Raising Your Child In A Technologically Advanced World

If you thought that your parents had it tough, then you are in for a joy ride. Raising children has always been a tedious task, as kids rarely listen! However, raising children with technology all around them is a different ball game all together.

Technology has indeed given us power, information and convenience. However, technology has taken away our sense of privacy and our ability to function without gadgets.

To raise a child who is self-reliant and doesn't need gadgets to merely survive, it is important for parents to set some basic ground rules. These ground rules can guide your child until he/she is old enough to decide for himself/herself.

These ground rules might seem tough to set at first, as your child might cry, throw tantrums or refuse to talk to you.

Following these ground rules and others that you can think of will do him/her an immense amount of good in the long run.

Continue reading to know things such as, is it fine for your child to use the internet unsupervised.

Watching Television And Playing Video Games

• The brightness of television sets should be adjusted while your child is watching movies and playing games. If this cannot be done, then your child should be asked to sit at a safe distance. This will prevent damage to his/her eyes.
• Certain video games that are available these days are age inappropriate. Make sure to create a list of approved games and ask your child to follow this list. The same rule applies to watching programs and movies that are age inappropriate.
• A time limit should be set on using televisions and video games. The combined "one hour per day" rule for using both the devices is a good practice to start. Your child can choose if he/she wants to split this 1 hour a day on both the activities. Alternately, he/she can make his/her own schedule within the given time frame.

Using Smart Phones And Tablets

• Smart phones and tablets that are meant for your work purposes should not be given to your child. This can cause accidents such as unintentional deletion of files. This will only cause you to get angry at your child for a mistake.
• If you are planning to purchase a gadget such as a smart phone for your child, ensure that you don't get him/her an expensive one. Giving in to your child's whims and fancies will only teach him/her that it is perfectly fine to throw a tantrum to get what he/she wants. It might also not let him/her learn that things have to be earned the hard way.
• Children break things, open them up and experiment with repairing objects. While we used to try this with remote-control cars, kids these days try it out with mobile phones. Asking your child not to do this and explaining to your child the value of money is a good life lesson.

Making Use Of The Computer And Internet

• The internet is a dangerous place for a child who is left unsupervised. Ensure that you use both a child-safe browser and an anti-virus software. Ensure that age-inappropriate websites are completely blocked.
• Go that extra mile, don't just rely on technology to keep your child safe. Make a checklist of websites he/she should not watch. Children are smart, so instead of giving him/her names of websites he/she shouldn't visit, make a list of website types to avoid. For instance, the list should not read, "www.buythisandthattoyonline.com". Instead, it should read, no online-shopping websites.

• If you are permitting your child to use social media, then find out if you can block out certain content on his/her social media page. If not, then ensure that your child understands the importance of staying away from certain content. Make sure that your child knows the importance of not talking to strangers online. If any stranger is approaching your child repeatedly, then ask your child to inform you about it right away.