Amid the daily madness there are moments that make it all worthwhile.
Your digital footprint: Back-to-School
We are already 7 days into our school year. Most of the open houses have been attended, spelling tests have begun, and homework is certainly back into our daily routine. Much as I hate to admit it, summer is over.
Six-year-old Grace reminded me that this season also brings about new challenges. She came home from the bus on Wednesday with a little slip of paper clutched tightly in her hands. I had met them at the bus stop with my van since we had errands to do. Grace climbs into the van and immedately says, “I need your cell phone right away Mama!”
I choked back my shock and then said, “Whhhhhy do you need my cell phone?”
“I have to call E.” said Grace matter of factly. “I told him I would call right after school.”
I choked again, “E? A boy? Why do you need to call him?”
“Well, I have his phone number here,” and she holds out a waded little scrap of paper with a phone number on it.
I quickly guided the urgency to something manageable we could do once we came home from our errands. I knew the family, I knew it wouldn’t hurt to let her call, and I didn’t want Grace to hide any of this from me. So, after her phone call to a friend was over I realized that my Little Miss Social would always be one to search out new friendships and connections. That’s the way she is made.
And then I realized the implications of that as she gets older…I’m going to have to pay close attention to her!
That’s already proving true for all three of my kiddos as they age. Why would God give me a break on Child #3? She seems to be the savviest of them all. It’s most likely a gift in life, but it really does underscore the importance of paying attention to the “little mundane things” in life. These are the personality molders for those future adults.
So why would I call this a Digital Footprint issue? Because little scraps of paper soon turn into cell phone numbers and email addresses. And the same laws of parenting apply as you move into those older years. The parenting doesn’t lesson when they outreach to friends, it actually increases.
Here is my Back-to-School request for you:
Amid all the purchases and fees, forms and backpacks – set aside some time to think about how your child is communicating in the new year. Know the privacy settings on their facebook accounts, understand what online communities they have joined, set their cell phone and internet access to what seems most age appropriate. Do not simply hand them a device and then walk away. Know how to check the internet history on your computer. Be a part of their digital life.
I’d love to hear what issues you see coming with cell phones, internet, or social media this year? Has your household had to face some of these questions already?
(PS: Don’t forget to sign up for the Toy Story 3 Mr. Potato Head giveaway this weekend! It’s a classic and I’d love to have you win it. Just leave a comment on my last post about the giveaway and I’ll put you in the drawing on Sunday.)
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Cell only is an option many people have decided is best for them, but I have not been able to do that. My primary reason is that if I leave the kids with a babysitter or grandparent that there is no actual physical phone to call 911 or other emergency calls. Of course, most of my babysitters have a cell phone attached to their hip, but I feel like it is my responsibility as the parent to have a reliable means of contact in the house.
Jordan has informed me numerous times that she is the *ONLY* person in the 8th grade to not have her own phone and that she is missing out on “the whole social conversation” because of this. We have an extra phone that is used for a “Kid Cell”. Even though that mostly means it is used by Jordan, we have not provided her with her own personal line. I know that day is coming though. If you give Emma a cell, I would disable some of the texting features and all of the internet options for money/safety reasons until she gets older. Is there ever a time when she is at sports practice and needs to contact you, for example. It could be handy for that reason. I’m eager to find out what you decide.
Idea: Would a skype or vonage/VOIP phone setup work for the household and eliminate the need for a new cell line?
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We’re debating whether or not to let go of our landline- both my husband and I use our cell phones 99% of the time, so the only ones calling us on our home phone are charities, my mother, and Emma’s friends. We realized this weekend if we cancel our landline, then we either have to (a) let Emma’s friends call us on our cell phones, or (2) get Emma her own cell phone. Em, of course, is all for option #2, and neither hubby or I are thrilled about option #1- so do we keep our landline specifically for Emma to use, or do we get the newly-minted 10 year old a cell phone?