🎯 Would Your Kid Answer That?

This week, I sat down with my kids to ask a few simple questions — the kind that sound harmless in a game chat, but might be anything but:

“What’s your favorite game?”
“Where do you live?”
“Can you send me a pic?”

One of them laughed when I asked about the last one and said,

“No thanks. I’d just say no thanks.”

The other told me, “I wouldn’t send one unless I knew them in real life.” Then paused. “And even then… maybe not.”

We kept going. I asked how they know if someone online is really a kid. One told me:

“Their name or avatar usually gives it away. Plus, grownups are Noobs.”

The “Noobs” part made me laugh — but it led to a quick reality check. I had to explain that just because someone has a kid-like name or avatar doesn’t mean they’re actually a kid.

Another surprise: I learned there was voice chat in one of their games — even though I assumed there wasn’t. That little discovery alone made the conversation worth it.

And when one of them said they’d only share a pic if they “knew the person in real life,” it made me pause. We’ve talked about not sending photos before, so I wasn’t expecting that answer. It was a good reminder that even past lessons need refreshing.

That’s when it hit me:
They’ve learned a lot. But there’s still more to talk about.

For example, neither could really tell me what they’d do if a stranger gradually started asking personal questions — or how to tell if a message was crossing the line. One said, “It depends on the question.” The other said she usually just declines when she doesn’t know someone… “but not always.”

These aren’t wrong answers — they’re real ones. And that’s exactly why I built this week’s CyberReady Kids mission.

🔍 This Week’s Mission: “Would You Answer That?”

It’s a quick, hands-on challenge designed to help kids recognize personal info bait in chats and game lobbies.

You’ll go through some common questions together, like:

Then, let your kid decide how they’d respond — and most importantly, why.
You’ll get to see their instincts in action and fill in any gaps, together.

Would you answer that?

🛡️ Why It Matters

Not every message online is dangerous — but not every kid knows how to tell the difference.

This activity helps kids:

And maybe, like my daughter said when we finished:

“It kind of felt like I was on the news.”

That’s when I knew it stuck.

📥 You can download the mission here.
No stress, no tech — just a smart way to start the conversation.