How to talk to your kid about online strangers (without the lecture)
Scripts and rules that work — including the single most protective family rule you can set.
About 20 minutes · 4 steps
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Lead with curiosity, not interrogation
Ask them to show you their favorite game or server. Kids share more when they're the expert and you're genuinely interested, not auditing them.
Set the one rule that matters most
'We never move a conversation from a game to another app.' Off-platform moves are the single most common step in grooming, because they escape moderation. Make it a household norm, not a punishment.
Normalize coming to you
Say it explicitly: 'If anyone online ever makes you uncomfortable, asks for pictures, or threatens you, you will never be in trouble for telling me.' Shame is what keeps kids silent in sextortion cases.
Name the tactics
Explain that some adults pretend to be kids, give gifts to earn trust, and ask kids to keep secrets. Naming the playbook makes it recognizable.