Someone once described parenting in the digital age as giving the keys to your brand new car to your child who has not learnt how to drive without any driving lessons; just this apt description captures the whole gamut of parenting today. Parenting in the digital age is a lot harder. It used to be a tad easier when you do not have to worry about what your child is doing online, who might be bullying your child online and what information your child might be giving out to a total stranger online. As if these are not enough, there is also the concern about whether technology will let your child concentrate. 

As our lives revolve around technology, including children, we are most concerned as parents about how best to manage the cordial relationship between children and technology.  The truth is that technology is here to stay, and we might be doing ourselves a major disservice if we consider taking technology away from the kids. It is the language of the 21st century, our kids are digital natives, and we cannot but allow them to explore the new world of endless possibilities that technology offers. However, we have the responsibility of helping our kids learn the healthy use of technology. The goal is to help them become responsible digital natives.

Here are five tips for parenting in the digital age.

Limit screen time

Screens can entertain, teach, and keep kids engaged, but just as with everything, too much use may lead to problems. Have a daily screen time limit. Children should not spend all their leisure time in the day on their gadgets. Have a structured time for on-screen and off-screen. Your kids should be spending more time off-screen than on screen. Once their allotted on-screen time is up, encourage gadget-free activities.

Teach your kids good online behaviours

Encourage kids to uphold good online behaviour as they will offline. Cyberbullying and other inappropriate activities are ongoing in the online community. Ensure your child is not a perpetrator of this act by teaching them not to disseminate information about others that could be directly or indirectly hurtful or embarrassing.

Set Access Limits

Configure and set digital accessibility to “kids’ mode”. Help your kids find safe and credible websites and other digital content that are kids friendly. This restriction keeps them away from harmful online content that is not suitable for kid’s views. If you share the same digital gadgets with your kids, ensure to create a different account because it lessens the chances that your child might accidentally access, modify, change settings, and delete your files.

Warn children about the importance of online privacy

We tell our kids not to talk to strangers; this also applies online. Teach your kids not to disseminate private information online, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and other confidential information. Also, review the device’s privacy settings and the websites they visit to help monitor their engagements online.

Set an example

Be a good role model for your kids online and offline. Kids watch and learn more from actions rather than words. Practice good manners and etiquette online and always on your best behaviour by showing kindness. Model a good example to your kids, limit your media use, invest more in Interacting with them rather than staying glued to the screen.

Positive and healthy use of digital technology is possible with proper guidance and consistency. If your children are spending time online through mobile phones, laptops or even video games, you must provide the needed advice. If you are not conversant with technology, this is a reminder that your children now spend time in a space that your parenting needs to get to, so buckle up.

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