Parenting Strategies on a No Good, Very Bad Day
When my children were small, I used to read them Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I especially read the book to my daughters when they had a particularly difficult day. We would laugh at the various challenges Alexander would encounter throughout his very difficult day until bedtime when all was well when he drifted into dream land. [Read more…]
Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.
Your children’s use of technology can support their internet browsing, staying connected through social media, and checking in with you with a cell phone. The wrong kind of use can get in the way of your children’s education and make them more self-centered. Children ages 12 to 18 spend nearly two hours a day texting alone, 8 to 10 year old children average almost 8 hours a day using technology, while those ages 11 to 18 spend more than 11 hours per day (see Is Technology Harmful to my Kids? What Parents Need to Know By Joshua Straub, Ph.D.). 
Decision-Making: Combating Analysis-Paralysis
About a year ago, my daughter and son-in-law were getting ready to choose a preschool for their daughter, who was not even three at the time. There were several alternatives, as well as pressure to get into a preschool before all were fully enrolled. One school even required that my granddaughter come and visit the school without her parents to see if it would be a good fit for one of the two remaining spots. This was hard to believe given her age. 
So, we are considering letting our preteens or teens go out with friends. They could be asking for permission to go with a group to the movies or asking to go out on a date. How do we negotiate giving them an appropriate amount of independence, while still monitoring their safety?