Put down that Book - Pick up Technology

Have you ever told your child NOT to read a book or he can only read no more than 25 minutes a day?  Yet same remarks are being placed on kids using technology.

How about all those expert?  I haven’t been able to find one study that shows that kids who sit to read books are anti-social, can’t communicate with peers, less creative and will lead to childhood obesity.   Sounds absurd!  Yet it would be true, if kids found reading a book as engaging as using technology.

What is more isolating than watching a child sitting by himself reading a book?  How many times have you ever heard a kid telling another kid to get this great book?  Rarely!  I know moms this summer are not limiting their child’s reading time, but they are trying all kinds of bribes to get their kids to read. 

Yet they have the tool right at their fingertips.

Parents will hand their kids computers, tablets, smart phones for the purpose of playing games.  Then we have all these “experts” chiming in on how bad technology is for our kids, yet when used properly it is the best learning tool we have.

It doesn’t have to be a struggle to get your child to read.  Your kid is part of the digital generation and will read what is interesting.    Using technology is fun and kids really are naturally inquisitive.   Check out Shark Week on Discovery Website - http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/shark-week/.  Have your child watch the videos and read about sharks. Yes! Watch the videos and listen to the audio.  Really amazing what is at our fingertips and how much we can learn.  Reading and Listening Comprehension are literacy skills kids need to be successful learners.  For younger children, be sure to practice at www.discoverykids.com/puterbugs for the most innovative Shark Week learning experience for your kids! 
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Kids are putting down their book, but picking up technology.   Just as we nag our kids to read a book, when you hand over technology to your kid, do it with a purpose.  A quote from a child from one of our computer classes, “This is almost like learning.”  

Is Your Child At Risk?

No not my child...

We live in a nice house in a great neighborhood. My kids go to "good" schools and get good grades. They have all the latest gadgets. They know how to use my laptop, smart phone to access the latest apps, play video games and they have figured it out all by themselves.

Exactly! No one, probably not you, not their teachers, ever explained to them the risks of using this technology. Do you know according to a study by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that 1 in 5 youths online face invitations to engage in cybersex or receive other risque solicitations?

Sen. Judd Gregg, chairman of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funded the study said that, "If your child is using the Internet, it is very likely that your child has been solicited for activity of a sexual manner."

Wow! scary.

The report also went on to say that few of the children ever reported the incidents to authorities or even to their parents. The biggest surprise to me was that the profile of the typical sexual solicitor was a teen. Yikes, and you know how much kids are influenced with peer pressure.

WHAT'S A PARENT TO DO?
 START YOUNG!!! and follow this motto:  Expect + Respect = Success

Expectation
Before you hand your kids that cool technology make sure you set expectations of how and when it should be used.   Think about it.  Would you send your young child to play in a park without any rules or adult supervision?  Would you give your older child keys to the car just because he figured out how to drive?  Of course not, and it must be the same with technology.  

It is fun for young kids to IM and add smiley faces to grandma but this is a great time to start setting expectations.  Let your child  know you expect that he will only IM with some one he knows.  As your child gets older, he/she will text and most likely will have a facebook page.  Your child from a very young age must be told over and over again your expectations for posting and texting. 

Respect
Make sure your kids are taught at an early age to respect technology from the first time they grab your smart phone or tap the keyboard.  Respect for technology isn't natural to kids. It must be taught even though they are clicking and swiping faster than most adults.

Success
Setting high expectations and respect when using technology, kids will less likely be the victims of predators and more likely be the ones who will use it as a powerful tool for learning, self-expression and communication.

Technology is here to stay. Don't put your head in the sand and think by not letting your child use it, that's the solution,.  Believe me..It's way to cool and they are going to get their hands on it.

So ...What are you doing to prevent your child from being one of those kids who are at risk?