Texting Tools for Parents of Teens

I came across this information and I thought I would share~

If you are the parent of a typical teen, you are regularly barraged by the influence of a variety of media.  Kids' interactions with technologically driven devices throughout their day is almost a constant with texting, Gameboys and DVD players in the car.  This is a far cry from the way we grew up.  As parents, we need to understand the impact this cyber-world has on our teens.  Statistically, kids are using texting as their primary mode of interacting with the world. Parents have to be prepared to educate themselves about the pitfalls and safety concerns like texting while driving, sexting, and cyber-bullying so they can have an informed discussion with their teens.  Setting boundaries and limits on behavior surrounding texting is appropriate and essential to the development of a healthy teenager.
Our Families.com blogger Stephanie Romero recently broached this subject in an interview with celebrity, author, and psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy who articulates that, "Parenting begins with you. Not your child. You."  His video response to her interview can be viewed online and her insightful article connected to this interview is published on our site entitled, "Renowned Child Psychiatrist Talks About Teens (and Parents) Texting."

When it comes to teens and texting, be aware of your responsibilities as a parent:

1. Keep tabs on their behavior.
2. Educate yourself about the risks.
3. Set limits with your teens.
4. Keep an open dialogue with your teen.