Did you know October is National Bullying Prevention Month? This sponsored post on behalf of Forward Influence Networknofollow and Google centers around how to stop cyber bullying, and what resources we can use to teach our kids how to be internet awesome.
As kids, we were both bullied. Those interactions when we were young definitely shaped how we parent our kids today. My husband and I were the kind kids, the different kids, the kids who could withstand teasing and ridicule, but only for so long. In our latest episode of the Cool Hip Parents podcast, we talk about what’s it’s like to raise kind children in a whole where cyber bullying has become a mainstay.
Raising Kind Kids
What do you do when you want your kids to experience life online and offline, but you know that bullying is something they may encounter? You talk about it. Talking with our kids about being Upstanders in their friend circle, in our neighborhood, and online has helped to relieve our stress and worry. Having those talks has also gotten our kids to feel more confident in their decision-making skills.
How To Start The Conversation
Here’s the thing, parents: we don’t have to do this alone. There are resources and communities out there to help us raise kind kids and learn more about being upstanders, a word Google for Education uses.
Be Internet Awesome is Google’s free multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence. The program is available in English and Spanish and consists of an ISTE standards aligned curriculum, ready-made Pear Decks for each lesson, Interland – an adventure-packed online game about digital safety and citizenship – and plenty of resources for educators and parents.
The five areas of Internet awesomeness are:
- 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
We’ve also loved playing the Interland game with them, which is a fun way to explore the 5 areas mentioned above. As a mom of gamer kids, I highly encourage you to let your kids take on Interland (or play it with them). You’ll love the messages they teach, and your kids will enjoy playing the game!
If you’d like to be part of the conversation we’re having about cyber bullying and raising kind kids, watch our live broadcast of the podcast episode.
Have you subscribed to our podcast yet? If not, you can subscribe on Apple iTunes, Google Play, and Anchor.fm. Be sure to listen to the #BeInternetAwesome episode for a condensed version of the live stream!
Learn more about how to Be Internet Awesome at g.co/BeInternetAwesome and tell your kids’ teachers about the online curriculum so they can introduce these activities in the classroom.
More ways to learn about Google for Education
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/GoogleforEducation
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/google/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoogleforEdu