What you should know about email accounts for kids

How to introduce your kid to their first email address

Your child’s first email account can be a great avenue for teaching digital literacy and encourage them stay connected with friends and family. If your child is ready to create their first email account, it’s important that you are ready to guide them through the process.

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Choose a safe email service provider

First, make sure you choose a reputable and safe email provider with child-friendly features like Microsoft Outlook. Look for an email service that has built-in safety measures that can help protect your child from online threats, like screen time limits and content filters. Consider what kind of features you’d like to use to keep an eye on your young emailer, like parental safety controls and spam filtering.

Consider email accounts with maturity in mind

Before you sign your child up for an email account, consider their age, maturity level, and the purpose of the account. Many of the services available online have age limits, including email. Most email providers require users to be at least 13 years old to create an account, and some providers allow parents to create a child-friendly account for kids under 13. These services will often offer added security features, such as parental controls, so make sure you read the fine print.

Learn how and why to make secure passwords

During the sign-up process, teach your child how to create a strong password that they can remember, but will be difficult for anyone else to guess. Most services require a mix of lower- and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Take the opportunity to also discuss the importance of avoiding using their name or other personal information in their password. This is also a good time to stress the importance of keeping this password private, which means never sharing it with anyone other than you—not even their friends.

Teaching your kids how to avoid online threats and scams

Once your child has an email account, the education continues: teach them how to stay safe while using it. Their ability to do so will protect not only your child, but the entire family. Below are a few common threats adults and children alike may encounter when using email:

Phishing

One of the biggest risks associated with email is phishing, where bad actors try to trick users into sharing personal information or clicking on a malicious link. They may pose as someone you know, an organization, or even trusted institutions. Teach your child to never click on suspicious links or download attachments from unknown senders. Always have them verify the sender’s email address before responding to a message, and check link destinations before clicking.

Signs of a phishing scam often include:

• Odd, nonsensical language or grammatical errors in the subject line or email body
• Requests for personal information
• Links containing suspicious URLs with misspelled characters, spoofed website domains, and odd language
• Emails sent from users that are under the guise of someone you know, an organization, or a federal institution

Cyberbullying

Another threat to be aware of is cyberbullying. Teach your child to recognize the signs of cyberbullying, such as receiving mean or hurtful messages from others, and to report any incidents to a trusted adult. Demonstrate online etiquette and how to communicate respectfully with others via email: encourage proper grammar and spelling, avoid using all caps, and to always think twice before hitting send, especially if they’re emotional.

Frequently asked questions

How old should my child be to use an email?

While there is no universal email age limit, most platforms require users to be at least 13 years old to sign up. Some providers like Microsoft Outlook offer family-friendly accounts for children under the age of 13, which include extra security features with parental oversight.

What child safety features does Microsoft Outlook have?

Microsoft Outlook has several features that make it a great and secure email option for children. For example, parents can set content filters, screen time limits, and receive weekly activity reports.

How can I protect my child against email phishing?

Teach your child to refrain from opening any links sent by suspicious or unknown users. Look out for signs like unexpected and unnecessary requests for personal information, grammatical errors, or spoofed URLs. Encourage your children to reach out to you or another trusted adult if they think something looks off.