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Middle school can be a frustrating time for parents, especially when your child spends hours glued to their iPad or mindlessly scrolling on social media. Summer is approaching, and technology is begging for kids’ attention 24/7. While it may not be realistic to take away technology this summer completely, you can teach them a positive way to use it in moderation.
Experts at King’s Middle School, a Christian school in Shoreline, WA, share this list of easy-to-follow tips and resources for parents to navigate technology with their middle school students this summer.
Get an App!
It is natural to want to monitor everything your child consumes on their device, but it is nearly impossible for a busy parent. Thankfully, there are apps available that allow you to do just that. Apps we love are Bark, FamiGuard, and Boomerang Family Control. All three apps allow you to monitor, detect, alert, and manage your child’s screen time. You’ll be able to track what your child watches or reads, find and notify them about inappropriate content, remind them when their screen time is over, and control the amount of time they spend on different apps. An awesome feature we love with these apps is sending your child an alert when their screen time is up. You can customize the alert by reminding them to go outside, do their chores, or play a game. These apps allow parents to keep their children safe from inappropriate content and prevent them from spending too much time on their devices.
Know your kids’ friends both in real life and online
We go to great lengths to get to know our kids’ friends in real life. Our kids spend so much time on social media with their online friends and the community it makes sense to make the same effort to know their friends online. One way to do this is to sit down with your child and spend time together on the apps they use, encouraging them to show you who they like to follow and interact with.
Productive screen time
Not all screen time is terrible. Work with your child to find productive apps they can use this summer. There are plenty of apps and Youtube channels that encourage creativity and critical thinking skills for middle school students.
Set screen time boundaries
Establish screen time boundaries with your child verbally and through one of the monitoring apps listed above. As your child shows responsibility and matures with age, you can change the restrictions and adjust the screen time limits.
Know the Apps your child is using (and what to stay away from)
It’s hard to keep up with the latest apps and technology trends. Knowledge is power when it comes to technology. It may be nearly impossible to keep your child off all social media, but as parents, it’s helpful to know what apps they are using and which ones they need to stay away from. Bark has created a full breakdown of the most popular apps. Check out each app’s breakdown: Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and Discord.
Establish technology-free zones
Set aside specific times of the day and places where technology and devices are not allowed. Some examples are no screen time before 11 am or after 9 pm, devices are only allowed in the family room and kitchen, or no devices during family meals or movies.
Five helpful resources
- Is your child ready for a smartphone? Check out this blog from AlllMomDoes here.
- If you need ideas for activities to replace screen time, we found an excellent resource. Check out the printable list of ideas now!
- We know technology isn’t all bad. Bark created a list of the best apps for your kids here.
- Stay on top of what apps your kids should avoid. Read the complete list of the most dangerous apps on Bark’s Blog.
- Do you want to keep your child safe online but don’t know where to start? Here’s a list of helpful tips and practical ways to keep your kids safe on the internet.
These tips and resources will help you and your child healthily navigate the digital world. If you’re in the Seattle, WA, area, we would love to meet you. Book a tour today to see everything King’s Middle School offers you and your family.