Do You Know the Three “L’s” of Technology for Kids?

So what’s a parent to do?  I think we would do well in this area to heed the words of Prov. 22:6 and intentionally ‘train up our children in the way they should go.’

Let me give you three simple and easy to remember guidelines for using and training your children to use technology in your home and life in general.

1.  LIMIT it.

There needs to be limits.  This should go without being said, but there needs to be specific and measurable limits on technology usage.

• When should a young person be able to get social media accounts?
• Should devices be used and available at all times or limited times (what about dinner time… at night in their bedroom)?
• Are there any restrictions about what can and can’t be done, watched, or accessed?

Four questions to ask yourself about limits:

• What are they?  (Everyone in your household needs to know clearly what they are.)
• Where are they written down? (Visibly posting them somewhere in your home has a lot of benefits)
• Have I taken any precautionary measures to enforce them? (safe browsers, parent controls, filters)
• What are the consequences if they’re not followed?

This past year, our son got his first iPod.  It was a big step for us to allow him to have one.  It’s connected to my Apple account, meaning we have full access to everything he does or has on it at anytime.  Here are his rules for using it that are saved visibly on his iPod and that he is held accountable to follow:

1. It’s a luxury, not a necessity
2. Purpose: gaming & helpful tools (Bible, calculator, etc.)
3. No internet usage allowed (We removed the internet app)
4. Download free apps only, with parent’s permission only
5. Not allowed at school and church services
6. Must be kept upstairs in Dad’s room at night and when not in use
7. Dad & Mom have the right to:
   • Take it away ANYTIME we deem necessary
   • Withhold it as a form of punishment or for lack of responsibility at home, school, etc.
   • Have access to it and anything on it at any time.

Reminder: YOU ARE ALLOWED AS THE PARENT TO PUT LIMITS ON THINGS.  Don’t ever forget or forfeit that right.

2. LEARN it.

There needs to be  knowledge on our part.

As parents we need to be knowledgeable of the kinds of devices our children are using and what they are capable of.

If we are going to allow our kids to have access to something as powerful as the Internet or a handheld device, we need to know how to use it ourselves.  It’s difficult to train someone how to properly use a gun when you’ve never personally shot one yourself.

When a gun owner has many guns they usually spend lots of money on a gun case to store them securely for the sake of their family’s protection.

For some reason, many parents think they can manage the “loaded gun” of the Internet and app stores without using any protection like activating parental controls or using a good filtering system.  (Net Nanny, Covenant Eyes, K9 Web Protection).  As adults, we know the dangers out there online, and with most kids’ first exposure to porn being earlier than 11 years old, let’s not act oblivious to those dangers when it comes to our kids.  We’ve got to stay on the offensive.

As a children’s pastor, I’ve seen a lot of kids get involved in many inappropriate things on their device, and sadly, their parents have no clue because they’re technologically illiterate and just assume their child can be trusted.  That is a very, very dangerous position to put themselves and their child in without them even knowing it. And usually, they only realize it too little too late.

This issue brings a new dimension to the meaning of 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

When it comes to ‘devices’ in the hands of your kids, Satan wants you to be ignorant.

3. LEVERAGE it.

It’s important that we learn to take advantage of technology without allowing it to take advantage of us and our family.

Never before has technology and its benefits been easier to access and use.  So leverage it for the benefit of you and your family!  With its ease of use and multitude of free resources available, there’s really no excuse for us not using technology to our advantage.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.