Parenting Pointers: Parenting in the Digital Age - Teaching Our Kids About Compassion

In today’s world, where kids become familiar with the internet at a very tender age, parenting has become even more difficult than it used to be. With cyberbullying on the rise, it’s absolutely vital that you teach your kids to show compassion for others and be good digital citizens.
The numbers are incredibly worrying:
Over 1 in 3 online users have been subjected to cyberbullying in their lifetime. Still, only 1 in 10 youth victims have reported cyberbullying to a parent or trusted adult. Whether your child is the victim or perpetrator, you should be well informed about how to handle the situation.

Here’s the golden rule every parent should teach their children:
“Don’t say anything online you wouldn’t say in person.”

Here are some of the ways you can help your kids become better digital citizens.
Practice with Notes
The fact that you can’t take your words back after clicking send is one of the peculiarities of social media. So, you should teach your kids to be able to communicate their views and opinions to others in a healthy way on the first attempt.
Here’s how:
Teach your kids to first verbalize their opinions and thoughts using notes on their mobile devices before making a social media post. This way, they are trained to pause and take a second look at what they want to type and how it might affect those who read it.
Teach Them to Take a Pause
Help your kids understand the importance of taking a breath before replying to a post or comment that hurts their feelings. Let them know that responding in an angry state can make them do things they might regret down the road.
Be Prepared to Listen
This is where most parents fail. Kids have been found to approach their parents about social issues only when they believe their parents would listen to them without being quick to judge.

The thing is:
When most kids are confused, they turn to their peers or older teens with complex emotions to help them rather than looking to their parents. It is paramount that you let your kids know they can trust you with the issues they face. The best way to show this is by listening to them with empathy when they voice their concerns.
Helping your kids learn compassion while using their digital devices needs to start from the top. To this end, you should be a role model for them by listening to them with compassion while encouraging them to do the same.
Final Thoughts
Due to cyberbullying and the other issues that have become common on the internet today, parents should be more invested in looking after their kids’ emotional health.
As a parent, make your kids comfortable with you so that you know when they become the target of cyberbullying. Also, teach them to respect the opinions of others online and express theirs without looking to hurt or bully others. Good luck!