hey call them "digital natives".  Teens have a whole different relationship to computers than their parents do.   As the computer teacher at Remington, I would like to try to help.

Kids want you to guide them and set limits. It may not seem like it but it is true.  They want you to protect them from hurting themselves.  They may fight you. They may try to ignore your advice. They may act as if they know it all but really truly they want you saving them from themselves.  And the strength to do that comes from your relationship with your child.  The more time and energy you spend on them the easier it will be to help them navigate a virtual world. 

There is a lot of information online but that too can be overwhelming.  There are a few basic things you can do to make the whole thing more manageable.

·       Set rules and guidelines for computer use. 

Your child wants to know what your limits are. Make them clear and explain why you have the rules.  For example, let’s say your sixth grader is restricted from Facebook.  Explaining how that fits with your values, and at what point he will be old enough to decide to go on Facebook will make it easier to accept as a “rule”. Post them where they are visible so everyone remembers.

·       Go there with your child.

If we were talking about real world places that can be dangerous, parents would want to go with their child the first time.  The same should be true of virtual worlds.  If your son or daughter wants to go on Facebook or Twitter, it makes sense for you to go with them and see what is there so you can warn them of dangers that are obvious to you but might not be to them.

·       Limit screen time.

Kids need to run and play, interact with others, do homework, read books, and learn hands on skills.  Come to an agreement with your child limiting the amount of “screen time”.  That should include both tv and computer time.

·       Put your computer in a public, family space. 

This sets the tone that everything done on the computer is open and public.  It makes it much easier to expect openness. 

Just setting a few limits can make parenting in the computer age much easier and more fun.