My Young Child Saw Something They Shouldn't Have, Now What?

Perhaps you have downloaded Lighthouse in response to your child stumbling across something you didn't want them to see. Or maybe your family's devices are protected, and your child was exposed to graphic content out of your home. As a parent, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that your young child has seen something that you wanted to protect them from. What's done is done, now it's time to protect them from future incidences, and ensure that they are okay.

The inappropriate internet content that young children are exposed to isn't necessarily sought out. It can happen accidentally, in the blink of an eye. A child fascinated by planes, watching videos on YouTube could suddenly be ushered onto footage of a plane crash. Gaming channels could lead your child to discover left-wing hate groups. Pornographic material could have been stumbled upon through a seemingly innocent search term.

It's important to speak to your child about what they saw, and how it made them feel soon after the incident. When you bring it up, be calm, and reassure your child that you are not angry at them. It's important that you set the precedent for discussions going forward. You want your child to know that they can approach you about anything they see online, and chat openly to you about it.

They may not be able to make sense of what they saw. So ask them to tell you how it made them feel, and offer some context. For example, if your child saw a plane crash, they may now be terrified of aeroplanes. You need to let them know that aeroplanes are actually very safe, and that accidents like that are very rare.

It's also important to let kids know that not everything they come across online is real - just like movies aren't real. Some people that use the internet aren't nice people, and can say rude or ugly things, but you are here to protect them from those people and most people in the world are good.

Close off the conversation by letting your child know that they have a superpower that will let them know when something they see online isn't good. They could feel scared, sad, and their heart could speed up - this is their superpower kicking in. It's a sign that it's not something for their eyes to see, and they should let you know right away what they saw and how they felt.

Next, ensure that it doesn't happen again. That's where Lighthouse fits in. Based on the filters set by you, we help monitor your child's internet activity by running in the background of your child's device. We are able to block images and content on websites and apps before your child even sees them. We also send you an instant notification if your child is trying to access content that is blocked and isn't suitable for them. From your own device you can check out the content, and permit or deny your child access. With Lighthouse, kids can be kids for longer.