3 Rules To Making Teenstechnology Work For You
|
|
Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed of Instant Messengers~ or IM'ing, the convince of cell phones, parenting has come a long way from when parents had to make three or four phone calls to track down their TWeen for the simplest request "Bring home some milk?" to the infamous, "Your late, couldn't you have called?"
These scenario's from not so long ago have all but died out with today's many wireless communication devices. No sooner does a new device come out,our kids seem to have it down These mini-adults who can't seem to remember to take out the trash or keep their rooms clean, yet have the intelligence and focus to create secret languages and codes around these devices.
With their objective being privacy and the benefit, or fun part is we don't understand one bit of it.
I have discovered the secret to win this battle; or at the very least, how to make it work for you vs, fighting the tide of neverending electronic toys& gadgets.That seem to come out faster then we can keep up with what's new & hot that our tween is craving.
Whether its cell phones, pagers, or the latest craze~ called a Blackberry,They all want one ~ and who doesn't?
Of course not that you go out and get them each one however thru another parent or a well meaning grandparent for say, perhaps as a graduation present. Once they have one, you can count on them eating, sleeping with it, doing everything but bathe with it, it will be their lifeline, or so it will seem... The only natural question seemed to me~
How can we best use these devices to assist us in our parenting?To support us in communicating better with our teens
1. Get their screen names, learn their email address, phone numbers etc...
The first thing you need to know is when it comes to the internet, Kids can get free accounts anywhere, all they need is the address they use with you, they just have to click back once and they are all set~ from there they can use that address, to register for many other free address services. The key to this is to simply tell your child it will be for emergencies and you don't need the password. I can't promise you they will give them all up, but enough to give you the ability to connect with them.They often use provactive names or numbers, don't act shocked when they tell you or better yet just ask them to write it for you and don't even give it a second glance
~ till they leave of course.
2. Learn how to connect with each device from your devices, program quick call features, put their names in your IM, and then actually practice sending them text messages.
This may seem like silly advice, however when & if a true emergency arises, you and yourchild will become proficient not only in using the skills, and having worked out faster out but you will also create a language of your own, with your own words and expressions, inside jokes, and more importantly, your own codes for emergencies. --
3. Learn how to use one device to connect to another,I have used my cell to IM a child who was home, online, tying up the phone in a family emergency, I was able to connect with him to clear the phone line and get the numberto the specialist whose number was only in 1 spot - 45 miles away at home on the refrigerator, 2 FEET from my son. Had I not known how to connect I would have had to drive all that way home to get the number.
Perhaps this isn't a life saving example but I'm sure you can use it to imagine a situation where your child need's you, and it could be life or death.
I hope these three keys helped, If we can do anything to keep them closer to us,the better we can communicate with them in their own comfort zone the closer we can get to understanding them and more of the challenges that our kids face with today's technology.
Isn't the piece of mind you will have, worth this small investment?
Connie Carpenter is a Life, Family Coach who specializes in supporting parents with tweens. Having 4 children of her own the trials & errors of partenting are all to familar. Through a through assesments ,conversation we can determine the perfect personalized plan for your family. Learn the tools to not only restore your family dynamic, promote an effective communicationstratagy, you'll also create a bond that will last a lifetime. Don't wait! Life is too short to not use every available reasource - visit http://promptcarecoaching.com and see what she can do for you!
|
|
|
Im A Mom, Shes A Mom: Being An Adult With Your Parents
On one of her quarterly visits to see her grandson, my three-year-old son, my mother ignores the available front seat of the car, crowds into the back next to the car seat and promptly unwraps a lollipop. Feeling the tension rising, I recall the numerous conversatio...(related: Parenting)
Top Seven Tips For Back-to-school Success
Parents play a critical role in their child's success. These seven tips from http://www.goalsettingforstudents.com explain how to help your child set and achieve goals for the new school year.
