It’s easy to zoom in on your child’s digital life and point out what they are doing that could be considered risky or inappropriate. But what about the things they are doing right? Social networks present a treasure trove of teachable moments for parents, and rewarding great digital behavior is all part of the overall safety equation.
Try this: For the next few weeks just listen to what’s going on in your kid’s digital circles. You may be surprised at the positive strides your kids make on a daily basis.
Praise your kids when you see them:
- Encouraging others.
- Expressing empathy.
- Being a leader.
- Turning a negative conversation positive.
- Having a great sense of humor.
- Celebrating another person.
- Including other people in an event or conversation.
- Responding well to conflict.
- Being non-judgmental.
- Showing gratitude.
- Expressing their feelings authentically.
- Being humble.
- Being an original.
- Becoming a great writer.
- Showing courage.
- Being a team player.
- Sharing their talents online.
- Being complimentary to their siblings.
- Expressing their opinion thoughtfully.
- Being responsible with their online time.
- Being generous.
- Taking care of their technology.
- Being an exceptional digital citizen.
- Being careful with their words.
- Excelling with technology skills.
- Guarding their private information.
- Taking up for the underdog.
- For being creative.
- Reporting poor behavior online.
- Unplugging for several days.
As your children get older and their technology use (and reliance) increases, you may find more “passionate” discussions arising in your home that center on technology use. So, taking the time to sit out a round (or two) and observe what your kids are doing right online may prove to be a powerful component to your communication and your relationship.