I don't mean using the internet to find parenting strategies or researching some fun activities to do alongside your child, I mean actually expecting technology to do the parenting.
Children sitting in front of TV's, X box screens, DVD's, ipods and even ipads. All for a quiet life.
Yes they are stimulating entertainment for children but they are no substitute for building real true meaning relationships with your child.
Children become 'zombie-fied' in front of screens. Teens start to believe what they see. They become de-sensitized to the gruesome horrors in front of them. This process is starting to take effect at a much younger age, due to us as a society allowing children of a much younger age to take on this lifestyle.
It's tough on parents finding that happy medium. But yes, we are the first to grumble when technology has a negative impact on our children.
Technology is a wonderful thing. I often wonder how we lived before we had instant access to the internet in the palm of our hands on our mobile phones? It has its benefits but it also has it's downfalls.
Keeping our children safe should, as a parent, be our number one priority.
Having keep safe messages in our homes is a good place to start.
A few years ago there were huge campaigns to highlight the risks of chat rooms and guidelines on families to keep computers in a family room where they could be easily monitored. A PC used to be the only way they could actually access the internet. Now the internet can be hooked up to many other devices.
So many young people have x box live in their bedrooms. They have facebook and other social networks. They have access to the world around them in a few clicks.
But do we really know enough to keep our children safe?
Do you know who your child speaks too online? Do you know if they accept people they don't actually know to befriend them on social network sites or x box live?
I can hand on heart say it's a difficult task to monitor. Some simple rules really do help. Checking your child doesn't accept strangers. Accessing the internet in family areas. Dipping in and out of conversation with your child about what's the in thing right now really can help as I guarantee you, they know a whole different technological world to you. Setting limits is acceptable as a parent. If you're unhappy with something, go check it out. Find out all the information on things so you can make an informed decision.
Go online and do your own research for more hints and tips. Here are a few links that may guide you and save you some time looking for some good advice.
Think you know
Childnet
Kidsmart
BBC Webwise
Wisekids
Certain websites, such as social networks, have a reporting button. So if you see anything that you believe to be inappropriate, you can click and let the right people know.
Set your boundaries and make some real family memories rather than relying on technology to entertain your children. Get on the floor and play, do activities together, talk and more importantly laugh together. Whatever their age, your child/ren will appreciate this time much more than sitting in front of a screen. They will remember all the happy family times, but won't recall the latest episode of a soap, or when they defeated someone on X box live. Get out there and make those memories together.
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