Child Safety eSafety Early Years: online safety for under-fives, starting with the tablet on the coffee table
The eSafety Commissioner's free Early Years program helps parents keep children under 5 safe on screens. The four messages, a picture book and song, a family tech agreement made with Play School, and what to teach first.
Your three-year-old can find their favourite show faster than you can. Then a pop-up appears, or a video call comes in, or the next video is one you would never have picked.
We put up baby gates and pack the hat. The eSafety Early Years program is the same idea for screens. It comes from the eSafety Commissioner, Australia's online safety regulator, it is written for parents of children from birth to 5, and every part of it is free.
Why start this young
eSafety's own research (2021) found 81 percent of Australian parents say their 2 to 5 year old uses the internet. Many toddlers can swipe before they can talk. By 4, some children find their way around a touchscreen on their own. Smart speakers and connected toys can record and share data too.
eSafety is plain about it: limiting screen time on its own is not enough. Children need small habits, built early, that still work when you are not beside them.
The four messages
Everything in the program comes back to four short lines you can say to a preschooler:
- Be safe. Who is it safe to talk to online, and what we keep private.
- Be kind. The same manners on a screen as at the park.
- Ask for help. Come and get me, any time, about anything.
- Make good choices. Some shows and games are better for you than others.
Teach "ask for help" first
This one matters most at this age, and eSafety gives you words to use. Teach your child to come to you when:
- anyone contacts them, in a video call, a message or a game, even someone they know. "Come and get me if anyone talks to you online, even if it's a friend."
- a pop-up appears. It could be a purchase, an ad or something harmful. "If something pops up, don't tap it. Come and tell me and we'll sort it out together."
- something makes them scared, sad or uncomfortable. "Tell me if you see or hear something that worries you."
Talk about the screen even when nothing is wrong. A child who is used to telling you what they're watching will tell you when something goes wrong.
What you get
- A picture book and a song. Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 follows two sugar gliders at a family sleepover and shows what to do when something unexpected happens on a screen. Read it online, watch Jimmy Rees read it with an Auslan interpreter, or borrow it from your local library. Parents and carers can order a free printed copy (usually up to 5 per order). The song My Family Rules, by children's entertainer Lah-Lah, sings the four messages.
- A family tech agreement. Made with ABC Kids' Play School, with pictures for little ones. eSafety suggests making one together when your child is about 3, then sticking it on the fridge. The rules include some for the grown-ups too.
- Story puzzles. An activity book with Swoosh and Glide.
- The Online safety for under 5s booklet. Practical advice from birth to 5, including how to set up a device with safety in mind, screen time habits and where to find good content. Download it whole or in sections.
- Help choosing good content. eSafety asks whether a show or app is a window (something new beyond their world), a mirror (their interests and your family's values) or a magnifying glass (a closer look at something they love). If it is none of these, it probably isn't worth much.
How to start this week
- Open the Children under 5 page and play the My Family Rules song together.
- Read Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 at bedtime, or ask for it at the library.
- Print the family tech agreement and fill it in together. Put it on the fridge.
- Practise "come and get me": next time a pop-up appears, call your child over and show them what you do.
- Watch together when you can, and talk about what you see.
- Notice your own phone. eSafety's first tip is to model good screen habits, because babies are watching from the start.
If something goes wrong
If your child is sent or shown something harmful, eSafety takes reports at esafety.gov.au/report. If a child is in danger right now, call 000.
How it fits with the others
For screens and sleep, development and safety at each age, see Raising Children Network. For a free parent talk on safety at home, see Kidsafe WA's Keeping Kids Safe workshop.
Sources
- eSafety Commissioner: Children under 5 (Early Years program for parents and carers, picture book and song, family tech agreement, story puzzles, booklet)
- eSafety Commissioner: It's never too early to start talking about online safety (81 percent of parents of 2 to 5 year olds, 2021; swipe before talk; restricting screen use not enough; contact, conduct and content risks; four key messages; model good screen habits)
- eSafety Commissioner: Encourage your child to ask for help (contact, pop-ups, upsetting content; suggested words)
- eSafety Commissioner: Online safety picture book and song (Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5, Jimmy Rees and Auslan reading, libraries, free printed copies, My Family Rules by Lah-Lah)
- eSafety Commissioner: Family tech agreement for under 5s (around 3 years old, with ABC Kids Play School, rules for parents too)
- eSafety Commissioner: Online safety for under 5s booklet (birth to 5; device set-up, screen time, good content)
- eSafety Commissioner: How to choose good online content (windows, mirrors and magnifying glasses)
- eSafety Commissioner: Report abuse