Optimizing Online Safety with Christy Keating

The St. John Parent Association recently hosted a profound Parent Education Night featuring Christy Keating, the founder of The Heartful Parent Collective. Keating, a licensed attorney with extensive experience in prosecuting sexually violent predators, shared invaluable insights into optimizing online safety for children.

Click here to access resources, including discount codes for purchasing tools, Keating shared with us.

Click above to view the recording of this event.

About Christy Keating: Christy Keating brings a wealth of expertise to the realm of parenting in the digital age. As the founder of The Heartful Parent Collective, which includes various platforms such as Heartful Parent Coaching, Savvy Parents Safe Kids, and The Heartful Parent Podcast, Keating is dedicated to empowering parents and educators. With over 25 years of experience as a public speaker and group facilitator, she passionately advocates for creating safer online environments for children.

Key Themes and Questions: During the Parent Education Night, Christy addressed critical themes and answered thought-provoking questions from participants. Key topics included setting ground rules for online behavior, understanding the risks associated with online activities, and empowering children to become responsible digital citizens.

Advice by Age: Keating provided practical advice tailored to different age groups, emphasizing the importance of constant supervision for younger children, open communication for preteens, and setting boundaries for teenagers. Additionally, she highlighted the significance of waiting until 8th grade before providing unrestricted internet access, as advocated by the Wait Until 8th organization.

Online Risks and Strategies: Participants gained insights into identifying and mitigating various online risks, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and predatory behavior. Keating emphasized the role of parental controls, monitoring software, and open dialogue in safeguarding children’s online experiences.

Empowering Digital Citizenship: A central theme of the discussion was the importance of fostering digital empathy and responsible online behavior. Keating encouraged parents to model good digital citizenship and engage in ongoing conversations with their children about the impact of their online actions.

Resources and Recommendations: Keating shared valuable resources, including books such as “Good Picture Bad Picture Jr.” and “Good Picture Bad Picture,” as well as organizations like Culture Reframed and Common Sense Media. Additionally, she provided practical tips for addressing safety concerns during playdates, such as discussing safety rules and supervisory arrangements with other parents.

Conclusion: The Parent Education Night with Christy Keating was an enlightening and empowering experience for the St. John School community. As we continue our journey towards enhancing online safety for our children, let us remain vigilant, informed, and supportive of one another.

Thank you to Christy Keating for her invaluable contributions, and to all participants for their active engagement and commitment to creating a safer digital environment for our children.

If you were unable to join the talk live, the recording is available here.

St. John Parent Association