What is digital citizenship? A parent’s guide
Citizenship describes the character of a member of a society, and how they behave and function in that society as well as how well they carry out their duties and obligations. When we apply that concept to the world of texts, emails, messages, photo sharing, live video, social media, and all other forms of living […]
From consumers to creators: 9 online activities for kids
In the ongoing discussion about how much kids should be on their screens, we sometimes overlook an important aspect of that question: What are they doing on their screens? All screen time is not equal. I think the time that we parents worry about the most is the passive time where our kids are simply […]
How much screen time for your kids? Consider these 6 factors
When it comes to screen time, everyone is looking for a perfect formula: an ideal number of minutes that we should be allowing our kids on their screens. There is no magic number. Various experts and resources will suggest a time (like no more than 30 minutes a day), but how do we factor in […]
When your kid’s school gives them a device
The school just handed my child a device. Now what? Many districts are “going one-to-one,” if they haven’t already. That means every student gets his or her “own” device. The majority of schools are choosing Chromebooks, but some are issuing iPads, cheaper laptops, or even MacBooks. A one-to-one (usually written 1:1) program offers a lot of […]
Help your child choose their next book with these online resources
As a school librarian, I often hear parents express frustration that their child is unwilling to read. In a world of screens, it is becoming more difficult to convince kids to hit the off button and crack open a good ol’ physical book. In working with students over the years, I’ve become more and more […]
What parents need to know about virtual reality
What if you could take your kids to see the pyramids of Egypt or the Great Barrier Reef? Can’t afford such an extravagant trip? Enter virtual reality. Technology has made possible all sorts of incredible tools for breaking down communication and broadcast limits, allowing us to talk face-to-face with someone on the other side of […]
What parents can learn when we shut up and drive
For a recent birthday, our oldest wanted to go to a movie with a handful of his friends. After driving around picking them all up, we were on our way. One minivan, one middle-aged dad, and five 15-16 year olds. No sooner were their butts in the seats than the devices came out. At first […]
Router Limits filtering device and service [Review]
What if you didn’t have to install a program or app on every device in your house, yet still be able to keep tabs on what everyone is doing? That’s the key advantage of devices, like Router Limits, that filter and monitor at the router level. In other words, it keeps track and filters all […]
Challenge: Put yourself on a Facebook diet
Note: This is the first in a series of ParentingDigital challenges, action plans for you to take to become a better digital parent. Follow the steps and post your progress on the Facebook page or in the comments below for some accountability and cheers from your fellow participants. The reason for this particular challenge is […]
7 roles every digital parent plays
Parenting has never been easy, has it? But it seems like the digital world of devices and social media has changed the look of some of the familiar roles we thought we’d be playing when we first entered parenthood. Every digital parent will find themselves, at some point, playing each of the following roles […]