During these school holidays I would like to encourage families to continue having conversations with their children about the importance of being safe online. The internet is a wonderful tool for learning and researching, but it also has its dangers that families need to be aware of. Here are some tips from the eSafety Kids at https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids about being safe online. There are many invaluable resources for families on this site and I encourage all our families to take some time to look through this resource.

• Explore together — ask your mum, dad, carer or a trusted adult to play new games or apps with you at first.
• Stay close by — when you use a phone, tablet or computer by yourself, make sure your mum, dad or carer is nearby so you can get help if you need it. Bonus tip — don’t use your device alone in your bedroom.
• Ask before you download, install or buy anything — check with your mum, dad or carer first.
• Keep your personal information private — don’t give out your address, which school you go to, phone number or passwords. Find out more.
• Check your privacy settings and talk about what to share — make your online accounts private and talk to your mum, dad or carer about the kinds of photos and information it is OK for you to share online. Find out more in the eSafety Guide.
• Cyberbullying — if you receive a mean message, or a message that is mean about someone else, try not to respond and don’t forward it. Tell an adult you trust about it and read our tips on what to do. 
• If you see something online you don’t like — show your mum, dad, carer or a trusted adult immediately. Find out more.
• If someone you don’t know sends you a message or you receive a message that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe — tell your mum, dad, carer or an adult you trust straight away. Find out more.
• Only ‘friend’ or add people you know in real life — remember that not everyone online is who they say they are, so don’t accept friend requests or followers you don’t know.
• Don’t meet up with online friends — It is best to keep ‘online friends’ online, so if you do chat to other kids in online games don’t meet up with them in person.