Search
Be Joyful, Be Alert [What can a parent do?}
-
September 21, 2020Be Joyful, Be Alert [What can a parent do?}
By Julie Sparacio, Child and Youth Protection Director
As I write this, the summer is winding down, California is still basically closed, and fire season has started early. Whew! School has also started for many as well – a very different start to the school year in a lot of places. I think about what the first day of school was like for myself, and for my children and I feel so badly that the joy our students feel is tinged with a sadness or even a weirdness. Someone I know described watching her kindergartner walking into school in a mask, six feet behind the child in front of them. For others, with schools still closed, distance learning is the new normal.
For all those of you who are finding a way to help your child navigate this new normal – kudos to you! Sometimes I think, with my background in education, I would have done a great job if I was in this situation. Other times, when I am actually being honest, I realize how impossible it would have been, how stressful, and what a struggle it would have been for all of us. I am so glad my children are no longer young, and I am praying for all of you who are in the midst. My best advice? Commit yourself – every day - to find at least one moment of joy and teach your children to do the same. Laughter heals so much, so find something that makes you laugh or warms your heart. You will find it.
One of the concerns that I have is the amount of time children will be spending online with distance learning. Our schools have good plans in place that include an awareness of screen time limits and necessary breaks from the computer. That isn’t what I am worried about. As our students use the computer more and more for legitimate things, it would be very easy for them to find themselves in places they shouldn’t be. Online predators are so clever, and so tricky. I remember hearing decades ago that they create websites where the address is so similar that when children mistype Disney or the White House, they get directed to a porn site!!! If they were doing that decades ago, their level of sophistication has only increased and their ability to access children is greater. What can a parent do?
- Keep screens visible: If possible, set up your student’s desktop and laptop computers in a family room or kitchen, so you can monitor what your child is viewing online.
- Collect passwords from younger children: If your child does not want to share their passwords with you, discuss why. Young children do not need Internet privacy.
- Set Parental Controls: This will help to avoid any possibility of stumbling upon inappropriate sites. You can find ways to set parental controls here: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0029-parental-controls
- Teach kindness: Let your child know that they do not need to be friends with everyone, but they also should never type something mean about someone online. That is the same as saying it to their face. Recognize the signs of cyber-bullying.
- Discuss stranger safety: Make sure children know not to share where they live, their name, where they go to school, or any other identifiable information.
- Have an open-door policy: Make sure your children know they can always come to you, even if they make a mistake.
Even with its risks, I am so grateful for technology. It allows us to stay connected, even if it’s a very different way than we have in the past. Our world is different and for many – scary. Isaiah 41:10 can be our rock:
Fear not for I am with you; do not be dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you and uphold you with my right hand of justice.
That works for me!
