There is a general perception that kids are more tech literate than their parents and, in a lot of cases, that’s true. Kids that grew up as new technology was being developed were old enough to get to grips with it from a young age. Being surrounded by technology means that all kids these days have a fairly good grasp of most basic technology. However, it’s still important for parents to educate their children, especially as tech skills become more important in our everyday lives. If you get started early, you can give your child a boost and they will find things much easier when they start school. It also helps them use technology responsibly so they can stay safe. These are some of the most important tech skills you should teach your child.
Coding
Coding used to be a very specialized skill that most people didn’t have a clue about, but it’s becoming more and more accessible. Kids are learning more about it at school and there are more opportunities for further education too. In the future, basic coding skills will be expected in a lot of job roles, so kids that have a good grasp of the basics are in a much better position in later life. There are some great online platforms like Whitehat Jr that teach kids about coding and help them improve their math skills at the same time. Getting your child involved with these online coding classes from a young age will improve their overall educational development and give them a good basis to work from when learning about computers as they get older.
Online Safety
Being safe online is very important because there is a lot of content that is unsuitable for kids. There are also dangers from online predators, which is why all parents need to have a clear understanding of online safety and they need to communicate that to their children. You can take measures like putting child safety controls in place, but you also need to teach your child how to spot suspicious things online and what to do if they see something that they don’t understand. Always supervise your child when they are online to start with until you are confident that they know how to navigate the internet safely.
Security
Security is slightly different from safety. Learning online safety is all about protecting your child from dangerous content or potential online predators. Security is all about protecting your computer and your personal information. Young children can easily open you up to security risks by clicking malicious links and going onto suspicious websites. It’s important to teach them what sites are safe and limit what they view. You should also teach them some of the tell-tale signs of a scam site or email so they can avoid any dangers.
Your child will pick up a lot of basic tech skills on their own but it’s important that you take the time to educate them in these areas too if you want them to be safe and responsible.
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