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Amy McCready has tips to help parents protect their phone carrying kids and keep them focused on what matters most
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First let's talk about the problem involving kids in their silly distractions.
For young people these days.
With telephones.
The cell phones and Smartphones and iPod touches we have that going on in our house Sino so the problem is your kids are always on the phone.
A solution.
Some tips to help keep your kids focused and joining us now is -- -- who is the founder of positive parenting solutions she joins us on Skype.
Nice to see you -- thanks very much for joining us.
I think direct I appreciate the opportunity with it and talk about solutions.
What is it that it -- that attracts kids.
So much is it different -- because I know obviously there are a lot of adults who are distracted and always checking their Smartphone -- checking their email whatever our our kids sort of distracted by those technologies for the same reason that we adults are.
I think so you know -- novel it's exciting.
I it would -- grown up in -- technology generation -- -- you know totally different for us.
And yet today about pew Internet research to -- -- that 75%.
Of kids ages twelve to seventeen.
Now have mobile final well a lot of kids.
Using technology and that's before we talk about computers and I've had been everything else felt.
If it's an issue for parents that it can be a real problem.
As -- parenting expert yourself at what age do you recommend typically parents.
Sort of become open to the idea.
Of of allowing their children to have a Smartphone.
Well I really say when your child need that now that may be later than when they want -- to court they you know kids want phones and third and fourth grade.
But it's when they needed -- I think staying after school for activities and sports -- they have to get in contact with their parents.
Is there an afterschool.
Daycare situation which would require them.
Making contact with the parents so it's -- needed.
And then when there responsible enough to actually use that and and that's kind of a big deal because it's.
Again we know at 65% of his -- texting late at night when they should be sleeping.
64%.
Are texting in class and 29% admit to texting while driving can still they're not -- using it as responsibly as -- -- Give us some tips how can parents.
Help sort of teach their kids train their kids.
To be focused on school work as we get closer and closer sort of in some parts of the country schools already begun.
So we have some tips on the screen I'll go through them and you can sort of expand on -- clarify that access to a Smartphone is a privilege.
Absolutely you know it.
We have this conversation with our -- -- a fourteen in a fifteen year old and it is a privileged to have a mobile phone and computer not a right and help.
We have to be very clear about what the ground rules are for using technology and lay out the consequences and advance.
And let's go back up to this green in the next tip.
That you presented to us has to do -- having an open dialogue sort of talking about.
All of this with your children.
That's right so issues that we're going back to school this is a great time for everybody to just get on the same page.
And I recommend three important ground rule.
The first one is that as a parent I will need to have access to your accounts and passwords and I will periodically check.
Text messages emails social media accounts not spying because I'm letting you know up front.
But that is an important piece of the puzzle.
We also want to have content and technology curfew still at 9 o'clock all of the electronics are shot off that's a non negotiable.
And then the last one is that.
-- should be a -- technologies down so if you wanna use the computer or the Smartphone you do it in sort of a public common areas of your house where parents can keep an eye on things.
And then the phone get charged up -- in the kitchen or B -- from commonplace where you can't keep an eye on things.
I was talking to a friend of mine recently who has children around the same age as your kids my children younger but he was talking about setting limits.
On screen time which -- -- was an all encompassing term.
That would include watching television.
On the computer on the Smartphone to -- -- -- this screen.
And coming up with a timeline that and the children leave it up to then.
To actually come up with how they wanna -- that time what screen they wanna use -- look at but they have to know that when they've reached their limit that's it.
Yeah I think that's an excellent idea because it puts the responsibility on their shoulders and -- always gonna get by hand when you get them involved in the process.
And the great thing for parents now if there's actually some technologies that help with what you just described.
So look at trying to limit screen time or phone time.
There's this fabulous product from -- the guardian bundle which.
It's called -- controls though if your child has been texting late at night or during school hours with the parent can actually go and and just kind of program the phone told that the -- -- automatically turned off during school hours or make after 9 o'clock at night.
Still I think letting your kids to be involved in what those parameters and limit should be is so important.
But know that as a parent there is some backup technology can help you manage that process as well.
The group -- off.
You know children.
Teenagers of course their parents come with the rules and you know and they're telling them what to do it kids feel like they're being -- that they they don't like that's a -- how do you have this dialogue that you recommend having.
Without having your child.
Accuse you of being sort of that nagging mom or dad.
Well they may do that anyway but really the best to -- Is to have that open dialogue that we talked about -- a big fan of failing meetings you know to kind of once a week.
Get together as a family talk about how things are going in different areas that you make talk about technology make talk about homework you know family chores whatever the topic is -- You know half that conversation about OK let's talk about the rules that we kind of put in place at the beginning of the school year for technology help everybody feeling about -- Do we need to make any adjustments.
I think when they are part of the -- that.
They feel a lot about it now are they going to be totally -- that you're you know -- you're using your phone to turn off their phones.
You know it during school hours but maybe not but again that's part of that privilege.
Of having technology you know it's not you get to do with it whatever you want there are certain limits that are put in place for diplomats are there to be safe.
And help you learn how to use them more responsibly.
-- McCready is the founder of positive parenting solutions.
Great to talk to you -- some great advice thanks so much for joining us.
Thank you -- have a great day you --
