Archive for 2014
Monday, September 22nd, 2014
Back to school is a time of excitement as well as insecurity and uncertainty. And in the cyber social realm, where it is easy to be mean, the cyberbully phenomenon surfaces as a topic of concern and conversation. While bullying is not new, the level of hostility and persistent invasiveness that mobile connectivity inspires in the social networks our children navigate on and off line is unprecedented. And the children need socialization to help them overcome the lack of empathy that can happen from behind the screen. It is a challenge that has inspired legislation across the nation to make cyberbullying cause for disciplinary action in schools.
Posted in Boundaries, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Education, Faith, Family, God's love, Internet Social Networks, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Parenting adult children, Relationship, Social Media, Teenagers, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues, Youth Suicide | Comments Off on The role of parents in confronting the bully at school
Monday, September 15th, 2014
The new iPhone 6 and iOS8 was released last week, and as is always the case, new releases of technology bring changes that can be good and potentially problematic. So parents need to be aware of what is involved and have a plan to handle it.
Posted in Children's apps, CyberParent Power, Faith, Family, Internet Safety, Internet Social Networks, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Privacy, Social Media, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues | Comments Off on The family-friendly pros and cons of iPhone 6 and iOS8 functionality
Tuesday, September 9th, 2014
The pursuit of truth is difficult when emotions are high and this is especially true in the social network. Cyber-powered connectivity can intensify the temptation to rush to judgment without all the facts and it is difficult to maintain a perspective informed by the aim to pursue justice before the pursuit of truth has even begun...
Posted in Banana Moments Monthly Round Up, Boundaries, Discipline, Entitlement, Faith, Family, God's love, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Social Media, Teenagers, Texting, Youth violence | Comments Off on Making a peaceful society 101: Ferguson revisited
Monday, September 8th, 2014
There is a tendency to want to lecture and tell kids what to do, or say nothing for fear that you don’t know what to tell them because you don’t know what is happening. The most important thing a parent can do is get interested in what your child thinks, and get them talking about the apps and how kids are using them. Without open communication about what is going on, it is not possible to know what you need to know in order to impart wisdom.
Posted in Anxiety, Boundaries, Discipline, Faith, Family, God's love, Mobile Phone Use and Children, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Social Media, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues | Comments Off on Simple tips to stay informed about your child’s social media experiences
Tuesday, August 26th, 2014
This talk explores ways to have a meaningful conversation with your child about sexual exploitation, and in particular as it relates to internet porn and sexting.
Posted in addiction, Faith, Family, God's love, Honesty, Internet porn, Internet Safety, Motivation, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Sexting, Social Media, Teenagers, Texting | Comments Off on Talking with confidence about internet porn and sexting
Monday, August 25th, 2014
Parental control apps have limited value, and must always be used in context of the bigger lesson about making good decisions and establishing good habits. If your child is using her device and ignoring you, and you choose to use Ignore Me No More, create a more robust context about making good choices.
Posted in Boundaries, Discipline, Faith, Family, God's love, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Relationship, Teenagers, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues | Comments Off on Will parental control apps help or hinder communication with your teen?
Monday, August 18th, 2014
The tap and click tablet, internet-enabled world conditions us for instant gratification. How many of us become impatient when an application takes too long to process a command? Yep. Thirty seconds can feel like an eternity. In the cyber social realm impulsivity, a lack of patience, can lead to aggressiveness and a bully climate when our personal expectations are not immediately met or when we are displeased or disturbed. Let’s face it, in a “me”-centered world there can be no peace.
Posted in Boundaries, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Discipline, Entitlement, Faith, Family, God's love, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Social Media, Teenagers, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues | Comments Off on Explaining the value of patience in a tap and click world
Monday, August 11th, 2014
...humility is choosing to assert control over the “smarty pants” self, and stand your ground about where you believe your power comes from in the first place. It is the “What Would Jesus Do” model. When you are feeling uneasy or threatened, it is better to pray about it and trust God with the issue first so you can think and act with an intelligent heart, rather than act out impulsively. Impulsiveness is lack of self control; it can be and expression of insecurity and anger – all of which are powerless states of mind and contribute further to the disturbing of the peace.
Posted in Anxiety, Boundaries, Bullying, Discipline, Faith, Family, God's love, Internet Safety, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Peer abuse, Relationship, Sexting, Social Media, Teenagers, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues | Comments Off on Overcoming cyber-powered gossip and bullying with humility
Monday, August 4th, 2014
Over the past few weeks Jodie and I have talked about bringing clarity to key concepts that help us and our children maintain open communication rooted in truth: private and secret, brave and risky, and trust and faith. Today we are talking about clarifying what it means to forgive and excuse so as to help promote individual resiliency.
Posted in addiction, Anxiety, Boundaries, Bullying, Faith, Family, God's love, Honesty, Parent-child relationship, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Relationship, Social Media, Teenagers, Texting, The Fish 103.9FM Cyber Tues | Comments Off on Why discerning what it means to forgive and excuse matters for cyber safety
Thursday, July 31st, 2014
Living with the consequences of our choices can be a challenge in the modern world especially for our children whose cyber-powered experiences can convince them they have no real choices.
Posted in Banana Moments Monthly Round Up, Boundaries, Bullying, Discipline, Faith, Family, God's love, Happiness, Internet Safety, Parental Authority, Parental control, Parenting, Relationship, Sexting, Teenagers, Texting | Comments Off on Teaching children to be content with the consequences of their own choices