You’re not alone! You’re really not. Sadly, we hear this daily at Bark and want to help you have a powerful and meaningful conversation with your child. In addition to utilizing filters and parental controls that can block and alert, the relationship between you and your child will be one of the best ways to help them develop a healthy internal compass when it comes to inappropriate, harmful, and addictive content. Here are 4 great resources I’ve found that actually make a difference.
1. Good Pictures Bad Pictures Young children deserve to be armed early against internet dangers. The book Good Pictures Bad Pictures by best-selling author Kristen A. Jenson uses gentle, age-appropriate messages to comfortably and effectively discuss this awkward topic with your kids. You need to explain what pornography is, why it’s dangerous, and how to reject it - starting at a very young age.
2. Fight The New Drug FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative nonprofit that exists to provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts. I have mad respect for this organization and am so very grateful for all they do. They will help your family, young and old.
3. Protect Young Eyes One of my favorite dads on the planet is the vision behind this helpful site, and he’s been really transparent about his own early exposure to pornography and the negative ramifications of that exposure on both him and so many families he’s spoken to. Please subscribe to his content and follow his work.
4. Bark Technologies
Bark can alert you if your child has encountered pornography and/or predators, amongst other harmful things. You can sign up for a free trial here and join over 6 million families who have been helped by our tech.
Conclusion Am I saying that sex is bad? Goodness no -- none of us would be here without it! Is age-appropriate sexual curiosity totally normal? Absolutely. The point of this is not shame -- the point of this is that when your child has grown, they are able to have a healthy sexual relationship with another consenting individual, and not be negatively impacted by what has been shown to be damaging to people of all ages.
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