Connecting to your Kids through Technology
By Tshaka Armstrong, Founder and CEO of Digital Shepherds, Inc.
Around this time of year, many are thinking about Father's Day and the role of the dad in the family. We seek to honor, to appreciate and to give a big ol' "Attaboy!" to that special dad or father figure in all of our lives. Not me. Not today. What I would like to do is challenge you! All of us dads.
My passion and the mission of the nonprofit I founded, Digital Shepherds, is protecting children and making them savvier users of the internet and mobile technologies and helping their parents learn how to get a better grip on what their children are doing online and with their cell phones. I'm also very passionate about fatherhood and one of the parts of fatherhood which always irks me most is the lack of dads I see showing up to our workshops. Don't get me wrong, there are always a few, but the overwhelming majority of people who attend our workshops are moms.
Now, in the workplace, fellow dads LOVE to talk about their gadgets! Me and the guys are often comparing notes about our latest smartphone purchase or laptop buy, but it seems as if that's where it stops. One of the things I find out when I speak to children is that their dads don't let them touch their toys and don’t play video games with them that often either. I believe we must do better, men! So, I thought I'd give you a few steps you might consider using to help you connect with your kids through the technology many of them are already using. It will make them safer and if you do it right, you can even grow a little closer to your little ones.
4 Tips to Having Fun while Fostering Safe Digital Citizens
1. Set up parental controls on your computer and the computer the children will be using. Talk to your children about what you're doing. Don't spy on them, but make them a part of the task. You can talk to them about cyberbullying or other age-appropriate topics related to their internet use and why you're installing parental control software. This is a great time to ask them about how their own friends are interacting with the internet and what they think they, your own child or children, think about how many of their peers are using the 'net. Let them talk… trust me, go about this the right way and in many cases they will be singing like a canary.
2. Jump on YouTube with them and watch some of the funny videos they like. They might be inane or you might find some that you thing are equally funny. This is also a great time to ask them about inappropriate videos and what their friends are watching.
3. Play online computer and/or video games with them! They may woop your butt every time, but playing video games with them today is very similar to when our dads used to take us to the park and play catch (You may still want to do that as well! Can't spend all of their time in front of the tv).
4. Do all of the above. Not only will it help them feel important because it appears to them you're taking an interest in their lives, but asking them these questions and spending time playing in their world gives you a peek into their lives. You'll be more familiar with what they're doing online and what they're thinking about the digital world their generation is immersed in.
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Tshaka Armstrong is the lucky husband to an awesome wife and proud dad to three awesome children. He is also the Founder and CEO of Digital Shepherds, Inc. a non-profit whose purpose is educating parents about the internet and mobile technologies, making kids savvier, smarter users of the same and ultimately helping families cross the digital divide… together. Stay up to date with Digital Shepherds on Facebook and follow Tshaka on Twitter.
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