The first day of school is a milestone and a turning point. When your child enters kindergarten, he is no longer exposed only to that which you want him to know. The knowledge, opinions, and experiences of every other child in his domain is now at his disposal. If you haven’t already established clear boundaries and open lines of communication, it is essential to do so now.
Your child feels both omnipotent and powerless at the same time. He is out in the world now, empowered to act independently, and that is a very heady experience with all the freedom it brings.
It is also frightening for him, as he becomes aware that while he may be master of his own environment at home, he is unversed in the ways of this bigger kingdom beyond his backyard. His curiosity drives him to learn, to understand, and to become more effective. At the same time, the need to be accepted and fit in becomes stronger, enabling the influence of peer pressure to begin to be a factor.
There is a strong emphasis on capability and accomplishment at this age. Children learn new ideas and skills at a fast pace. As their repertoire of capabilities grows, so does their awareness of all the possibilities before them.
They develop an interest in exploring and mastering these possibilities. Especially after the age of seven, their cognitive abilities allow them to think logically and consider the world around them in more specific and personal ways. The internet can provide a useful tool to enable this learning.
Children understand the concept of “stranger danger” and other perils. However, they remain innocent and unaware of their vulnerability, and do not fully comprehend the human capacity to do harm.
This puts a huge responsibility on parents to establish and enforce rules that ensure the child’s safety. He has not yet internalized these rules; he simply follows them because that is what is expected of him. Don’t expect your child to be able to generalize real life safety rules to his online experience.
Even if you have explained some of the harm that can befall him, he may not yet see the relationship between some of his actions and possible consequences.
Children in this age group have usually developed awesome ability where computer use is concerned. Focus on directing this ability toward positive uses in very structured settings. Select online activities that challenge his mind, satisfy his need for interaction with peers, and limit the potential for negative outcomes.
This is an ideal time to introduce your child to the usefulness of the internet for both learning and fun. For virtually any interest, there exists an age-appropriate website for exploration and interaction.
As in the physical world, kids who focus their energy and time in personal interests and self-development are far less likely to be pulled in by less desirable activities. Continue to monitor your child’s online experience, even though he has the ability to function more independently now.
Listings of kid-friendly sites that suit a range of sill levels and interests can be found through the following links:
http://www.suite101.com/articles.cfm/kids/more
http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm
http://www.theteachersguide.com/interactivesites.html
Ensure your safe internet browsing for your kids.
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