DANGEROUS CHRISTMAS GIFTS SOURCE: CHILD ACCIDENT PREVENTION TRUST

The Child Accident Prevention Trust has published a list of eight gifts most likely to cause an accident this year. Cheap gifts from unknown sellers on online marketplaces can come from anywhere in the world and can be dangerous.

Super-strong magnets can rip through your child’s belly. Easy-access button batteries can kill your child if swallowed. Dangerous electrical goods can start a fire in your home.

Find out which products could be dangerous and how to shop safely.

https://capt.org.uk/8-dangerous-gifts-to-avoid-this-christmas/

YOUNG CARERS

A young carer is someone 18 years old or under who helps look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. This could be a parent or a sibling. Some children begin giving care from a very young age, and others become carers overnight. Caring for someone can be very isolating, worrying, and stressful. For young carers, this can negatively impact their experience in education. Over a quarter of young carers aged 11-15 regularly miss school. This can have a lasting effect on their life chances.

Please see the information from Action for Children below and if you believe your child is a Young Carer, please email studentwelfare@kendrick.reading.sch.uk.  There is help within school for Young Carers and we can put them in touch with organisations that can support you.

https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/blog/young-carers-who-are-they-and-how-are-they-impacted/

STAYING SAFE ONLINE: CHAT APPS, SOURCE NSPCC

Help children stay safe on chat apps

Messaging and chat apps are a great way for a child to stay in touch with their friends and family but it’s important both of you are comfortable with who they’re talking to.

Talk to your child about who they’re chatting to and how they know them. Remind them to be conscious of who they’re sharing personal information with and not to share information with people they haven’t met before. This includes information like their name, location, email, phone number and school name.

What are chat apps?

Chat apps allow the user to send messages, photos, videos and documents, as well as creating large group chats.

Some apps allow users to message people they don’t know, so your child could receive messages from people they don’t know - most apps have settings to allow this to be changed so that they only receive messages from people they know. With your child, make sure these settings are in place and show them how to reject requests from people they don’t know.

Even with friends, your child might see something that upsets them. Explore each app to see if there are reporting and blocking features. Show your child how to use these features and talk about situations when they might want to report or block.

Popular chat apps

WhatsApp: Age rating: 16+
Main features: text, photo & video sharing, one to one and group chats, disappearing messages. End to end encrypted. Live location sharing.

Omegle: Age rating: 13+
Main features: text chat or video call with strangers.

Telegram: Age rating: 16+
Main features: text, photo & video sharing, one to one and group chats. End to end encrypted.

Viber: Age rating: 13+
Main features: text, call, share photos and send video messages, secret chats. End to end encrypted.

Signal :Age rating: 13+
Main features: text, photo & video sharing, one to one and group chats, disappearing messages. End to end encrypted.

Facebook messenger: Age rating: 13+
Main features: messages, photos, videos and audio recordings, and play games with your Facebook and Instagram friends and phone contacts. You need a Facebook or Instagram account to use Messenger.

Discord: Age rating: 13+
Main features: a chat app that's popular with gamers. It is often used to talk to other players while playing game

Snapchat: Age rating: 13+
Main features: photos, short videos or messages, disappearing messages called Snaps.

Kik: Age rating: 13+
Main features: text, photo and video messages one to one or groups. The ‘Meet New People’ feature lets you start a conversation with random users

For more information including safety settings in chat apps, end to end encryption, randomised chat forums and apps, disappearing messages, gaming chat, chat rooms, and how to talk to your child about what they are sharing, click here.