The digital world is evolving at a rapid pace today, and yet many parents don't have the knowledge or experience to guide their children in this digital age. A simple misguide to your child may have a severe impact on their childhood. As a parent, you need to be alert and conscious at the same time regarding your child's technology usages.
If you are among those parents who are constantly worried about what technology is doing to your kids and want to have some basic idea about how you can cope up with your tech kids, then do not worry. Here, I have shared some tips and tricks you can implement in your life and be a good parent with technology as nobody can better understand one parent's feelings than another parent.
For us, as a parent of today's generation of kids, technology is both a blessing and curse. However, most parents would show objection because they find technology only as the biggest curse that one can ever have.
They say that they are constantly worried about their kids because of the usage of advanced technology and should monitor their kid's activity frequently, which may sometimes be hectic as they have more important things to handle.
And if you are also among those parents who have no clue how you can be a good parent with technology and think technology is the only curse, then it's time you need to change your perspective regarding it. By simply implementing the following tips practically, you can surely be a good parent with technology as I, being a parent of two children, have felt the changes. But before diving into the topic, firstly, have some idea what mistakes you can make with the technology in brief.
Mistakes parents can make with technology
⦁Not keeping up with the new technology and finding themselves comfortable using old-based technology phones or devices.
⦁Trusting their children blindly and not monitoring their child's online activity.
⦁Allowing their child to take phones into their rooms
⦁Ignoring password protocol
⦁Not setting time limits to child's devices
⦁Allowing kids to have their phones at an earlier age
Six keys to be a good parent with technology
⦁Key an open mind rather than fear of the use of new technology
There is no doubt that today's era is almost wrapped with technology. The way technology is upgrading is insane. We cannot deny that many technological developments and innovations played a major role in our lives, whether using computers, smartphones, or even smartwatches.
All these revolutions in the tech field have made our lives easier, comfortable, faster, better, and more fun. Keeping all these things in mind, it will be beneficial for you to be open-minded and introduce yourself to the new technology as it is the first and foremost step to be a good parent with technology.
⦁Embrace the positive side of new technology while building skills to mitigate risks
Many parents often seem to be concerned about the issues emerging in the technology and business environment. As a result, they are afraid to try out new technology and not permit their children to access it. Not permitting your child to use technology because of your fear is no less than giving them a harsh punishment.
Instead, allow them to use new technology but within a certain boundary. There are plenty of parental control apps available in the market. Use them to monitor and control your child's devices. As we all know very well, although technology has some negative side effects, it also has many positive sides. Embrace those positive sides and give freedom to your child to explore them.
⦁Model good behavior
Children are too observant and quick to pick up the habits that they see. Children always look up to their parents. They think that parents are always right and whatever they do is always good. Thus, children try to act or do the same thing as you (parents) do. As per the article published in Pubmed, parents of young children pick up their phones almost 70 times a day.
So try to put your phone away whenever you are dining with your child. Teach them a good dining habit. Do not be on your phone whenever you are home from work. Try to spend some quality time with your child. Make them aware of the bad consequences they might face if they are always on their phones.
⦁Keep an open conversation about digital issues
Children are not mature enough to determine what is good and bad on the internet. They are clueless about what digital issues are, how they might get into the traps of such issues, and what consequences they might suffer.
As responsible parents and parents of today's digital world, you must make your child familiar and educate them on digital issues. Make them understand what cyberbullying is, online fraud, phishing. Also, make them alert that whenever they see or encounter an attractive advertisement while playing online games or browsing some site, they should not click on that dialog box.
⦁Engage with the technology yourself so you can remain credible
Nobody can be a better tech mentor for the child during their beginning phase in technology. Children are fast learners. They are sharp and quickly pick up the things that you teach them. You know very well that any simple mistakes done while surfing the internet can cause severe problems.
So try to engage yourself with the technology and keep updating yourself about the new technology, apps that are famous among today's youth so that you can guide your child in the right way because no parents want their child to be misguided by someone else.
⦁Seek a balance between offering support and independence
Parents are constantly worried about their child's online activities. They are afraid of their child ending up victims of online bullying or may talk to the stranger and share pictures or contact with each other. So to avoid this situation, parents often seem to be interfering in their child's privacy to an extreme level.
But you should not forget that you are raising an adult who will grow up and need the freedom to make their own choices. If you kept interfering in their choices even after they grew up, you made it difficult for both of you and damaged your equation with them. So you must seek a balance where you can protect and encourage them at the same time.
Final thoughts
For us, being a parent is never easy. Every new year comes with new challenges for us, especially when our kids are growing. There is no guidebook mentioning all the tips that suit all the parent needs, since everyone has their unique way of parenting. However, you can still follow some general guidelines that help you to be a good parent with the technology.
Technology is upgrading rapidly, and some of these changes have negatively impacted the way parents communicate with their children. Thus, try to create some rules regarding the use of technology-making discussions with your child. By doing so, they won't feel you are being too strict or interfering in their choices. Also, you can maintain good equations with your child and protect them from online bullying.
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