Technology Tips for Kids: Model Healthy Technology Behaviors

Technology is all around us and is a part of our daily lives. Your child will encounter technology at an early age, so building a healthy relationship needs to start now. Our Tech Tips for Kids series will help you set-up your child for success. 

Today’s Tech Tip for Kids is: Model Healthy Technology Behaviors

As we have said many times before, you are your child’s first teacher. This connection extends to technology as well; they will model their use of technology from how you use technology. That being said, make sure you model your technology use in a way that shows how you want your child to use technology. 

Some good examples of modelling behavior include: 

• If you don’t want your child to use their devices at certain times, such as mealtime, then make sure you’re not using your device at that time.  You might consider making an “electronics basket” and whenever it’s time to stop using technology that is where devices go. 
• Set a time for your child’s device to be turned off before bedtime and make sure you adhere to that time as well.  If necessary you can finish up any work or personal correspondence after your child has gone to bed but it is a good idea for everyone to put their devices away well before going to bed. 

There are other ways you can model your behavior to emulate how you want your child to use technology. Take a realistic look at how and when your entire family uses technology and make good decisions based on what you discover. 

If you are a parent that feels they need to have their devices handy at all times for work then you can use that as a teaching opportunity as well. Sit down with your child and explain what you use your devices to accomplish, help them discover ways to use their devices to accomplish their technology goals. You may both find out that you can use your time with device more efficiently or that you may not even need your device at all to do what you need to do. 

Your child will want to do the things that you do, make sure that you are a good technology role model and follow the behavior you expect from them