Technology and My Kids

It seems to me that mixing parenting with technology is much easier today than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Growing up, it was assumed that I knew more about computers than my parents; I was growing as the technology did. There were computer classes at school that gave children the edge. At the time, my parents really had no idea what or how technology could help or hinder me.

These days, technology can be scary. There are horrible people out there who will certainly take advantage of children on computers if they aren't careful. I choose to look at the positives, though, and allow my children to interact with most all of my gadgets under close supervision.

Texting is a great form of communication for certain circumstances. My kids are already fighting over who gets the full keyboard phone when my husband doesn't want it anymore. (Never mind that they are 8, 6, and 5 and aren't getting a phone for a long time.) It's important for children to understand this technology now as it will only progress from here and is likely to play a large roll in whatever career they pursue.

Recently my husband and I switched cell phone carriers. Because we were at the store for so long and my children were so patient, the man taking care of us gave each of my kids a display phone to take home. I was shocked to find out that my son (5 years old) knew what a blackberry was and was tickled pink to have one of his own. (He did call it a blueberry, but I knew what he meant.)

In addition to being a texting fool, I also love to blog. My kids become engaged with blogging because I include them in my discussions as well as in photos. Kids love to feel important and nothing can seem more important than being on the internet! Blogging is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family as well as keep up on writing skills.

My 8 year old asked for her own laptop this past Christmas. She didn't get one, but I think that indicates how big of an impact technology has on her. As long as I continue to keep an eye on what she is doing and how she is utilizing computers and cell phones, I believe it will only help her later.