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How to Teach Kids Digital Citizenship at Home

I was the typical first-time mom with my firstborn—I pureed food he refused to eat, used cloth diapers, disinfected anything that touched the ground, and tried my hand at sign language. I remember lamenting the fact that my one-year-old would not watch the baby sign language videos I diligently checked out from the library. He showed zero interest in them. Fast-forward a few years, and he is all over any video or technology I put in front of him. He loves watching shows to learn about animals and their “creature power” natural defenses. Gone are the days where he is unimpressed by a video. Now begins the era of the tug-of-war standoff between how much screen time and technology use is appropriate—and how much is inevitable.

I am a proud technology user. I live an ocean away from family and friends, so technology has made it easy for me to stay connected with them. For my children, videos spark conversations and give a glimpse into worlds previously unknown. All those are good ways to use technology, but I have caught myself getting sucked into the never-ending refresh of my Facebook news feed while I should have been doing something I had planned for the day. I recognize the potential and challenges that emerge with every new app or technological invention on the market, so the question is: How can I use technology responsibly, and teach my children to use it wisely as well?