By Matthew Leach, Assistant Minister of Helensburgh and Stanwell Park Anglican Church
After a conversation with a friend, where we discussed the difficulties we face raising children in this technological age, I realised an opportunity to provide parents in our community with support to help us manage kids and technology was well overdue. I don’t know how you find managing online gaming, internet access, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and possible online bullying, but it all seems quite daunting to me. After some research about what is available, I happened to find a couple named James and Simone Boswell who have written a book called Cyber Parenting.
Speaking at conferences and events since 2013, James and Simone Boswell update parents about technology and how it impacts families and also discuss timeless parenting principles that help mums and dads teach their kids how to live out their faith online and stand firm when the physical and digital worlds collide. James has worked in the information and communication technology industry for nearly 30 years. They are parents to six children, so I am thrilled that they are able to come for a one night only seminar on Thursday, 3 November to Helensburgh Anglican Church and discuss tech issues with kids and how to approach them.
You may be concerned about how much your children use technology, maybe you’re worried its already an addiction. Kidshelpline.com.au points out that kids can become addicted to any game – online, offline, digital or video, and they explain that the difference between healthy gaming and an addiction is the negative impact it is having on their life. As parents, I believe it is important for us to recognise the warning signs and support our children to make a change. But what are the warning signs we should be looking for? How do we support our children to make a change when we are all so busy and time poor? How can we talk to them about our concerns without them exploding in our faces? What does it take to start a conversation with them that will encourage them to open up to us so that we can be part of the solution rather than always feeling like the bad guys? There is no easy solution to the diverse difficulties we all face when raising kids, but if you are like me, you want to be part of the solution, not the problem. I do not want to be a parent whose relationship depends on how much I let them use devises. I want to make decision that will have a lasting impact on my family’s future. I want to be a father who helps my son to develop a broader, richer experience of life so that in the long run he might be resilient, taking on challenges as he works hard, and that he might know the difference between right and wrong. I don’t want to be a super dad; I just want to be his dad, making wise decision now for his future.
Similarly, you might wonder whether Christianity and the Bible have anything worthwhile to say about this topic?
If you are a parent struggling with children who cannot put down a device, or who are addicted to technology, or if you are trying to decide when the right age for you son or daughter to get a phone, this is a seminar for you. More information can be found at the Helensburgh and Stanwell Park Anglican church website or by scanning the QR code below. I’d love to see parents with children of all ages there developing a better understanding with me of how we can parent our cyber children. See you there!
Register at 2508anglican.org/parenting
