Digital Parenting

 
 
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I'm Not a Bad Mom Because I Like My iPhone

5/17/12 2:00pm by Emylibef
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ipad family

You may have seen a blog post floating around in the past week about how you're missing your kid's childhood if you're too engrossed in your favorite forms of technology. My thought was that you could miss your kid's childhood with any form of a hobby or distraction if you don't practice the art of moderation. Emily Steen holds a different belief and defends living in an interconnected world and family. I applaud her point of view. Which do you side with?  Read more

Great Storybook Apps Beyond the Usual Suspects

5/4/12 12:00pm by Virginia DeBolt
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student with iPad

Karen Robertson at Digital Kid's Author has some top 10 lists of great kids apps, including some especially good storybook suggestions that are not the usual Disney and Dora stories. She writes,  Read more

Helping My 13-Year-Old Get Ready for Social Media

5/1/12 1:01pm by fouragainsttwo
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It is times like these that make me think she may be ready to dip her toe in the tumultuous ocean of social media. Not because writing a good blog makes you savvy to the ways of Facebook, but because she has demonstrated that she can share her feelings effectively to the world (or me). She writes, she proofreads, she edits. I have an almost 13-year-old that is bringing the whole social media thing and her use of it to my forefront. I have several ideas running through my head on how to approach this, but I still have time.  Read more >

Facebook as a Parenting Punishment Tool: Good Idea?

4/26/12 8:19am by Gina Carroll
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ava elizabeth's facebook photo

Denise Abbott's decision to publicly discipline her daughter on Facebook sets a precedent to be public about their issues. Technically, her 13-year-old Ava set this precedent when she first disrespected her mother online, but Denise followed suit. If the experts who say that modeling proper behavior is the best way to teach children life skills, like discretion and respect, then arguably Abbott's choice of discipline may have inadvertently reinforced her daughter's behavior instead of curbed it. Kind of like spanking a child to punish him for hitting, or screaming at a child for throwing a tantrum.  Read more >

Would You Implant Your Child With a Tracking Device?

4/23/12 2:41pm by Molly Jo
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implant children

I wasn't really paying attention as the TV happened to be tuned to The View on ABC. I wasn't paying attention, until the topic began with the disappearance of Etan Patz in 1979 when he was six years old. Until I actually heard Whoopi Goldberg state make the following statement: "Is it too creepy for me to say, we should, we maybe need to start thinking about one of those little tracking things in children? Because they put it in our animals...  Read more >

Technology vs. Kids: An Expert Guide to Online Safety

3/13/12 6:48am by Scott Steinberg
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kids and tech

For kids who love technology, the Internet can be a boundless source of learning and entertainment. For parents, it can also be an endless source of anxiety and heated conversation due to pressing issues surrounding online safety, health and privacy. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a high-tech expert to make advancements like smartphones, apps and social networks a safe and positive part of family life. Teach both yourself and kids to observe these simple rules, and you’ll be better positioned to make technology a healthy part of the household -- and give yourself a great excuse to say goodbye to Xanax.  Read more >

Stop Being Your Kid's BFF and Start Being Their Parent

1/31/12 8:44am by Kristi Walker
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texting teen

ask you, parents, when is the last time you spoke to your children about morality or respect? When is the last time you had a conversation with your young person regarding sex? When is the last time that you spoke with your child about your expectations of them excluding the times that you're angry with them because they weren't meeting your expectations? A real conversation. One where you weren't trying to play at being their BFF and were their parent. Kids have a hundred BFFs these days. Often, they change from year to year. However, they only have one set of parents. Just one.  Read more >

How Parents Normalized Teen Password Sharing

1/23/12 4:01pm by zephoria
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In 2005, I started asking teenagers about their password habits. My original set of questions focused on teens' attitudes about giving their password to their parents, but I quickly became enamored with teens' stories of sharing passwords with friends and significant others. So I was ecstatic when Pew Internet & American Life Project decided to survey teens about their password sharing habits. Pew found that one third of online 12-17 year olds share their password with a friend or significant other and that almost half of those 14-17 do. I love when data gets reinforced.  Read more >

Four Difficult Questions Regarding Bullying and Youth Suicide

12/13/11 3:21pm by zephoria
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Hope - by Ashley Rose via Flickr

Over the last couple of years, I've laid awake at night asking myself uncomfortable questions about bullying and teen suicide. I don't have answers to most of the questions that I have, but I'm choosing to voice my questions, fears, and doubts because I'm not confident that our war on bullying is taking us down the right path. I'm worried about the unintended consequences of our public discourse and I'm worried about the implications that our decisions have on youth, particularly in this high-stakes arena.  Read more >

Tips for Getting & Staying Connected (Even During the Holidays!)

11/26/11 10:00am by JennaHatfield
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With the holiday season slamming into us, it can seem overwhelming enough to get everything done -- let alone stay connected to our children. I loved this timely list of tips from Zoie at Touchstonez that gives great ideas for parents to get more connected to their children. Today. Right now. This second. And they're all things that can be done even with the hustle and bustle of the season.  Read more