Why your teen should not be expected to respond immediately to parents’ texts and calls Bonus link to a guide for grooming your child for cyber safe use of smart devices One of the main reasons parents decide to equip their child with a mobile phone is the belief that instant communication with them will keep them safer. Nevertheless, while equipping kids with mobile devices makes us feel that our children are safer, if we are not careful to educate and train them about the purpose-driven use of the mobile device it actually poses new risks.

Cyber Safety for Kids and Families with Joanna and Jodie on 103.9TheFish Family Morning Show

One of the things trending with children and cyber technology is that very young children are experiencing increasingly longer periods of screen time, especially with devices.  This trend flies in the face of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation in 2011 that children under two should have no screen time, which from my point of view is laudable but not …

Debbie Gisonni is an author, speaker and trainer on wisdom and media and CEO of The StillHeart Institute in Woodside, California. Gisonni is a former technology executive who experienced four deaths of family members over a four-year period, one of them a suicide, which pulled her into a deep period of sadness, and inspired an interest to pursue the things about life that nourish and comfort the soul. The family tragedies sent her on a quest to pursue happiness, which could not be found in the latest app or gadget. The perspectives and lessons-learned she offers are excellent food for thought for the modern parent hovering in a home with multiple devices where we spend a lot of time together (in the same house), but may still be isolated and alone – going through the motions distant and yet somehow still connected.

No LOL. New research shows that safe teen driving is about training for competency and state driving laws are structured differently. New drivers 18 years or older are not required to receive the training and provisional licensing, and they are less safe that younger teens with learner’s permits. Dr. Kelly Browning is the Executive Director of Impact Teen Drivers, a Sacramento non-profit dedicated to promoting a safe teen driving culture through awareness and education. “Turning 18 years old is not a magic number,” Browning said. “Parents need to understand that they are the ones ultimately who determine what is right for their child. And each child may be different.”

It is true that under the right circumstances and the wrong thinking, we are any of us capable of anything. In the network, this couldn’t be truer. As one teenager put it, “Everything is situational.”

Missing are rites of passage with regard to preparing children for the cyber wilderness. And yet we are thrust into the digital fast lane with children placed in the driver seat as more children log into social media apps that are really meant for adults.

Recent statistics released by the Center for Disease Control bring encouraging news that there has been a decline in the fatality rate of teens aged 17-18 in automobile accidents from 2004-2008.

This report also indicates that the decline in teen fatalities is more than likely a factor of economic pressure to conserve spending, and so teens are not driving as much and/or are delaying obtaining their driver’s licenses.

Other reasons credited for the decline in …

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Pursuit of your dreams and achieving your goals requires organization on your part.

Organizing your life requires you to take charge of the things that are in your control and not allow yourself to become manipulated by the agendas and desires of others. 

One big aspect of your life, that requires self-control is how you use the Internet and mobile phones.

In …

Recently,  New York Times ran a timely piece by Julie Scelfo, “The risks of parenting while plugged in”.  This article prompted me to inquire with eParenting expert, Sharon Cindrich. This is her reply:

Distraction, alone, is the biggest hazard. Time can fly when you’re online, and it only takes a few minutes for a young child to get into a dangerous situation when they are unsupervised.

Probably the most common hazard and least considered …