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2. Your kids watch every move you make. How you drive with your phone, your kids will drive the same way except they are not as experienced as you... does it matter? An accident IS AN ACCIDENT! It only takes a second. Was the text worth it? The Call? Your kids didn't know the dangers, "if mom did it while she was driving, its safe for me to do too".
3. Your kids are too young, they don't know the difference in the car? Really? How about the young driver that just hit you because they had the phone in their hand the same way you did? Did your kids in the back seat see that? Stay off the phone in the car. Stay focused, your kids will do the same when it does come time for them learning to drive.
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Put your phone in the glove compartment or backseat while your driving, or even turn it off. #ThePhoneSafe on Instagram or Facebook @TheMomsDiet & tell us where your phone is before you start driving! Keep your cuties safe,YOURSELF and OTHERS!
5. Make it clear, if you wouldn't say it to someone directly in the real world, DO NOT say it out loud in Cyber World. Crazy how more courage and bravery comes from behind a computer screen. You don't want your child to be Cyber Bullied and you don't want them to BE the Cyber Bully either! **See the stats at the end of this post!!
6. Keep your personal problems offline. Talk directly with someone so its effective and you can get help. Putting it out to the world puts you in "poor me" mode and thats not what will help improve the situation. You wouldn't want your kids putting their problems out in cyber world, so don't do it either.
7. Share your solutions; be the problem solver, if you've had a challenge and found a solution that worked and will be helpful to others, share it! Be that person that helps or is OPEN for solutions. Don't be the person with all the problems not looking for help but more for pitty. Life's too short, show your children your strengths as much as possible and set an example of problem solutions (great oxymoron!)!
8. As for our own parent/ family/ friends... Interact don't stalk. That's just creepy & weird. If you don't interact, you shouldn't be on social media. Its "Social"! Comment, Like, Interact and Converse if you like something or if it made you smile. People watch people, its a given, but when you are not liking commenting, sharing or interacting, its as if you are hiding behind a tree watching in the real world or completely ignoring a "friend" that comes up to you and says "Hi!". Be kind in person and in cyber person, be Social, learn how to interact or don't take part in social media.
9. Choose to be happy, at least when it comes to online! I have heard so many people criticize the happy people on social media. "Are they really that happy? how fake!? Is life really that great for them?" You know what I say to those people...Whats it matter?! It may or may not be but HUGE kudos to them for leaving their challenges at the door and in house or just letting chaos go all together, geesh! Noone needs to blast their troubles out to others, everyone has their own and handles it in different ways. Teach your kids communicating troubles in house and work it out as a family. You attract what you put out there!
9. Choose to be happy, at least when it comes to online! I have heard so many people criticize the happy people on social media. "Are they really that happy? how fake!? Is life really that great for them?" You know what I say to those people...Whats it matter?! It may or may not be but HUGE kudos to them for leaving their challenges at the door and in house or just letting chaos go all together, geesh! Noone needs to blast their troubles out to others, everyone has their own and handles it in different ways. Teach your kids communicating troubles in house and work it out as a family. You attract what you put out there!
10. Keep your living room conversation, YOUR living room conversation. Put the phones down at dinner or when watching a movie, or game time, and just be together. Stay interactive with your childrens life. It won't be long before you are trying to talk with them and their face is in a phone too. Keep engaged in your childrens life NOW so when you want to talk with them and need their attention to get a point across, they'll too, put it down.
What goes around comes around, even with our beautiful kids that we want to keep small forever. Take a look around at your next event; how many parents have their nose in a phone during the game, at the restaurant with their child in front of them staring, waiting for conversation, at the park, who's around your children, whats happening...keep your eyes on your kids and your kids social media on your eyes if & when they take part in it!
The magical moments are best caught with no electronic distractions. Find a "Cyber Time" where you can all stay plugged in but make it mandatory for "Hands Free" and stay a family face to face to seize the moments together.
And when your family is in Cyber World, stay close with your kids in that world too... its an entire ocean that you need to be ready to take on or be taken. Keep Safe.
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A great read and blog to follow regarding staying Hands Free is by Rachel Stafford, the author of Hands Free Mama. It'll be worth your family time.
And if these Cyber Bullying Stats aren't enough to keep you aware... WOW, it sure opened my eyes! Teach kids the importance of Positive Cyber Communication!
And if these Cyber Bullying Stats aren't enough to keep you aware... WOW, it sure opened my eyes! Teach kids the importance of Positive Cyber Communication!
