In The Digital World, Our children have never lived in a world without internet and they will never know what a cable telephone is, nor will they have to listen to the dialing sound of the telephone in order to connect to the internet.
For them, digital devices have had an impact on their way of learning, growing and communicating and therefore also MUST influence the way we raise them.
From recognizing the impact of technology on the lives of our children to the achievement of electronic culture for the whole family,
Here we leave you 8 steps for good father in the Digital World
Step 1: Stay informed.
It is difficult to make good decisions if you do not know what electronic devices are capable of, how they are used by teenagers, or what are the most common threats. Technology is here to help you with that, however, we can not force you to learn, you must have the will to achieve it.
Commit yourself here and now to stay informed about it, now mark this page as a favorite and any other source that provides you this type of information. Take some time to read about this every week, so you will be up to date with and have the necessary knowledge to make better decisions.
Step 2: Be a good role model.
Children have “an uncanny ability to distinguish between adults who only know how to speak and those who act according to the norms they preach”.
At least, that is the conclusion of Karen Stephens, an instructor at the University of Illinois Department of Child Development, who wrote the importance of role models in parenting models.
If they want their children to have good digital habits, as parents they should also have them, otherwise, their children will notice. That is, they must live according to the beliefs you are teaching them. This will also be more effective than anything else in establishing your authority in the matter.
Nor will it be harmful that you also improve your relationship with technology.
Step 3: Establish the rules.
No one will be surprised to hear that our children think their phones are theirs, no matter who bought them. You are the adult, so it is you who sets the rules at home, although this step is more complicated than it seems.
When your child acquires his Smartphone, the rules should be as strict as possible, and from that moment on, give him more freedom as they earn it according to their use of it.
If you break the rules then you must apply the punishment you think appropriate, although positive reinforcement is important, our children must understand that there are negative consequences when they fail their duty or try to bypass the rules.
Check This Out: Overprotective Parenting
Step 4: Talk with your children.
Your children can handle the reasons why you do things, so it is better to be open and honest with the way of your rules now and in the future. The worst thing you can do is say that the rules are a certain way just because you say it. Children usually see this as arbitrary and unfair, and they will not feel so guilty about breaking the rules they consider unfair.
Be sure to emphasize that your safety is the main reason for each rule, children tend to accept restrictions better when their safety is the main problem, especially if you prove they can be safe thanks to them.
Step 5: No more trying to be your friend or your follower in social networks.
You do not need to integrate into any social network your children join. Becoming friends or following them is a way to keep in touch with them, but it does not serve to monitor them. They are more likely to feel that you are meddling in something they want to keep private.
Sending messages or labeling them constantly can be annoying. Do not give “Like” or comment everything they publish, to keep you abreast of their activities requires a touch distanced, and for this:
Step 6: Use parental control applications.
These applications of parental control allow you to restrict the use of your child’s Smartphone in different ways, including; prevent them from downloading certain applications, set limits for the time of use of the phone, or send reminders that they have been on the phone too long.
Parental monitoring software also allows you to see phone activity, text messages, calls, web history, social networks and other applications. In this way, you can monitor everything your child does in an isolated manner and verify that your child is not skipping the rules.
Our advice is to inform your son that he is being monitored. Some are quite receptive when they are small, the biggest will have to deal with it, but be sure to do so as part of a condition of using your Smartphone, after all, you have given them to them. You can also explain to them that they will have greater freedom and stop monitoring certain things as they show responsibility.
Step 7: Share the digital world with your children
Although you should not try to be all the time and do everything with them, (step 5 exists for a reason), you can work on sharing certain things of the digital world with your children. For example, you can discuss blog articles, research certain topics of interest, or compete to see who finds the best deals for an online product first, etc.
Sharing is something that is not only done once, it should be part of the family routine and something that everyone enjoys doing. By promoting your curiosity you can teach them to use the internet in a positive way.
You are also encouraging them to share with you. If children feel that sharing things with their parents is natural, they are more likely to avoid hiding things, and they are more likely to seek advice from their parents when something is wrong.
Step 8: Move away from the digital world every so often during the day.
The digital age is an increasingly popular choice for families because they need not be on the internet all the time to be connected. The simple truth is that smartphones are addictive, sound and vibrate every time something happens, and we have trained to catch it at the same time they happen.
If you do not actively resist it, not only will you be the one who is damaged, but your children will never learn how to live without technology. Fortunately, preventing this is not very difficult. Retiring and leaving technological devices aside as part of a routine means that you can pay attention to other things, such as sports, pets, food, etc.
keep Reading: SHOULD YOUR PARTNER BE YOUR BEST FRIEND?
When the digital world becomes another tool and not the center of attention in your lives, then you succeed as a digital father.
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