First on Jessica Peck's list is delaying access to electronics for as long as possible.
"Don't be afraid to be that parent who says, 'Nope, we're not doing that here,'" she recently said on her radio show. "That doesn't mean it absolutely protects them against everything, but as long as you possibly can, delay access."
She also advises parents not to be afraid to reset boundaries.
"If you give access and it doesn't work out, take it back and just say, 'I've learned some things; we've learned some things together. It's my job to keep you safe, and I recognize you won't like this, but we're going to reset some boundaries here,'" Peck suggests.
Secondly, parents should adhere to a platform's rules and terms of use. Fibbing and checking a box saying a child meets the age requirement, for example, could be voiding any legal protections. Meanwhile, that also shows a child that it is OK to lie.
Parents must also insist on privacy, making sure their child's account is private. This includes keeping their picture and full name off of their page.
"Number four [is] disable geotagging on their photos," Peck continues.
Finally, she recommends parents avoid lectures and fear-based strategies when discussing social media with their children. They should instead use relationship-based strategies when talking about things such as health.
