LIFESTYLE | parenting Womanthismonth.com March 2024 41 3. Educate them on the dangers of some online interactions. It’s also important for parents to highlight that going through their child’s phone is not a punishment of any kind, but a way to protect them. 4. Secretly checking their phone is not OK, a better idea is to look at the device together, as it’s an opportunity to build trust and communication. Snooping bypasses both, trust and communication, and often does more harm to the parent-child relationship than good. 5. You need to understand that age isn’t as important as your child’s developmental functioning and overall maturity. Like many other aspects of childhood, phones require earned trust from adults. Younger children will likely require more monitoring as they learn the rules and boundaries, and parents may begin to feel more comfortable with less phone monitoring as kids grow older and consistently show they are trustworthy with their phones. An example of this could look like limiting the number of apps allowed for an elementary-aged child or restricting their phone use to calls and texts only, then doing more frequent phone checks to ensure that they understand the rules and boundaries. 6. Talk to your kids about what they see on their phones. Instead of having a power- based relationship where the parents control everything, you can create a healthier two-way form of communication with your child. This can help establish a regular dialogue with your child built around trust, openness and safety. However, if a parent suspects that their child or another child is in any kind of risky or dangerous situation then parents must check their kids phone usage, search history and social media to intervene. No matter what, it’s important to stay open and honest with your kids so they feel trusted and respected. All children should be aware of their parents’ monitoring tactics regardless of age. Start there, and you’ll set your kids up for success. :NT QD@KKX G@UD SN EDDK HS SN ADKHDUD HS SUN SCREEN VELVET FACE & COLOR SPF 50+ 4JMLZ UFYUVSF "MMPXT TLJO UP CSFBUI /PO PJMZ UFYUVSF .BLF VQ QSJNFS GPVOEBUJPO
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