Avoid Family Drama Surrounding Technology In Your Home

Most generations of parents have the strange experience of raising their children in social and technological landscapes that differ greatly from how they grew up. As technology continues to advance more quickly, those differences between the experiences we have as children and the world our kids live in may feel exaggerated.

These days, technology is creeping into every aspect of our lives. In some ways, it makes our lives easier and helps our society solve complex problems. However, one of the major downsides to all our new technologies is the potential and largely unknown effects they may have on us. While research on the subject is still in its infancy, most people agree that technology is impacting mental health by increasing depression and anxiety and negatively impacting our ability to concentrate. Many parents are also rightfully concerned that social media may make their children vulnerable to negative outside influence.

So, how do we balance our hesitance about technology with the reality that our children are growing up in a technological world? We want to give them space to be children while ensuring they have access to the resources they need to grow and live productively in the future.

We are passionate about offering parenting tips and resources so your family can navigate this new normal as naturally as possible. We want to teach kids how to be good digital citizens. Parents impart good digital citizenship in the same way they teach kids about healthy diet, exercise, and hygiene habits. It takes time and much of what they learn is from watching you.

Create Reasonable Tech Boundaries Together 

Are you struggling to set boundaries with your kids and technology? We promise you’re not alone in that. Kids are drawn to technology in the same way that most adults are. The bright screens and colorful images are designed to make us want to engage with them. While social media platforms feed us more and more content and you can scroll forever.

Parents impose tech boundaries with younger kids, but as your kids get older, you might consider welcoming them into the conversation. Do they understand why you’re setting boundaries? Can you work together to set boundaries they can live with?

Maintain An Open Dialogue 

When your kids feel safe and comfortable talking to you about their experiences on and off of technology, they are more likely to let you know when something is going wrong. Kids are all different. Some are more likely than others to share their feelings, but very few people are willing to open up to parents with whom they don’t have an open line of communication.

Try To Keep Emotions Out Of The Discussion

Do tensions get high every time you and your kids discuss access to technology? Are your boundaries inconsistent? As much as your kids push back against healthy boundaries, they need them to feel secure. Creating and keeping boundaries around technology can keep emotional breakdowns at bay. Even if your kids don’t love the idea of boundaries, setting them and keeping your word is even more evidence that you can be trusted. 

Some simple boundaries you can set are when, where, and how long your kids can access technology. For example, you may allow access to certain apps for 60 minutes after completing their homework. Most browsers, routers, tablets, and phones allow you to manually limit access to certain platforms, websites, or types of content. Employing these resources may help eliminate future battles.

Of course, these parenting tips can’t promise to eliminate family conflict completely. Our children’s natural instinct is to push our boundaries as they try to find their place in the world. Our goal as parents is to create a safe environment for them to learn healthy online habits before we send them out into the world. The balance between setting rules and allowing freedom is different for every family, and it’s a dance you’ll keep navigating for the rest of your life.

Contact our office today if you’d like to learn more about how to keep your kids safe online. We’d love to help you navigate this new world in which we’re all parenting.