So you’ve decided to homeschool. You’ve got the lesson plans, the pencils, the printer that only works when you threaten it — you’re ready! Or are you?
Turns out, teaching your kids at home isn’t just about making sure they don’t doodle in their math books. There’s a whole cyberworld lurking behind that cute laptop covered in dinosaur stickers. Let’s talk about the digital villains you’ll want to keep out of your homeschool.
The Sneaky Phisherman
Nope, not the one with a fishing pole and bucket hat — this one’s after your personal info. Phishing emails look innocent — “Click here for your free curriculum!” — but one click and bam! They’re swimming away with your passwords.
Keep safe: Teach your kids (and honestly, yourself) to never click on suspicious links. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Like that “free 12-month Disney+” email from “disnyy.fun.biz”.
Password Problems
Raise your hand if you use “password123” for everything. No judgment, but hackers love that. And guess what? Your homeschool devices probably have a lot of sensitive information — grades, family data, and payment details for all those learning apps.
Keep safe: Use strong, unique passwords for every account. Better yet, use a password manager. (Bonus: you don’t have to remember what your password is when your brain is fried after teaching fractions.)
Sketchy Wi-Fi
Your neighbor’s Wi-Fi name is “Pretty Fly for a Wi-Fi,” but is it secure? If you’re using public Wi-Fi at the coffee shop to plan lessons, you could be broadcasting your info to cyber creeps.
Keep safe: Use a secure, password-protected network at home. If you must use public Wi-Fi, use a VPN. (No, not a Very Picky Nanny — it’s a Virtual Private Network. Although a nanny wouldn’t hurt.)
Zoom-Bombing Party Crashers
Online classes and virtual co-ops are great — until some random party crasher joins your Zoom call dressed as a dinosaur and yelling nonsense. (True story — it happened a LOT in 2020.)
Keep safe: Use passwords for virtual classes, enable waiting rooms, and never share links publicly. Keep the dinosaurs in the lesson plans, not in your meetings.
Downloads of Doom
Free worksheets? Great! Free worksheets with a hidden malware surprise? Not so great. Downloading from shady sites is a fast track to a virus.
Keep safe: Stick to reputable educational sites. Teach kids to always ask before downloading anything. And maybe run good antivirus software as well.
Oversharing Overachievers
Posting every project, test score, and field trip on social media might make Grandma happy, but it can also expose personal info. And that’s just asking for trouble.
Keep safe: Be mindful about what you share online. Blur kids’ faces, hide school IDs, and skip the posts with your house number on display behind that science fair volcano.
Homeschooling in the digital age is awesome — the world’s info at your fingertips! But just like you’d lock the front door during school hours, lock your digital doors too.
So teach those kiddos (and yourself) to think before they click, pick smart passwords, and stay alert. That way, the only thing sneaking into your homeschool will be the family cat demanding cuddles during your history lesson.
Now go forth and homeschool safely! And remember — hackers get an automatic F.
