The WM Parenting Connection

Children today are digital natives. They have grown up with technology. It is a part of every aspect of their lives, and they have never known a world without technology. In fact, most children today know how to use technology better than many adults. Your toddler may be able to breeze quickly through an iPad to pull up his favorite videos on YouTube while you still aren't sure how to turn it on. Your tween daughter may be able to text faster than you can type. They may both know about sites you have never even heard of. Learning how to bridge this technology gap between you and your children can help you to better understand their world so that you can talk to them about appropriate use. They might also be able to teach you a thing or two about how to use technology. Here's how you can learn from your children to help close the gap between you:

Have an Open Mind

You may be more hip about technology than your parents were, but with technology always changing, there is likely a lot you still have to learn. Some aspects of technology may even intimidate you, as it could seem too complex to understand or you aren't sure where to begin trying to learn it. Don't allow these feelings to prevent you from trying new technology or learning new things. Keep an open mind, and you will open yourself up to learning.

Watch Your Children

If you aren't sure how to use a piece of technology, take a back seat and watch your children as they use it. Take note of how they navigate that tablet. Watch what they do to use their iPods and their cell phones. Take note of what cords they plug in to upload pictures to their laptops. Even more important, watch how they figure out how to do something when they are doing it for the first time. Digital natives are often able to figure out how to use any piece of technology, even if they have not used anything like it in the past. Take cues from your children about how they figure out the different gadgets.

Engage with Your Children

One of the best ways to learn about new technology quickly is to interact with your children while they are using it. Join them the next time they play a video game. Choose some songs on their iPod the next time you are listening to music together. Take charge of the remote control when you hook up the Internet TV to watch a movie. Let them guide you while you are interacting together. When they are surfing the Web, ask them about the Web sites they frequent and the types of activities they enjoy online. You will learn about current trends and better understand the lives your children lead online.

Ask for Help

Even the most observant and interactive students can still have questions. When you are still stumped by a piece of technology, ask your children for help. You will get the information you need, and you will help them to feel empowered by being able to help you. Not only will you gain new skills, but you will also help build your child's self-esteem.

Immerse Yourself

Your children have become as savvy as they are about technology because they have been immersed in it since birth. Technology permeates every aspect of their lives. Learn similarly by also immersing yourself. Don't shy away from technology, especially technology you don't understand. Get the latest model cell phone. Junk your old DVD player and get a Blue-Ray player or, better yet, Internet TV. Take home a tablet from work when it's offered. The more you use technology, the more comfortable you will be with it and the easier it will be for you to adapt to new inventions.

Many parents have much to learn about technology from their children. While the gap between parent and child may be narrower since the time that personal computers first became widespread in homes, there still exists a gap as technology continues to propagate faster than some of us can keep up with it. Forget about your role as the teacher, and allow yourself to become the student, letting your children teach you what they know about technology. They will be happy to share this part of their world with you, and you will be better able to monitor what your children are doing.



About the author:

Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a Bachelor's degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on grants for cosmetology school and teaching grants.

Guest Post: Why Do Your Kids Know More about Technology than You? Learning from Your Kids