Authors: Mike
Published: December 15, 2025
Maybe the fireplace is burning bright. Maybe the house smells like cinnamon and every room feels a little fuller than usual. Families wander between board games, snacks, and whatever cousin brought a new game, like my favorite, King of Tokyo. Maybe everyone has stopped to play charades. It’s the kind of comfort most of us wait all year for.
But while we gather around the fire and lean into joy, the digital world remains active—and not always safely. That comfort we love can also make us vulnerable online. Routines fall apart. Devices float around the house. Guests connect to the WiFi. Kids stretch their limits because everyone is a little distracted. The season feels gentle, but online harm does not take time off. It waits for moments when families are busy and tired.
You can still keep the holidays peaceful without turning your home into a checkpoint. These simple tips make a big difference—without overwhelming your traditions.
1. Start inside the home, not on the screen
Families usually jump straight to “parental controls,” but the house itself creates gaps long before a child opens an app.
A few things help:
- Look at where devices tend to pile up. Bedrooms, lofts, quiet corners, all of these spots create privacy that predators count on, because isolation makes it easier to build secrecy.
- Notice who borrows what. A shared tablet may still hold old logins, autofill data, or stored photos you forgot about.
- Change the WiFi password if it’s been a while, or give guests access to a separate network so your main one stays clean.
These small steps help prevent the kind of digital privacy gaps that online predators exploit—something we see firsthand at the Innocent Lives Foundation.
2. Check the accounts kids drift back to
During the holidays, kids reopen apps and games they abandoned months ago. Those older accounts sometimes hold:
- Old chats
- Outdated privacy settings
- Friend lists you did not approve
- Username changes that hide activity
Spend a few minutes looking at the apps they return to when nothing else is planned. Kids often slide back into familiar digital spaces without realizing who else is still there.
3. Be careful with holiday photos
Family traditions lead to a lot of pictures, and most go online within minutes. The issue is not the photo, it’s the details in the background: a school logo in the corner, a street sign through the window, or clues about travel plans.
A safer approach:
- Check the background before you hit the button
- Turn off location tags
- Share photos after you return home, not while you are out
Nothing here ruins the fun. It just puts space between your family and the people who collect those details for the wrong reasons.
4. Talk with your kids about strange moments
Kids understand more than we give them credit for, but they sometimes freeze when something online feels off. They worry they will get in trouble or ruin a holiday moment. So they stay silent.
A short, open invitation helps:
“If something online feels strange or makes you pause, tell me. I will listen first.”
That one sentence can change how early a child speaks up. Creating these safe conversations at home is a powerful way to protect children—just as ILF works to protect them in the broader online world.
5. Keep an eye on devices running in the background
Smart speakers, shared desktops, gaming consoles, even digital frames—these devices get more use when the house is full, and many of them store more data than most parents realize.
Look at:
- Voice history on smart assistants
- Guest profiles on consoles
- Purchases tied to voice commands
- Any new accounts that appeared without a clear reason
These checks take minutes and close the quiet gaps that emerge when everyone’s focused on food and festivities instead of privacy settings. You don’t need to check everything—just pick one or two that get the most use.
6. Keep one night open for a quick sweep
You do not need to monitor devices every day. Just pick one night during the break for a calm review of:
- Browsing history
- Recent contacts
- App installs
- Changes in screen time
You’re not hunting for trouble. You’re watching for shifts in behavior. Kids behave differently during holidays. Sudden privacy, late-night activity, or a jump in messaging can signal it’s time for a gentle check-in.
7. Know when a situation moves past the home
Most concerns stay small—a confusing message, a stranger asking for a gamertag, a request to continue a chat somewhere else. But when the tone shifts toward secrecy, grooming, or pressure, pause the interaction, save what you can, and reach out for help..
At the Innocent Lives Foundation, we work year-round to identify anonymous child predators and help bring them to justice. If you suspect something’s not right, you’re not alone. Support exists, and acting early can make all the difference.
From Our Family to Yours
The holidays should be a time of warmth, rest, and connection—not worry. A few small habits can keep your family safer without adding stress to the season. At ILF, we’re proud to stand beside parents, caregivers, educators, and allies working to protect the next generation.
With a little attention and a lot of care, you can help make the digital world a safer place for the ones you love most.
From our ILF family to yours: stay safe, stay present, and have a joyful holiday season.
Donate today to power our mission and ensure we can protect the world’s most vulnerable children together.
