Why the Mom’s Code?

ix. Talk Techy

If we want to speak our children’s language, we moms have to get more and more tech savvy. Words like Instagram didn’t exist and Vine was a plant. Snapchat sounds like a type of hat but it’s not—it’s an app to send a 10 second video with a text message to anyone in your contacts. Well, these plus facebook are where our tweens and teens are increasingly hanging out. When I ask my daughter her big news—she says, Instagram added video and it’s a free update! As a mom, we need to be on these, plus text, no voicemails please, to effectively parent our children. And we need to understand how to know how to protect them without alienating them. For example, be a fb friend but not write loving messages on his/her page. Forbidding devices or apps may buy you a little time but a mom today can’t stop the technology tidal wave. It’s a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ so we have to have strategies as parents.

Do you consider yourself tech savvy?

YES NO

Do you join social media sites so you can connect with your children?

YES NO

Do you fear you might not be able to protect your child because you don't understand social media?

YES NO

Do you regularly check your child's devices to see what's on them?

YES NO

We need to help our kids not unwittingly bully using their devices.

– Joanne

My 13-year-old daughter has 400 friends on Facebook! How do we control this and keep our kids safe?

– Olivia