can ask them about the places they can go to find the safety advice, find out what they know about privacy settings, and ask them how to report or block on the services they use.

What can we do as a family to help you use your tablet safely?

Ask your child about activities or games that you could enjoy as a family, this can be a great time to establish a family agreement to manage your families time online.

Top tips

Talk with your child about responsible use of their tablet

Discuss what is okay and not okay to use it for and look at the possible risks. Tell your child what they should do if something goes wrong while using it. This could be to turn off the screen and tell an adult.

Think about the location of the tablet

Will it be in a shared family space or in a bedroom? Where will the tablet charge overnight? Think about: setting time limits; reminding your child about the risks of communicating online with people that they do not know; and encouraging them to come to you with any worries.

Explore parental controls

Take a look at the controls available both on the tablet itself and on your home Wi-Fi. Talk these through with your child too. Parental controls are a helpful tool, but an open conversation with your child is the most important thing.

FAQ’s about tablets