Michelle Mitchell

I know that bringing up kids in this digital world feels daunting, and some days impossible. We read headlines like ‘Selfies linked to deaths’ or ‘Tiktok trends spike car thefts’ and then we look at our teenagers who are constantly on their phones, or our tweens who are begging for social media, and it all feels… scary and uphill.

If we want our tweens and teens to have a healthy relationship with technology, there is one thing we have to fully accept – our kids CAN’T do it without us. It’s too big a mountain for them to climb. WE have to be prepared lead the way, ever so skilfully!

Over the past 25 years, I’ve seen how tough it is for parents to manage technology. I hear the exhaustion, the second guessing and the frustration and the fear. I also hear your kids – and how relieved kids they really are when their parents step up.  They won’t ever tell you how much they need you to guide them!

This webinar hopes to bring some balance, clarity and support to a really muddy and complicated area of parenting, all in the name of connecting you and your kids. I want to ensure that tech doesn’t become a wedge in your home, or their wellbeing. That stuff breaks my heart.

Consider this webinar your ‘tackling tech’ toolkit. I will step you through the process of managing tech through a connection lens. Over 90 minutes I want to offer you these key things:

• A framework to assess your child’s readiness for their technology requests.
• A suggested list of non-negotiable boundaries to safeguard them as they grow.
• The tools, tips (and a few strategies) you need to establish tech agreements with those under 13, and those over 13.
• Specific conversation starters to have with tweens and teens. These conversations will be specific to Snapchat, Tiktok and Instagram where kids are most active.
• Answer a few more complex questions that might be keep you up at night.

Below I’ve outlined in a little more detail what each area will unpack.

Assessing readiness. Parent often second guess themselves when it comes to decisions about technology. In this section, I’d love to offer you a decision-making framework, based on your child’s wellbeing and development which is unique and ever moving. I hope this will help you assess the risks and benefits for your unique family.

Establishing tech agreements. Together we are going to ask, what could healthy tech use look like in our home? Then I want to give you some insights, tools and tips to help you create agreements with those under 13 / and above 13. This will come with a worksheet for you to use after the webinar, as you follow through with those kids in your care!

Answering complex questions. In this section I am going to answer some of the tricker questions families are confronted with. Some of the questions I will cover include – What if all my kid’s friends have social media, and I’m not comfortable with it?  How can I better monitor what they are doing online?  We have a teenager who has a phone in their room at night, what do I do?  What should I do if my teen is looking at a lot of fitness videos, and has started to diet excessively? How do I handle tech and sleepovers?

Starting critical conversation. Communication is the key to keeping kids safe online. In this section I want to give you three key conversation starters to have with kids about Instagram, Tiktok and Snapchat. I hope these help open up discussions in your home.

Please note: Content in this webinar is for parents of kids who are on gaming, text and group chats – not just social media. I will cover content for those will those under and over 13.

Extra Bonus Resources: You will also receive a free copy of my webinar for 9 – 12-year-olds called “Staying Happy and Safe Online” which you can watch with your tween.

You will also receive a list of my favourite resources in my ‘Resource Pack’, so you have them handy as you need to make decisions. These will give you access to more targeted information, and ongoing support. This will include a link to my recommended social media agreement to guide your discussions with your family.