Dear Parents/Guardians,
I hope all is going well and know we pray for you and are here if you need anything. Last week, I had the privilege of listening to Josh Proctor as he spoke on the dangers of the Internet and cell phones our kids can encounter. I am not going to cover his whole talk, but I will touch on the 3 main points as parents we can do to help our children through the dangers and issues they will face.
We all know our kids are being raised in the technology age. Finding information is as simple as “Google” and they have access to more information than they can process. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good.
We as parents have to be the ones who teach, guide, and protect them from what is out there. We would not just hand them keys to a car and say figure it out and learn the hard way, so why do we do this with cell phones?
My big three take-aways when it comes to the internet and cell phones are train, talk, and teach to your kids.
We must train them on the purpose and capabilities of cell phones. When you decide the right age for them to get a phone, don’t just hand it over, but rather show them how it works. Train them on proper usage, the dangers of different apps, and what to do if they find themselves in a dangerous spot.
This all starts with open communication. You have to discuss and create dialogue when it comes to big issues. What you are afraid to talk to your kids about they already are texting and talking about in school with their friends. I don’t know about you, but I want to be the one that teaches them, not their friends. Have the hard conversations and be ready to talk. This will help you train your child on how to use a cell phone.
We have to be the ones that are having these conversations with our kids. You have to be the one to talk to them about puberty, sex, and the “big” issues. I know it seems hard, but please have the discussions. If you need help, reach out. We have resources and want to help. If we are not protecting and stepping up to do this, someone else will.
Lastly, teach your kids about cell phones. Teach them to use them properly. Their whole life doesn’t have to revolve around the cell phone and internet. Phones can be great tools, but also very dangerous if not used properly. Just like anything else.
As parents there are 3 things you can do to help them with this.
1. Appropriately protect your children. This means protect them from evil, not pain. Pain is what God uses to grow us, but you are the one that protects them from evil. They have to fail and have to learn, but do this appropriately.
2. Spiritually invest in your kids. It is our job to model how to love God. Our kids are great imitators. They will model what you do, how you think, and how you live your life. You must live a life that proclaims Jesus is Majestic, our Messiah, our Master, and our Mission.
3. Lastly you must relationally connect with your kids. This means you have to connect with their heart. You show them what it is like to love them. You must be emotionally attuned with their heart. Be a good listener. You don’t always have to have the answer. I struggle with this, but we are all a work in progress.
Raising children is hard this day in age, but God gave us the perfect playbook on how to raise children. I have been reminded of Deuteronomy 6 a lot lately. It is our job to raise them up, our job to teach them, and our job to train them in the ways of the Lord. You are doing a good job and we are here to help. If you ever need anything don’t hesitate.
In Christ
Paul