We're in it Together: Making the most of family time

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As the school year fills up with assignment deadlines and play dates, we know that schedules can get hectic and tempers short. In the midst of all the chaos, a calm and peaceful household can seem like a pipe dream, but it’s not! It takes work to be our best selves for each other but it pays off by creating stronger relationships and more positive interactions. As parents ourselves here at DijiWise, we found some great resources on how to be more effective at handling conflicts with our kids and our spouses and making family time happier for everyone.

Why You Can't Really "Win" an Argument with Your Child from Empowering Parents

Manage Your Work, Manage Your Life from the Harvard Business Review

5 Apps To Help Families Find Calm from Family Online Safety Institute

Parenting Together with Less Conflict from the Mother Company

3-Day Fall Getaways from Family Vacation Critic

Real Talk with Kids

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As our children grow into “big kids,” they will become more curious about the world and begin to ask more questions. It will be fun to answer the lighthearted and silly ones, but it’s also important to address the more serious questions they’ll have. From their own personal fears to things they'll hear on the news, our kids may ask about some pretty tough subjects. Talking to kids about concerns like violence and natural disasters gives them valuable knowledge on how to handle those situations. It’s important to help our kids understand real life issues because as much as we want to keep them safe, we can’t shelter them from everything.

Here are some great resources that give insight on how to start those tough conversations:

6 Tips for Teaching Kids About Stranger Danger from FamilyShare

Responding To Cyberbullying from Family Online Safety Institute

Talking with Kids About News from PBS

5 Real-World Issues That Worry Young Kids from Parents

Is Your Family Addicted to Technology?

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Take our quiz to see if your family needs a technology detox!

Do you or anyone in your family...

1. sleep with a smartphone or tablet under the pillow or on the nightstand?

2. have a smartphone on the table as part of the place setting while eating?

3. use a smartphone/tablet during “family time”?

4. take a smartphone/tablet to the bathroom?

5. choose to spend time online over time with each other?

6. know more about what is going on with your Facebook friends than your own family members?

7. have a meltdown when the power goes out and there is no internet connection?

8. feel “naked” when you don’t have your phone with you?

If you answered YES to more than half of these questions, you or your family may have an addiction to technology. Savvy Cyber Kids founder Ben Halpert recently spoke at a TedXconference in St. Thomas and shared his perspective on what you can do to combat technology addiction in your family.

According to Mr. Halpert, “Right now, you can choose to create healthy technology habits for you and your family”. He delivers several points to help families heading towards technology crises.

1. You can choose to moderate your child’s screen time exposure and create adventures beyond the screen so their brains and bodies can develop to their full potential.

2. You can choose to start the technology conversation with your family and never stop talking about it.

3. You can choose to start to assess your child’s technology habits. Can you help your child step away or do you need a professional?

4. You can choose to tell your child why they will never bring technology to bed with them. When children bring their devices to bed they don’t get the required sleep they need.

5. You can choose to never bring your device out at a family meal.

You can choose to be present for your kids by modeling proper technology behavior. When you choose to be present for your kids, they will be present for you.

Transitioning into the School Year: Less stress, more fun!

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With autumn gearing up, we’re getting back into the groove of school year routines. The excitement of back to school comes with adjustments to our days from the lax summer months. These tips on Transitioning Your Family From Summer to School provided by PBS helps us manage the flurry that comes with the new school year. But the fun doesn’t end with summer! The classroom brings together old friends and introduces new ones, and new subjects at school will spark imagination. It’s an exciting time as we watch our little ones become “big kids.”

However, while new school year schedules can be exciting, they can also cause anxiety and stress. Getting accustom to the early morning rush of running out the door, homework time in the evenings, and after school activities can feel like a whirl. On some days, there doesn’t seem to be enough time to get everything done, but it’s important to set aside downtime. The New York Times’ article Helping Children Balance School and Fun highlights a great perspective on setting aside valuable time for our kids and ourselves. It can be easy to let responsibilities and errands run our days, but it is essential to take time to rejuvenate so that we can be our best and do our best.

We found some great suggestions for fun activities to start off the school year. With the autumn months rolling in, we love this Fun Fall Activities Checklist from Real Simple for awesome ideas to fill the evenings and weekends with family fun. If your kids are looking for their next adventure in a great big book, Common Sense Media’s What to Read Next: Great Reads for September 2015 provides titles for kids of all ages. Or if they want to make a rocket ship or a diet coke geyser, these 10 Easy Science Fair Projects for Kids will provide hours of entertainment right at home!

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Communicating with Kids: Don't Give Up. You've Got This.

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The importance of establishing an honest and trusting relationship with our kids cannot be understated. Having the DijiWise app on hand and being able to monitor our kids’ social media activity helps us stay tuned in, but it is essential to talk with them about what is going on. Since kids begin to ask more questions as they get older, and at a certain point, may even keep some information private from you, initiating open conversations with them help build understanding.

PBS’ Talking with Kids section is a useful resource that covers many different age groups and topics. It’s important to build a strong line of communication early on, but it is never too late. And of course we must realize that our approach will most likely change throughout the years. The teenage years may be notoriously difficult and are well-documented in articles including How to Ruin Your Relationship with Your Teenager and Raising Teenagers: The Mother of All Problems, but they are not impossible. We’ve learned throughout the years that even without fool-proof parenting manuals, being a parent can be one of the most rewarding roles we take on especially when we create meaningful relationships with our kids.

While our focus at DijiWise is digital safety, as parents, we know our kids will come to us and need us for almost everything under the sun. Here are helpful resources to navigate talks ranging from alcohol to money management:

How to Talk About Bullying from StopBullying.gov

Have the 'Booze Talk' By Age 9, Pediatricians' Group Advises from NBC News

Here's How to Talk to Your Kids About Money Management (Infographic) from Entrepreneur

Young Love: Talking to Your Tween About Dating and Romance from Family Circle

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