At the first of this year a thought come to me while eating lunch with some of my girl friends. We were having a conversation about Cell phones, some of them had just given phones to there kids for Christmas. We mostly talked about how bad they can be, a totally distraction, a wavering tool for good and bad behavior etc. Some friends don’t let their kids have a phone til High School some have them in elementary school. I say do what ever is best for you. You know your kid better than anyone else. You’re the parent you get to choose.
We discussed texting, selfies, sexting, taking photos, rules, parental passcodes etc. I told them some of what I already do with my 2 oldest kids. Which are 17 and 14 (some how I have the oldest kids out of the bunch) how could that be?
These were my suggestions:
1. Monitor their phones, have rules and follow thru! Put a password on it, so they can’t download anything with you typing it in. Also, they can’t every ignore a phone call or text from Dad or Mom. not ever! Have a check-in time every night, and a check out in the morning. While you have their phone check it, read there text messages, check what photo’s they are taking, look at instagram and Facebook. Follow their friends on these accounts has well. Remember, think to yourself: it’s really my phone, I bought it, I pay for it, I am letting them use it. Am I not the nicest?
2. Get a password on your Router. Get software on your computer that blocks bad sites, words, images etc. Block Snapchat, Twitter and some you-tube videos. Teach them responsibility, Yes there is bad things on the internet, yes there is bad books, bad video's, and if they want to look for bad things it’s actually pretty easy to find. Teach them to seek for the good. So when there friends come over they can’t get in either. It’s as simple as that. Well for Scott it is anyways! I honestly have no clue on how to set up anything like this. But do think you can never be to careful.
3.Use manners no phones at dinner time, no phones during family time or while having face to face conversations. Don’t ever use technology to lie, fool or deceive another human being. Don’t text something that you wouldn’t say in person. If we do not tell them who is going to.
So moving along I came away from our lunch that day kinda discouraged. Then my thoughts changed it wasn’t all bad. I honestly have access to my kids anytime I want. They can receive a text or email all day long. I can communicate with them a million times a day if I wanted. It’s actually been quite convenient. I had an idea that day to USE there phones for the GOOD, for my advantage and theirs. Every day since that day I have texted or emailed my boys something Positive, sometimes scriptures, sometimes quotes, advice, funny jokes but mostly my own feelings, my concerns and things if I wasn’t here to tell them that I would want them to know. IT’S BEEN WONDERFUL! I usually send it to them while their at school and one day I didn’t send one on purpose and the first thing they said when they got home from school was Mom you didn’t text me today! Why?
I know that life with technology at our finger tips is a new thing. We all manage differently we all have our own ideas and what works for us. I realize maybe what works for my family now might not work later, and we might have to change. But for now I’ll keep doing what is GOOD!!
