I am from the generation that grew up without the internet, then entered adulthood with the growth of the web, and worked with the boom and the crash of the World Wide Web.
Today, many children do not know a world without Google, without touchscreens, without automation, without social media.
Do we, as parents, shield them from having a presence on the internet? Or is it our responsibility to hold their hand, and guide them into the future? Safely, responsibly, and kindly online? Is it even possible?
I will talk about how to monitor your child online, how to teach them to post responsibly, and how to manage their time and focus when playing games and recording for a YouTube channel. I will also talk about how to use their WordPress blog as a future online portfolio, and how to manage their time online without compromising their homework.
These social media accounts and blogs will serve as a diary of sorts when your kids are too young to post for themselves. It is a record of what they did through the eyes of their parents, and eventually, their parents can turn over these accounts to their child when they turn 13, or when they can show that they are responsible enough to handle their own presence online.
At least once a week, I tell my wife, when our son does something funny, “You should post that.” And so we do!