Category: Tim Elmore - Kletke Tech Resources

Tim Elmore: Five Ideas to Manage Your Kids’ Screen Time in a Pandemic

3/1/2021

This may not surprise you, but since the pandemic started, kids’ screen time has doubled. Qustodio, a monitoring device that tracks screen time reports that kids’ screen time has increased 100 percent since the COVID-19 outbreak started. One dad noted that his son played video games 40 hours in a single week. That’s a full-time job. Check out some of the data:

YouTube: The average viewing time is 97 minutes a day, double the time of 2019.
Roblox, a video game: Boasts 31 million players, up 82 percent since 2019.
Teen smartphone time: Time is now between 7 and 8 hours a day, practically a full-time job.

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

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

Tim Elmore: What Parents and Teachers Can Do That Google Cannot Do

2/23/2021

Many parents fret that they’re not having the same conversations with their children that they did with their parents when they were kids.
Teachers fret that engaging students in the classroom is tougher today because they compete against YouTube, Netflix, and Tik Tok.
Coaches and youth workers fret that keeping a student athlete’s attention is tough because they’re up against Madden NFL or Fortnite video games.

The fact is parenting, teaching, and coaching is different today, not because kids are different but because the culture is different. We are raising them in a society where Siri and Alexa offer quick answers, creating eight-second attention spans and expectations that solutions should be instantaneous and that life should be entertaining.
It’s not our kids’ fault, but it is our kids’ reality.

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

Tim Elmore: How to Stop Being a Control Freak with Your Kids

7/7/2020

I just spoke to Sharon, a mom who is now teaching her three kids at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first few days were novel and even fun. The adrenaline that flows from doing something new had kicked in. Now, it’s a different story. Sharon told me recently her biggest struggle is wanting to control everything. I can see her point. Wouldn’t it be nice to:

Control their attitudes?
Control their effort in school?
Control their ambition for studies?
Control their maturity levels?

Many people admit to being a control freak when I ask audiences to respond to the question. In fact, the number of people who raise their hands to acknowledge their desire for control is growing. More and more people wish they had more control over the situations and people in their life. A growing body of research suggests it isn’t limited to a certain temperament anymore. Most of us want it. It’s actually a form of perfectionism. “A new study published in Psychological Bulletin demonstrates that perfectionism is increasing over time: Today’s youth are more demanding of others, and they are more demanding of themselves. They also feel like other people (e.g., parents) are more demanding of them,” says U.C. Berkeley....

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

Tim Elmore: The Importance of Sharing Responsibility with Your Kids

4/9/2020

Have you ever heard your student, employee, or son or daughter say something like:

That wasn’t my fault. (And you know it was.)
Mrs. Vargus gave me a bad grade. (And you know it was earned.)
He made me do it. (And you know it was a choice.)
You don’t trust me. (And you wonder if you should.)

Responsibility is something students usually learn as they mature. Our culture today, however, makes it difficult for kids to do so. In 1954, Dr. Julian Rotter created a scale to measure whether students had developed an internal locus of control (They assume responsibility for their lives) or an external locus of control (They assume external forces control their lives). Over time, Dr. Rotter concluded that those with an internal locus become measurably more successful than those with an external locus. They take more responsibility for their health, their careers, their marriages and families, and their attitudes. The data reveals, however, that over the last 42 years, U.S. students have experienced a steep incline in possessing an external locus of control and a decrease in possessing an internal locus of control. The shift has been so great that the average young person today has a more external locus than 80% of the young people in the 1960s, according to Dr. Peter Gray from Boston College.

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

Tim Elmore: Three Ways to Know If Your Kid Is Dealing with Loneliness

4/1/2020

Three Ways to Know If Your Kid Is Dealing with Loneliness

When both of my kids were young, they had no problem expressing what they wanted or needed. My wife and I would’ve sworn they were both extroverts, as they (like millions of other Millennials) let us know if they were hungry, thirsty, in need of a toy, or desiring a friend.
Then they became high school students and later, college students.
Eventually, the situation changed around our house. Turns out our daughter is, indeed, an extrovert and is energized by her time with people. (Don’t believe it? Just ask her). My son, however, is an introvert and has a difficult time expressing his deepest feelings or desires, even when they’re merely social. He is intelligent, college-educated, and actually quite articulate. (He’s a writer.) But he has an easier time sharing what he thinks than how he feels, just like his dad.

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

Tim Elmore: Why Tough Grading Teachers Produce Better Learners in the End

3/3/2020

Tim Elmore: Why Tough Grading Teachers Produce Better Learners in the End

This may not surprise you, but a new study found that students perform better on standardized tests each year when their teachers are tough graders—and argues that when students have the mindset that says “everybody gets a gold star,” it does “more damage than good.”
The report, published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, found this effect holds true for students across ethnic groups, gender, socioeconomic makeup or prior academic background. What’s more, the study also found evidence of long-term learning gains for students.
Truth be told, however, most students don’t love that demanding teacher or the one that grades tough on papers or exams. In fact, they push back.

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

Tim Elmore: How Involved Should Parents Be in Their Child's Education?

2/28/2020

Tim Elmore: How Involved Should Parents Be in Their Child's Education?

During the past month, I found myself speaking to more than 6,500 parents in various locations across the U.S. I never have a more engaged audience than when I’m interacting with moms and dads.
That month, I found the most popular question was--how do I support my child in school?
Behind that question are looming thoughts like:

My daughter is so stressed out—should I just do her homework for her?
My son is so busy with sports and lessons—should I excuse him from doing his chores?
My kids are both falling behind—should I talk to their teacher about easing up a bit?

Today’s parental expectations are different than they were in the past. All generations of parents care about their kids’ future, but today, we feel we need to ensure they reach their goals, even if it means: ......

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

Tim Elmore: Parents: Why You Need to Stop Doing Your Kid’s Work

2/11/2020

Tim Elmore: Parents: Why You Need to Stop Doing Your Kid’s Work

The latest example of the new way parents view their children just occurred. It illustrates our shift from equipping our youth to cope with adversity, to seeking ways to reduce the adversity. Instead of believing they’re strong enough to face tough times, we look outward for an answer.

It happened the week following Kobe Bryant’s tragic helicopter crash, killing all nine people on board. I was in disbelief over this horrible accident but had no idea how parents would react. One high school principal told me he received several phone calls the next day asking if he would have extra counselors on campus to manage the kids’ grief. Another parent assumed the students should get some time off.
Wow. I think that may just be a bit melodramatic.

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