Helpful Or Neutral Technologies

Almost any technology we allow for our kids can be used well or foolishly. Or does it waste hours that could be spent cultivating skills and relationships? The best way to encourage wise use of these technologies is to walk closely alongside our kids as they begin to test the digital waters. We allow additional freedom little by little. A great kid can easily stumble into trouble online. At the same time, our kids’ devices can be a useful tool for building friendships. We want to capture the best parts of technology and teach our kids to do the same. What are some positive ways technology can be used well in the home? Next we will explore examples of technologies that can be used in great ways. Your family may land in a slightly different place, and that’s okay! You are tailoring your unique needs and interests to fit your kids. Good job, Mom and Dad. Texting parents and friends. When kids are mature enough to stay home alone, they need a way to contact Mom or Dad. A home phone is perfect for this.

No Ordinary Pain

At some point, our kids grow into the age when they want to talk with friends after school. We all remember holding our phone between our shoulder and our ear for hours as tweens. Create a way for your kids to connect with real humans and build friendships. Better yet, be the house that hosts the playdate or hangout. Remember, texting is a cheap substitute for rich communication. FaceTime allowed us to catch up with Grandma and Grandpa. It’s also a fun way for kids to see faraway cousins and family. Tweens enjoy texting and FaceTiming their buddies. This is a reality of growing up today. While we will not be giving our kids smartphones anytime soon, we do allow them to FaceTime their friends occasionally via Mom’s phone, depending on their own maturity levels. At our kids’ ages, FaceTime is done in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom with an open door. Craft or cooking instructions.

Sick As A Dog

Enter YouTube baking channels. Take a few minutes to vet content. Hey, Siri, play Britney Spears, for example. Check ratings and appropriateness of specific programs. In the unending world of digital media, parents cannot possibly vet every program for our growing kids. Start teaching your older kids how to vet the materials they are considering consuming. We teach them discernment when they are young and prayerfully allow them more and more freedom to make informed decisions as they grow older. Enjoy the latest family flicks with your kids. Snuggle and make a list of favorite Christmas flicks to rewatch every year. Don’t forget the popcorn. Kahoot and Jackbox are two of our family’s favorite online multiplayer games. Congregate in the family room like it’s your own modern game show.

Take Me By The Hand

Laughter guaranteed to ensue. Digital home assistants. There are lots of ways a digital assistant can serve your family well. Ours reminds me of appointments and sets timers. There are kids’ versions and music filters that can block explicit content. Parents can also review every voice command uttered to your digital assistant via your online account. One of our foster kids struggled to sit still for story time, every time. Her teacher approached me after school one day and told me that she found a classroom activity that enraptured her. She couldn’t get enough. Toothbrush timer apps. One simple, free app helped our kids brush their teeth so well, our dentist even noticed the vast improvement. At the end of the timer, kids get an opportunity to catch a prize. So for those two minutes, the kids are scrubbing their hearts out. If your kids could use improvement on the brushing front, this app could prove a helpful tool. Learning an instrument. Piano, guitar, tin whistle. Take advantage of it! As you sift through home technologies, you are giving yourself the gift of clarity. I happen to love introducing my kids to preselected hilarious viral videos. Or we’ll learn new viral dance trends together. Enjoying appropriate content together is a fantastic use of screens. We are living in a digital world, and we should show our kids positive ways to use digital media. You will be sifting, categorizing, clarifying, and making plenty of mistakes along the way. Is this video game or app digital kale or digital Skittles? Skittles are fine once in a while. But if you binge all day, you’ll feel terrible. Gone are the days of endless, mindless tech consumption. Tech that helps facilitate this is helpful. Tech that displaces it is not. What about digital games and social media? And it’s our job to teach them how. Time in simulation gets children ready for more time in simulation. But then you allow him to play Grand Theft Auto. In this game, players take on the role of hardened criminals who premeditate crimes like killing police officers, civilians, and gang members, even requiring players to torture people in order to level up. Players do drugs and drink alcohol virtually. One point in the game, a strip club scene allows avatars to fondle topless strippers.7 But, Dad! I can skip the strip club scene! Plus, all my friends are playing it! your son objects. That said, just because many video games are terrible doesn’t mean they all are. Check those ratings. If your kids aren’t asking for them, it’s probably not worth initiating. But if they are, we are wise to teach them how to enjoy occasionally, but not binge on this modern pastime. Play alongside your kids, and let them see that what matters to them matters to you because you’re their parent and because you want to enjoy their favorite things with them. One child’s example was to play video games with him, especially when I know gaming isn’t really my mom’s thing!Sometimes, connecting with our kids can mean picking up a Nintendo controller. If your family enjoys video games, there are thousands available to choose from.