As 2019’s final quarter approaches, it is the right time to set you up for a whole new year of digital parenting ahead. There is no doubt that we all are living in a digital world today. We are surrounded by hashtags, emojis, gaming, and apps and this holds true for our kids too.
We cannot completely restrict our children from using technology. However, we can promote tech literacy in our child in a healthy way. In turn, it will open many doors for them – a safe future full of opportunities.
There is so much to debate on whether as a parent you should be strict when it comes to technology exposure or not. Let us play a quiz. Answer these simple questions: Are you the kind of a parent who becomes scary when you observe your children are tech-savvy creatures? Do you constantly feel that your kids are not developing social skills or are not acquiring a love for outdoor activities? Do you have a continuous fear that your children’s privacy and well-being are at risk?
If the answers to any of the above questions are “YES” then this blog is for you. If you are feeling like you are fighting a losing battle when trying to restrict your kids’ activity on technology, here are some ways to bring you and your children closer.
These days, we all are living in a technology-driven world. Whether you have realized or not, every day you use technology in some way. Maybe you answer the ringing mobile or you have asked for directions to Siri. You have goggled something you do not know. So, saying “I am not very techy” is equivalent to claim that you don’t breath air. So, face it and do not make the excuse “I don’t know a thing” to circumvent the responsibility of helping your children learn new technology.
Keep in mind, learning has no age bar. Therefore, if you do not know something, try to update yourself about it. Ultimately, only you can teach your children about the world. The internet is a great platform to learn anything new. These days, there are various videos, tutorials, and readable contents are available online. So, use it and keep yourself updated. It will help you to ensure whether your kids are using the right stuff or not.
Hey, after all, it is your home. Therefore, it is completely Ok to set some rules about online usage at home. Set some tech downtimes so your children do not get an addiction to technologies like computers, smartphones, TV, and internet.
If your children make use of technology without a break, they neglect other activities such as face-to-face conversation, exercise, outdoor play. It can affect their health and development adversely.
The Internet is addictive and it comes with preloaded stuff such as videos, photos, and text that you do not want your kids to watch. Therefore, to limit and monitor your child’s online activities you can make use of a free parental control app for cell phone.
At home, you can even set a wireless router with parental controls and time restrictions. This way you can set boundaries and time limits on the types of media your kids are engaging.
With this wireless router with limits, your kids can explore the web freely and safely. The parental control can able you to block inappropriate websites while keeping you aware of which websites your kids are visiting. So, invest in good security tools and teach your children the importance of internet safety and common sense when they are exploring the online world.
Your children will be more motivated to follow rules if you follow it. As per a study, children learn digital skills at home, mostly by observing their parents or elder member of the family.
If you are a parent who is constantly checking your phone at the dinner table, then stop it right now otherwise your children will also follow the same. So, keep certain times of the day such as dinnertime a device-free. By doing so, you can encourage your child to learn a balanced approach to technology.
Have a frequent discussion session with your child about technology and social media. Therefore, your children can understand the potential benefits and harms of technology. This regular conversation can also make them understand the reasons behind the boundaries that you have set for them.
Also, grab the opportunity to learn from your child about the apps and platforms that they everyday use. Make them aware of how child predators can victimize them and which techniques they usually use for it. If your children share something unusual and unexpected, do not get panic.
This discussion will allow you to strengthen your bond by making your kids more comfortable about sharing their secrets of real and digital lives.
Asking questions is one of the best ways to know what your child up-to online. You have to work hard to establish and maintain relationships of trust with your kids. So, keep your communication line open always. Then only, you will be able to monitor your kid’s internet usage closely.
As parents, you want to get involved in every online or offline activity of your child because you care for their safety. However, do that passively and inconspicuously.
Therefore, your child does not be ashamed of being your online friend or does not block you from their friend list. For that, you have to keep a few things in mind.
- Do not post or tag pictures of them without their approval.
- Never try to comment on their status update until and unless they ask you to do that.
- Whenever you observe any disturbing post on their wall and you want to raise concern, you should do it personally at home. This way, you can avoid misunderstanding.
Generally, people believe that digital tools can tear down the strong bond between children and parents. However, it is not a complete truth. Be a smart user and take advantage of these tools.
You can create engaging and fun activities such as you can watch videos together or create family blogs or digital art. Doing such activities together will help you to learn more about what they like and what they dislike. Even, you can properly understand their attitude towards technology.
When your children are not aware of online dangers, they are more exposed to issues. Nowadays, various sites track their users’ online behavior, locations, and have access to their private data.
So, educate your child on how they can browse the websites securely. Provide your children with proper guidelines so that they can deal with the potential dangers of the internet. As a parent, you can make use of parental control options and apps to restrict some unauthorized and inappropriate sites.
Evidently, technology is a great tool. It can help your child achieve success in the future. However, you must make your child aware of both sides – a positive and a negative one. Therefore, they can learn how to make use of these tools appropriately.
Learn the trick to keeping technology safe while making it entertaining for your children. Show your children that proper use of technology can enrich their interests and passions and how it can help them craft and explore the world around them. Nevertheless, do not forget to show them how using technology in the wrong way can affect their life.
If your tech-savvy children get the proper guidance then no one can stop them from becoming the next great leader of the world. So, use the above-discussed tips and resolve becoming an A+ digital parent in 2020. Remember, when you master technology, it will stop mastering you.
We cannot completely restrict our children from using technology. However, we can promote tech literacy in our child in a healthy way. In turn, it will open many doors for them – a safe future full of opportunities.