1. Set 30, 60 and 90-day goals - with your child. What's most important for the first 30 days? Ask your child what they plan to accomplish and help them make a plan to get there. Creating a regular routine with time for homework, chores, outside activities and free time is critical. Help your child tweak their schedule for the best way to spend their time. At the end of the first 30...(related: Parenting)
Effects Of Jealousy On Childs Personality
Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with the information of jealousy, Meaning of jealousy, causes of jealousy & effects of jealousy on personality.Meaning- Jealousy is an form of emotional stress. Jealousy comes form the feeling or insecurity & inadequacy in situations the person regards as curcial to his happiness & welfare.Causes ? Jealousy develops in early adolescent. specifically parents are responsible for it. Parents compare their kids with the other kids or subject or anything who has lesser standards than their child. Or simply sa...(related: Parenting)
The Seven Keys Of Being A Father
Is there a fathering instinct?Celebrated child development expert Erik Erikson maintains that adults have a fierce desire to protect and nurture the next generation. This is the generative nature of parenting? to nurture and protect the next generationWe recognise this desire in women as the maternal instinct. Men's strong desire to look after the next generation is best recognised through their protective instincts. Man as hunter and gatherer has always had the survival of his family and community as a motivating force.But the generative not...(related: Parenting)
Dads - What Family Legacy Are You Passing On To Your Children?
Do you want to create a deeper, more loving relationship with your child?To begin, you can learn from your own father:Whether you consider him to have been a good father or not, you can use your experience to become a better parent to YOUR children.Patterns of behavior are often passed on unconsciously from one generation to the next. By becoming aware of those patterns in your family, you can make a conscious decision about which ones to pass on to YOUR children.Ask yourself: what did your father do that ...(related: Parenting)
Bedtime And Sleep Habits
Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for parents, that is! Often at the end of a long day all you want is a little peace and time for yourself. After all, you have probably devoted the entire to the service of children in some form.Whether it is putting bread on the table or being gainfully employed in an unpaid position as housekeeper and cook, you deserve a break.Come on, kids, be reasonable!But children do not always see bed-time from a parent's perspective. They often dispute calls for bed and complain loudly that it is too early.None of the other kids at school go to bed at 8 o'clock, Mum. "It's not fair." is the sort o...(related: Parenting)
8 Tips To Save On Child Care Costs
Child care costs are are one of the most expensive costs associated with going back to work. Finding ways to cut down on child care costs without sacrificing quality child care is a top priority for all working parents. Here are a few ideas that can help trim your child care costs without sacrificing child care quality:See if your employer has a child care flexible spending account. This is a special account that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq-kw87.html - created that allows you to set aside money for child care expenses with pre-tax dollars. Y...(related: Parenting)
Bad Company
Here we will come to know who are the most responsible person to make your child an addicted person & failure.In general we see kids who are addicted of tobacco , drinking, smoking, etc. addictions are the symbols of unhealthy personality.Kids adopts addictions because of a] Stress, B] Depression. C] repression. (form anything) When a kid feels one of these or similar of these he wants to come out form the situations. In many countries ? drinking and smoking are the accepted norms of getting happiness.At first wh...(related: Parenting)
Dealing With Lying: The Dos And Donts
Jason Roberts listened to his son's explanation of the missing cookies and then called him a liar. Brenda Taylor thought her three-year-old's lies were cute, so she ignored them. Yee Chen told her daughter that if she told the truth this time, she would let it go.While all of these parents love their children a...(related: Parenting)
Picky Eater Kid Nutritional Guidelines
Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in their lives, the experts say not to worry. Unless you are feeding him or her chips and cookies three times each day, these children will most likely meet their weekly nutritional quotas.However, if you are concerned about their developmental progress, make an appointment with their pediatrician for confirmation. In the meantime, you may want to include a multivitamin in your child's daily diet to balance his intake of nutrients.Instead of looking at what types of food your child is eating meal-by-meal or even day-by-day, round out the picture by looking at your child's diet week-by-week.Most children do not eat...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | Baby Care Info | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting