“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” ~Psalm 8: 3-4

God didn’t create this beautiful world and the people in it so we can shut it all out for the sake of animation and lightening-speed processing. Our focus this month...if you haven't guessed it already....is technology. Hopefully you have watched the videos that go with these lessons. If not, click the button at the bottom of this email! There are many ways to set your child up for online success, our hope is this follow-up email provides just a few ways to do that!

PRESCHOOL

We can’t deny the benefits of technology or the fact that our kids are going to be surrounded by it for the rest of their lives. That’s why it is important to teach them how to manage their screen time properly now and how to be discerning about their digital media. Well, as discerning as a preschooler can be, anyway😁

Make sure your preschooler knows how to operate the television, computer, and phone properly. By doing so, they can use devices safely.
Don’t allow your preschooler to be online without you being present.
Block site access to anything that might be dangerous. Even seemingly harmless searches can put your child in places they don’t need to be.
Set time limits on your child’s devices. When the allotted amount of time has been spent on the device, it times out.
Download apps that enhance your preschooler’s spiritual growth, like the free interactive Bible.
Play educational games online with your preschooler.

KIDS

Most of our kids have a level of online proficiency that can be bewildering to us. This electronic prowess can be extremely helpful, and it can be extremely damaging. Here are some ways to begin setting boundaries that will lead to online safety for your child:

All laptops and desktops are to be used in public places. They don’t go in bedrooms.
Remove search engine apps (safari, yahoo, google) from your child’s mobile device. If they need to look something up, they can use a public laptop or ask for your help.
Tell your child that if they delete the history on a device, it gets taken away. Then check your child’s history repeatedly (at least once a week) so you know what your child is looking at online.
Set restrictions on your child’s device
Use a content filter

We learned in our first installment of this month’s online parenting class that we are the guardians of our kid’s hearts, and if we want those hearts to remain pure, we MUST put boundaries around our kid’s use of the internet.

TEENS

Yep, we did it. We let our kids use our phones and tablets when they were little and now they are grown and have their own devices. There is no going back. Mobile tech is here to stay! Our goal now is to help kids and teens learn to manage mobile tech:

Your teen may not believe it, but they don’t NEED a cellphone, tablet, or smart watch they just WANT one. Tech is about adding to our lives not dominating it.
Tech is a privilege, not a right. Parents provide their children with devices, so YOU get to set up the expectations and rules that come with the privilege of having a device. Technology use in your home should always come with expectations, respect, and accountability. Maybe even write up a tech contract!
Social media for your teen is just that, social. Be aware of the society they are choosing to hang-out with physically and virtually. Parents should always have access to their kids and teens social media accounts. If your child is under 12 we recommend they have no social media, and older than 12, access to it should be staggered and limited.
Family meals and fun time are technology free (this goes for us too parents!) Listen to each other, you might be surprised at what you hear! Pick up the burger, put down the phone, and connect to the people in front of you.
Never allow your children to have unlimited access to the internet all night because they will stay up all night on it! Make sure your kids are clear when tech is to be shut down so they can actually go to sleep.

We want to encourage you to be aware of what your kids are using mobile tech for in their lives. We love tech, but we don’t want it to wreck our families. Thanks for being an active parent in the lives of your children and teens.

Missed last month's Milestone video? Review that and other previous video series by clicking the button below.

VISIT MINISTRY TO PARENTS PAGE

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