all parents are clueless when their kids online lives are involved. I was too. I just cheat, because I work with teens who help me understand what other teens are doing online.
I cannot say this often enough...IT'S NOT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY - IT'S ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND OLD-FASHIONED RIGHT AND WRONG AND PARENTING. YOUR CHILD MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY THAN YOU DO, BUT YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT LIFE. YOU SHOULD NOT BE YOUR CHILD'S FRIEND. THEY HAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE. YOU SHOULD BE THEIR PARENT. IT'S YOUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND RIGHT AND WRONG AND YOU ARE THERE TO HELP STEER THEM.
This journalist started the interview with a question, apologizing about asking what non-techy parents should be doing to keep their kids safe online. I explained that no parent knows enough about this. I work with high-tech company execs and software designers who don't know how to do this. why? because kids use the technologies differently from the way we do as adults. So...remember to repeat after me "I am the parent." "Because I said so." "It's my house and when you live in my house you follow MY rules..." got it? sound familiar?
good. :-)Experts cite need for online parenting (October 8, 2006)
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