Why Every Parent Needs a Family Technology Plan
Got Kids?
If you’re the parent of digital kids, you’ve probably had your share of “discussions” about their use of technology.
Most of the time it happens when you’re at your wits-end, as opposed to a time when you’re not pulling your hair out about something your kid did online.
The solution? Make sure you have a realistic Family Technology Plan ahead of time.
What about if you’ve already missed the boat because your kids are already online and you didn’t set up a plan ahead of time?
No worry – it’s never too late to make sure your kids practice good digital hygiene wherever they are in the tech use cycle, even if they’ve been online for years.
So, what exactly is a Family Technology Plan?
It’s a document that spells out what is and isn’t allowed for YOUR family when it comes to devices and being online. It helps hold your kids accountable, creates boundaries, and defines thoughtful consequences for mistakes (because you never want to have to try to figure out what to do when your kid messes up, in the heat of the moment).
Your plan will provide you with a CLEAR PATH to keep your kids safe online with age-appropriate rules and guidelines, along with those consequences I mentioned above, that aren’t pulled out of thin air (which often you’ll later regret) when you just need to take control of the whatever the situation is at the time.
What’s in a Family Technology Plan?
To be comprehensive and realistic, I recommend that your plan include sections on:
Privacy & Safety
This section includes items like passwords, family password managers, parental monitoring, friends and followers, sexting, image sharing, personal information, parental oversight, and more.
Screen Usage and Screen-Free Times and Zones
It’s here that you’ll address when and where screens can and can’t be used as well as time spent on screens.
Digital Communication and Digital Citizenship or Etiquette Rules
This part of the plan includes defining what “appropriate” and “inappropriate” mean and look like to YOU, how your child can communicate online, with whom they can interact, what to do about cyberbullying, approved and unapproved sites, as well as how to evolve your plan as your kids age.
Consequences for Mistakes or Breaking the Rules
In this section, you’ll find your thoughtful plan (not made up on the spur of the moment) for what happens when your kids make mistakes from the first mistake to ignoring your rules entirely and gives you a roadmap to help you dole out consequences that make sense rather than going nuclear whenever something happens online.
Are you ready to control the chaos and solve your family’s tech use problems?
CLICK HERE to see my 2 Personalized Family Technology Plan options - PLUS a video that shows you a sample of my plans.
There’s a budget-friendly DIY option that gives you access to my templates as well as lessons on creating your own realistic tech plan that will work for your family, or you can choose my premium option and have me create a plan especially for you.
Either way, you’ll have the tools you need to make sure you’ve got your family’s tech use under control while keeping your kids safe online. Want more info? Book a FREE Call and let’s talk!
