Writing Rockstars Blog 

In last week’s article on “Navigating the Online Learning World,” one of the things discussed was the need to have updated electronic devices to truly enjoy the online learning experience.

But how do we keep electronics from taking over and interfering with our relationships?

Is your family ever like the family in this picture? Is too much of your family time spent like that?

Recently, I went to a meeting called “Parenting in the Digital Age,” and I heard a lot of interesting ideas on the healthy use of technology. I’m going to share the most important lessons with you here.

Basically, there are two keys to balanced technology use at home:

1) Set limits on the use of electronics at home for everybody. Rules will vary from family to family, and they’re constantly a work in progress. But here’s the catch. Parents need to follow the rules too! That’s something we all need to think about as we set our house rules.

2) When your kids are using their digital devices, know what they’re doing with them. What games are they playing? What sites are they visiting? What social media channels are they on? Parents should have access to every application on the devices their kids are using and can set restrictions to parent-approved applications only.

Last but not least, be sure to visit the well-respected blog of mom Janell Hoffmann at http://www.janellburleyhofmann.com/. Janell is the author of iRules: What Every Tech-Healthy Family Needs to Know About Selfies, Sexting, Gaming and Growing Up. The site is loaded with advice and resources to help you make decisions on the way to use technology that's best for your family.

In our next article, I’ll write more on creative, engaging, and educational ways to use your technology at home. If you have any ideas to share, comment below!