I empower parents to help their children stay safe online. As a therapist with an expertise in parenting and technology, I give you an understanding of how current trends in technology and social networking impact your children’s lives. Then I support that knowledge with the skills needed to set clear and consistent boundaries with your children. With these tools, you’ll more thoroughly enjoy the time you spend parenting — and watch your children thrive.

With the incessant pull of technology, it’s easy for your kids to fall into excessive and unsupervised computer use. Over time,  this can result in serious consequences. Not only does it take away from family time and cause power struggles,  it can also lead to attention deficit disorder, obesity, and vulnerability to predators.

Heavy media use doesn’t just squash creativity and promote a sedentary lifestyle. Studies show that this behavior is associated with behavioral problems and lower grades.  And even though multitasking has become a way of life, it can be detrimental: Distractions keep a child from learning new facts or concepts, and decrease the ability to remember what they’ve learned.

Some children stay up into the wee hours of the night texting with their friends, something parents are shocked to discover only after checking their cell phone bills. At this point, the behavior becomes a health issue and parents need to step in.

You can start right now, establishing age-appropriate guidelines for your child’s screen time.

Do you need help:

• Learning how to be a good role model by limiting your own screen time?
• Discovering how much screen time your child is engaged in — and setting some reasonable limits around it?
• Knowing the appropriate age for your children to have a cell phone?
• Understanding the most appropriate cell phones and plans, for example choosing a phone which doesn’t connect to the internet and a plan which limits usage.
• Instituting a media-free rule during the school week? Engaging your children’s interest so they will be happy to put away their phones?
• Dealing with peer pressure arguments and accepting the reputation as “meanest parent in town?”

Modern kids face cyber-bullying, which is using the Internet, cell phones, or other devices with the willful intention of hurting, harming, or embarrassing another person. The range of cyber-bullying behaviors run the gamut, including name-calling, spreading gossip, threats, teasing, sexual harassment, hate speech, deception by someone who is misrepresenting themselves, and posting false statements as fact aimed at humiliation.

The sad truth is that 42% of kids have been bullied while online. with one in four saying that it’s happened more than once. Perhaps more disturbing is that 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

Parents need to know about cyber-bullying — and have the tools for dealing with it. I can advise parents on how to build a strong foundation of trust and communication, which can ultimately keep your child safe.

Do you want to:

• Understand  cyber-bullying and how it occurs?
• Develop good communication so your kids feel comfortable talking to you about it?
• Come up with a plan of action if your child is being bullied?
• Understand the line between your child’s privacy and keeping them safe?
• Outline your expectations for responsible online behavior and develop consequences for inappropriate behavior