3 Things Moms Should Not Use Technology For

By Guest Blogger, Brenda Harris
It’s a job that has been done since time immemorial, with the only difference being the way it was done – raising children is still a tough task and an uphill climb and constant struggle as it has been throughout the ages. Parents still grapple with right and wrong and what to and not to do as their children go through the various stages of life. Today’s parents are probably worse off than their predecessors because they have much more to deal with – in one word, technology. In what can only be called an irony, it has made our lives much easier, yet ended up complicating it further. But it is a necessary evil, and if you’re a tech-savvy mom, you should know when and how to harness technology so that it does not mess up your relationship with your kids. And to this end, here are few things that moms should not use technology for:
·    To “friend” or “follow” your children: It’s embarrassing for them, to say the least, not because they’re ashamed of you or because they have something to hide, but because they would prefer to keep the way they interact with their friends private. You may not be trying to snoop by getting on their social network pages, but even so, you are putting your kids on the spot when you ask to friend or follow them. Wait for the request to come from them if you think they’re ok with it. This way, you respect their privacy and also prove that you’re a cool mom.
·    To track their habits and whereabouts: No matter how good you are with technology, your kids are definitely going to be better than you. They were born into the age of technology while you had to adjust to it. So if you try to use sneaky ways to track them or find out what they’re up to, they are bound to find out sooner or later and then the fat’s going to hit the fire really hard. You may end up losing more than just their trust if they realize what you’ve been doing.
·    Check their gadgets: You may be able to guess or even hack your kids’ passwords, but that’s no reason to snoop around in their gadgets and email accounts. The best way to get close to your children is to change the way you treat them as they grow. They are your babies at first, but as they mature and grow older, you must start to treat them like adults and give them space to grow emotionally. If you still insist on treating them like kids and checking up on them, you’re only risking causing a rift between you and them.
·    To copy their language: You may think it’s super cool to use the same language as your teen when you text or email them, but to them, it’s mom behaving immaturely and trying to be something she is not. So be yourself and act like you always do with them. You may know your way around technology, but if you don’t know your children, there’s no use trying to fit your knowledge of technology into their world.
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This guest post is contributed by Brenda Harris, who writes on the topic of executive mba programs . She can be reached at her email id: brenda.harris91@gmail.com .