Kletke Tech Resources - Parents

Common Sense Media: Kids and Cell Phones

9/13/2022

What's the Right Age to Get Kids a Cellphone?

The right age to give kids their first cellphone is really up to you. Age isn't as important as your kid's maturity level, ability to follow rules at home and school, and sense of responsibility as well as your own family's needs.
Getting your kid their first phone is a very personal and individual decision, but lots of kids start asking for (and receiving) them as early as elementary school. That kind of peer pressure makes it tougher for parents who want to hold off.

When you hand your children a cellphone, you're giving them a powerful tool for communication and media production. They can create text, images, and videos that can be uploaded to websites instantly and widely distributed. Parents and caregivers need to consider whether their kids are ready to use a phone responsibly and respectfully.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Common Sense Media: Family Screen Time Plan

9/9/2022

Back-to-School Reset: 4 Tips on Managing Devices and Screen Time for Families
Ease the transition back to the classroom with these tips and resources.

It's that time of year again -- kids are heading back to school! For lots of reasons, family routines can get disrupted during the summer, from morning routines and bedtimes to TV and video game limits.

Now's a great time to check in as a family on expectations related to technology and entertainment. The tips and resources here can help you reset rules for screen time, have conversations about using tech in safe and healthy ways, and ease your kids' transition back to learning in the classroom.
Educators can use this back-to-school checklist to kick off the school year with positive tech and media use.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

The Online Mom: It’s Okay to Hate Working From Home

2/7/2022

By Tracey Dowdy: Are you among the millions of Americans for whom the idea of working from home sounded like a dream, but in reality, it’s turned out to be a nightmare? The blurred lines of work and home life, frequent interruptions, lack of dedicated workspace, and the logistics of working as a team via Zoom meetings and email have left millions of workers frustrated and longing for the structure and routine of the office or job site.
Take heart. You’re not alone. Recently, the CDC partnered with the Census Bureau on an experimental data system called the Household Pulse Survey. They discovered that one-third of all Americans are struggling with depression or anxiety in the wake of COVID-19, up from the 18% reported pre-COVID.
Note: The above comes directly from their site. Click here to read more.

Healthy Children.org: Age-Appropriate Media: Can You Trust Movie and TV Ratings?

2/4/2022

Did you know movie, tv, and video game ratings today aren't the same as when we were kids? It's true—and it's no wonder why we often find ourselves thinking, "Did they really just say that on primetime TV?"
Studies show government and industry movie ratings have become more lenient over time and allow more violent and sexually explicit content into films. What these ratings mean and whether they actually can tell you what's appropriate for your child, isn't always clear. Even movies with the same rating released in the same year can differ widely in the amount and type of potentially offensive content.
Note: The above comes directly from their site. Click here to read more.

All Connect: A Guide to Recognizing, Controlling Internet Addiction

11/5/2021

In an era when everything we do is based online, it’s easy to forget how much time we’re actually spending connected to the virtual world.
The accessibility and convenience of online activities like social media, information-gathering, dating, gaming, and more, have made it a daily need for some of us. So much so, that 3 in 10 adults are almost constantly online, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Mental Health America reports that 85% of Americans are internet users and 40% of young adults (ages 18-24) use social media in the bathroom.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Focus on the Family: Intentional Fatherhood

11/3/2021

Dads are Important
by Jim Daly 2019
Fathers have the awesome responsibility of laying a spiritual foundation in the home. But what does that mean, exactly? How can you be the dad your family needs?
As a young boy, my life was virtually devoid of positive male influences, spiritual or otherwise.
As a result, much of what I’ve learned about healthy fatherhood came later in life, through the influence of mentors and, most importantly, the study of Scripture. Fathers can learn so much about what to do (and what not to do!) by looking to the Bible and learning from the example of our Heavenly Father.
With that in mind, here are six ways you can set the spiritual tone and be the dad your family needs....

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

FOSI: Good Digital Parenting Episode 4

11/1/2021

In Episode 4 of the 7 Steps to Good Digital Parenting video series, parents showcase ways in which they follow Step 7 (Be a Good Digital Role Model). Parents agree that taking their own advice on online safety not only benefits themselves, but their children too.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to learn more.

The Lutheran Witness: The joy of weeping at All Saints

10/31/2021

by David H. Petersen
All Saints Day has become an increasingly popular observance in the Missouri Synod. In our circles it is not a day to remember martyrs and heroes of the faith, since they already have their special days. Rather, it is a day to remember instead all of those who have passed on with the sign of faith whose lives and deaths were mostly ordinary, but who are nonetheless important to us. In my congregation, people bring Kleenex. They expect to cry. Their expectations seem always to be met.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

Country Living: 13 Bible Verses About Halloween

10/31/2021

BY IAN PALMER OCT 18, 2021

As you're planning your Halloween festivities, with all of the Halloween costumes for kids and special Halloween treats, you may be wondering why we really celebrate Halloween in the first place. Halloween falls on October 31 because the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, considered the earliest known root of Halloween, occurred on this day, and it also has connections to the Christian holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. These holidays came into existence centuries after the Bible was written, and Halloween as we know it today became popular in the 1930s. While the Bible doesn't mention Halloween specifically, it does, of course, have lots to say about the forces of evil.

Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to read more.

FOSI: Good Digital Parenting Episode 3

10/28/2021

In Episode 3 of the 7 Steps to Good Digital Parenting video series, viewers watch a family with older kids navigate social media with Steps 5 (Friend and Follow But Don’t Stalk) and 6 (Explore, Share, and Celebrate). By respecting your child’s online space and encouraging thoughtful interactions on social media, families can learn from each other and have fun online.
Note: The above comes directly from their website. Click here to learn more.