*More* Encouragement for Raising Kids in the Digital Age
EP240 Part Two of my conversation w/Jenna Kruse
Back in the late 1900s when I had tiny ones (how old am I, 100?) my mom friends fell into two extreme camps regarding baby proofing.
Camp One graduated from the Parenting School of Baby Wise. They put a small blanket in the middle of the living room floor and placed their squirmy baby in the middle of it. When their squirmy baby tried to do what squirmy babies do—namely crawl—they’d point their finger and say, “NO CRAWL!”
These parents locked no cabinets, put up nothing fragile, and gated no stairways. They just said things like, “NO TOUCH!” And “NO KNIVES!” And “NO MOVE!” Constantly.
Camp Two strolled down the baby-proofing aisle at Babies R Us and bought it. All of it. The whole aisle. While they were still pregnant.
Before baby even made an entrance into the dangerous house, every cabinet was locked, every stairway gated, every toilet lid secured, every outlet covered, and every door handle rendered useless (because no one—not even Mom—can open a door knob with one of those plastic covers on it).
I fell somewhere between those extremes. I took care of the obviously deadly things. I locked up the poisons and moved all sharp objects out of baby’s reach. I bought an audio-only baby monitor. Other than that, I waited until baby could move before I installed a single baby-proofing gadget. I followed closely behind my newly-mobile child to see what dangerous thing he or she might find interesting. Then I’d go ahead and adjust or remove or lock that thing to make it safe. My child could then explore the house freely and safely, but I didn’t have to have 700 baby-proofing devices installed, only those necessary for that child.
As my children grew from toddlers to teens and the world thrust technology upon us in the early 2010s, I encountered the same extremes in parenting camps.
Camp One decided long ago that their kids would not get sucked into the age of cell phones and computers. They forbid their kids to own any hand-held devices with an on/off switch. If their kids needed to reach a friend, they used the landline (we still had them!) or Mom’s smartphone and invited the friend over for face-to-face interaction. The way they handled social media was to simply not allow it.
Camp Two (A) loved all things technology and provided all things technology for their children. They acknowledged the potential dangers, (we didn’t really know the dangers because we had no data about such things) but hoped and prayed their kids would would be safe. For them, the awesomeness of the technology and the new-found ability to stay connected with their child far outweighed any danger. They handled social media by giving them full access, early and often, and hoped for the best.
Camp Two (B) also provided all things technology for their children, but not because they loved technology, but because they were completely overwhelmed by it.
Again, I fell somewhere between.
Daily, I talk to moms who are trying to navigate this digital age with their kids. And what I often hear is a sense of overwhelm, hopelessness, or regret.
Today I welcome Jenna Kruse back to The Balanced MomCast for Part 2 of our discussion. She offers hope and encouragement by giving you a balanced approach, practical steps, and biblical wisdom for this all-consuming area of parenting school-aged kids.
We discuss:
The two extremes of approaching tech with kids. And the two versions of hopelessness moms feel while facing this situation
The Bible verse God gave Jenna to parent in the digital age
The regret that parents feel because they have tried so hard and their kids are still exposed to dangerous and inappropriate content
Mentor over monitor
The hilarious way Jenna tested her internet filter
Why filtering apps are not enough and how to teach your child to have a moral filter
How to be the Ninja of hard conversations
The driver’s ed approach
Practical steps to protect your kids with a balanced approach
Bible verses to encourage you and your kids
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 chatting with you about this topic! The comment section of Behind the Balance is reserved for paid subscribers. If you’d like to join the conversation, 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.