Navigating the digital landscape with kids and teens is tough. We all want to get it right. Thanks to resources like BARK, there’s help for us all.

For parents of teens, this tool from AXIS may be helpful. It’s a EVERYTHING SMARTPHONE TOOLKIT.

Top 5 Tips for Navigating Technology in Your Home

  1. TAKE A DIGITAL INVENTORY. Make a list of every device that has online capabilities that your child has access to and where it is located.
  2. CHARGE DEVICES IN KITCHEN OR YOUR BEDROOM AT NIGHT. It’s a great idea to promote rest and sleep and remove devices that can be a temptation late at night. While devices may be good for alarms, it’s best to purchase an old school clock for an alarm.
  3. CUSTOM SCREEN SCHEDULES ARE YOUR FRIEND. You can block everything but educational apps during school days, and then set screen time and limits to keep usage in check. Follow these step-by-step instructions if you need help.
  4. MONITOR AND TALK ABOUT USAGE. Use BARK to monitor all usage on devices, and then have open conversations with your kids about how they use devices.
  5. NORMALIZE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP. Not sure where to start? Try this guide. And use a contract like this to set expectations.