Many families rely on babysitters more during the busy summer months. As babysitters are coming into your home, it is important to take a few steps to best protect against dangerous technology entering into your home.
- Make a Tech Plan for your home. This includes setting device boundaries and defining your family's values when it comes to technology. You can learn about making your own Family Media Plan here.
- Include specific rules to keep kids safe from pornography when you’re not home. This means listing devices children are allowed to use without parent supervision, what content they are allowed to watch and some ideas of screen-free activities for the babysitter to do. It may also be helpful to let each babysitter know which of your devices they may use (i.e. the TV but not the laptop, etc.), social media use and guidelines for photos/videos of your kids.
- Talk about the tech rules with kids and the babysitter at the same time. By taking the time to do this before you leave, your sitter will know that pornography is not tolerated, your child will know what to do if they see pornography, and that an adult will ask about technology use while they were gone. With clear expectations, babysitters are more likely to closely monitor your children's screen time.
Some of of the most pervasive dangers facing children today are accessible in our own homes, especially pornography. As parents, it is your responsibility to make sure that your home is a safe, pornography-free place for your children, babysitters' and your own sakes.
To read more about babysitters and technology, click here.