Encouragement for Raising Kids in the Digital Age
EP239 Part One of my conversation w/Jenna Kruse
When my kids were babies and toddlers, and I was struggling with sleep deprivation and potty training, I remember certain moms with older kids saying, “You think THIS is hard? Wait until they are teenagers!”
Gosh, I hated it when they said that.
In my sleep-deprived stupor, buried in laundry and dirty diapers, I would think, “How can anything be harder than this?”
Now, here I am, with a 25-year-old, a 23-year-old, and an (almost!) 18-year-old, and an entirely different perspective. I don’t want to be the mom who downplays the struggles of babies and toddlers. Let’s just all agree right here, right now, that babies and toddlers are hard. Adorable and precious, yes. But also, HARD.
I also don’t want to be the older mom who discourages the younger moms with tales of how “horrible” teens are. This is not helpful—I know this. But neither do I want to be the mom who denies the fact that raising teens is also hard. VERY HARD.
I will be the first one to tell you, that there are so many things to love about the teen years. Watching my children emerge into loving, caring, responsible humans is one of my favorite things. Having in-depth discussions with my children, watching their talents and gifts develop, cheering them on as they overcome challenges and adversity…truly, there is nothing more rewarding as a parent.
And yet…
When my kids moved from childhood through adolescence into the teen years, I discovered I needed an entirely new set of parenting strategies. Gone were the days when I could simply administer a rule, slap up a reward chart, and expect compliance. As my children aged, I needed to slowly transfer control from me to them, so they could eventually launch from our home as fully functional adults.
That process of transferring control is messy and scary and exhausting.
This has been especially true with navigating the world of technology.
In the early 2000s when my oldest were toddlers, Internet safety meant you kept your big ole PC in a central area of the home. You set time limits. You installed a filter so no one accidentally clicked on porn. And, thanks to dial-up connections, accessing the Internet was painstakingly slow, thus, not very alluring to impatient kids.
And phones? Most people still used landlines. Cell phones were “car phones” permanently installed in the vehicle. Or they were the size of a baguette—and terribly expensive.
You paid “roaming charges” and had a limited amount of “monthly minutes.” Texting wasn’t even a thing. Phones did not have Internet access or full keyboards.
Kids simply did not have cell phones—shoot, most adults didn’t even have them! Easy-peasy for Mom and Dad to set limits and monitor all things electronic.
In the time I raised my kids, the whole world has transformed, technology-wise.
My mom friends with younger kids always ask me how I handled tech in my home. I can only answer in generalities because NOTHING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IS THE SAME IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
And that is precisely why this season I’m inviting guests on the podcast who can speak to this issue better than I can.
Today’s guest is Jenna Kruse, and she helps parents with school-aged kids overcome the frustration, fatigue, and hopelessness of parenting in the digital age, so they can enjoy their kids and thrive in their role of raising the next generation to know and love Jesus.
We discuss:
What’s on both my and Jenna’s To-Don’t List (mine is TMI…sorry)
The rapid growth of tech since 2009 (when she had her first child) and the frustration that drove her to help other parents
How much of my time and energy tech required of me as a younger mom (and how thankful I am people like Jenna are standing up and helping the moms behind her)
The first principle of Jenna’s Balanced Approach to managing tech in her home
More about Jenna:
As a writer and speaker, Jenna Kruse specializes in equipping and encouraging parents in the digital age to raise the next generation to know and love Jesus. As a wife and mom of three kids who make fun of her for crying during Disney movies, she writes about finding Jesus in movies, media, culture, and more.
Connect with Jenna:
Download her Top Ten Tips for Raising Faith-Filled Kids in the Digital Age HERE.
Love,
Sandy
P.S. I love hearing from you! The comment section of Behind the Balance is reserved for paid subscribers. If you’d like to leave a comment, consider becoming a paid subscriber for only $5/month or $50/year. Cancel at any time. Thank you for supporting my work and allowing The Balanced MomCast to remain ad-free.