Where do you draw the line as a responsible parent of a tech-oriented kid?
There is so much to debate on whether as a parent you should be strict when it comes to technology exposure or not. Let us play a quiz. Answer these simple questions: Are you the kind of a parent who becomes scary when you observe your children are tech-savvy creatures? Do you constantly feel that your kids are not developing social skills or are not acquiring a love for outdoor activities? Do you have a continuous fear that your children’s privacy and well-being are at risk?
If the answers to any of the above questions are “YES” then this blog is for you. If you are feeling like you are fighting a losing battle when trying to restrict your kids’ activity on technology, here are some ways to bring you and your children closer.
-
Never Say “I am Not Very Techy” Instead, Educate Yourself
These days, we all are living in a technology-driven world. Whether you have realized or not, every day you use technology in some way. Maybe you answer the ringing mobile or you have asked for directions to Siri. You have goggled something you do not know. So, saying “I am not very techy” is equivalent to claim that you don’t breath air. So, face it and do not make the excuse “I don’t know a thing” to circumvent the responsibility of helping your children learn new technology.
Keep in mind, learning has no age bar. Therefore, if you do not know something, try to update yourself about it. Ultimately, only you can teach your children about the world. The internet is a great platform to learn anything new. These days, there are various videos, tutorials, and readable contents are available online. So, use it and keep yourself updated. It will help you to ensure whether your kids are using the right stuff or not.
-
Set Boundaries and Limit Screen Time
Hey, after all, it is your home. Therefore, it is completely Ok to set some rules about online usage at home. Set some tech downtimes so your children do not get an addiction to technologies like computers, smartphones, TV, and internet.
If your children make use of technology without a break, they neglect other activities such as face-to-face conversation, exercise, outdoor play. It can affect their health and development adversely.
-
Use Parental Controls to Limit and Monitor Your Child’s Online Activities
The Internet is addictive and it comes with preloaded stuff such as videos, photos, and text that you do not want your kids to watch. Therefore, to limit and monitor your child’s online activities you can make use of a free parental control app for cell phone.
At home, you can even set a wireless router with parental controls and time restrictions. This way you can set boundaries and time limits on the types of media your kids are engaging.
With this wireless router with limits, your kids can explore the web freely and safely. The parental control can able you to block inappropriate websites while keeping you aware of which websites your kids are visiting. So, invest in good security tools and teach your children the importance of internet safety and common sense when they are exploring the online world.
-
Be a Super-Duper Role Model
Your children will be more motivated to follow rules if you follow it. As per a study, children learn digital skills at home, mostly by observing their parents or elder member of the family.
If you are a parent who is constantly checking your phone at the dinner table, then stop it right now otherwise your children will also follow the same. So, keep certain times of the day such as dinnertime a device-free. By doing so, you can encourage your child to learn a balanced approach to technology.
-
Converse With Your Child About Technology and Social Media
Have a frequent discussion session with your child about technology and social media. Therefore, your children can understand the potential benefits and harms of technology. This regular conversation can also make them understand the reasons behind the boundaries that you have set for them.
Also, grab the opportunity to learn from your child about the apps and platforms that they everyday use. Make them aware of how child predators can victimize them and which techniques they usually use for it. If your children share something unusual and unexpected, do not get panic.
This discussion will allow you to strengthen your bond by making your kids more comfortable about sharing their secrets of real and digital lives.
-
Be a Good Monitor
Asking questions is one of the best ways to know what your child up-to online. You have to work hard to establish and maintain relationships of trust with your kids. So, keep your communication line open always. Then only, you will be able to monitor your kid’s internet usage closely.
-
Respect Their Online Accounts
As parents, you want to get involved in every online or offline activity of your child because you care for their safety. However, do that passively and inconspicuously.
Therefore, your child does not be ashamed of being your online friend or does not block you from their friend list. For that, you have to keep a few things in mind.
- Do not post or tag pictures of them without their approval.
- Never try to comment on their status update until and unless they ask you to do that.
- Whenever you observe any disturbing post on their wall and you want to raise concern, you should do it personally at home. This way, you can avoid misunderstanding.
-
Create Engaging Family Activities
Generally, people believe that digital tools can tear down the strong bond between children and parents. However, it is not a complete truth. Be a smart user and take advantage of these tools.
You can create engaging and fun activities such as you can watch videos together or create family blogs or digital art. Doing such activities together will help you to learn more about what they like and what they dislike. Even, you can properly understand their attitude towards technology.
-
Make Them Understand Safe Browsing
When your children are not aware of online dangers, they are more exposed to issues. Nowadays, various sites track their users’ online behavior, locations, and have access to their private data.
So, educate your child on how they can browse the websites securely. Provide your children with proper guidelines so that they can deal with the potential dangers of the internet. As a parent, you can make use of parental control options and apps to restrict some unauthorized and inappropriate sites.
Signing Off
Evidently, technology is a great tool. It can help your child achieve success in the future. However, you must make your child aware of both sides – a positive and a negative one. Therefore, they can learn how to make use of these tools appropriately.
Learn the trick to keeping technology safe while making it entertaining for your children. Show your children that proper use of technology can enrich their interests and passions and how it can help them craft and explore the world around them. Nevertheless, do not forget to show them how using technology in the wrong way can affect their life.
If your tech-savvy children get the proper guidance then no one can stop them from becoming the next great leader of the world. So, use the above-discussed tips and resolve becoming an A+ digital parent in 2020. Remember, when you master technology, it will stop mastering you.
John Wu
