The #1 Most Important Thing Missing From School Supply Lists (column related)

(CONT'D FROM COUNTY KIDS MAGAZINE)

By now, you know there is more I want you to add to your School Supply List and no, it's not sanitizer. I mean you can, but that's not what I'm talking about).

Kids are smart, especially now-a-days when it comes to technology.

I'm not saying that there isn't a way around a lot of stuff, but I am saying that there is a need for us as parents to be more proactive!

Take a lot of time to research the following:

The dangers that your kids face online
Why you should protect your kids
What the short and long term issues are of online dangers
What you can do to help your kids stay safe, be educated and how you can be involved
What resources there are available to you and why you should consider them
Do a little research into the amount of money it costs to pay for treatment of addictions and how likely those addicted will come out of it

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20496316_Adolescent_sexuality_and_the_media

Then...

Don't listen to anyone else but your gut. Don't just put your home computer in the living room or a den facing where you can view it or check the history of it after your student uses it...

Get software that monitors your devices (phones included)
Talk to your kids about why
Monitor EVERY alert you get
Give the app your feedback
Don't trust your kids to 'know better'...they're kids, they don't know better
Invest the time (lots of time) on getting to know the product and how to use it

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-parental-control-software

If you haven't read the August County Kids Column in Lake County Kids News-Herald Ohio contact me@ familymatters@gmail.com. You need to read the rest.

Come back every Monday in the month of August for a new post about kids and the dangers of too much freedom with technology....and what we, as parents, can do about.

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