Neglect Your Phone (Not Your Child)
You probably think your teen spends too much time on their phone. A majority of parents (72%) feel this way according to new research.[1] And…over half of teens (52%) AGREE they spend too much time on their smartphone. Your child probably thinks YOU spend too much time on your phone. Over half of teens (51%) […]
Parenting Fail: A Smartphone Will Make You Happy
“If you loved me, you’d want me to be happy!” How many parents throughout the generations have heard their child cry this desperate song? It is a whine as old as time and one that parents have wisely dismissed. But then the smartphone was released. Around 2012, the age of ownership began a steady decline […]
Grandparenting in the Digital Age: What Grandchildren Actually Need (hint: it’s not your smartphone)
Earlier this year, I joined the ranks of the white-haired, wise sages who’ve gone before me: Grandparents. Except, I am neither white-haired nor do I possess the wisdom of a sage. I am a Gen X-er who is barely hanging onto my thirties and still raising six children in my home. Other than my thoughtful […]
Brave Parenting Q & A
On THURSDAY JUNE 28th at 8pm CST Brave Parenting Founder Kelly and her husband Ryan will be LIVE here at braveparenting.net and on Facebook [@braveparentingnetwork]. They will answer any of your Smartphone, Social Media, Internet, Boundaries, and Parenting questions. You can submit your questions in advance or during the live event. Kelly is the founder […]
Are You Sharing Too Much of Your Kids? [What to Consider Before Posting]
I was nineteen years old when I received my first (and only) debt collection call. The man calling knew everything about me, and with authority, was set to collect on my unpaid debt. Except, the debt was from seven years earlier – when I was twelve. And the line of credit was opened with a […]
Can I Have My Own YouTube Channel? 5 Questions to Ask Your Child Before Answering
Back in the early 90’s, I was a freshmen in high school and obsessed with the first reality television show of its kind, MTV’s: The Real World. One night my friend and I borrowed her Dad’s VHS camcorder and filmed our own version of this iconic reality show. Recorded entirely in my friend’s basement, it […]
Home Smartphones: The Better Alternative For Young Children
Remember the days when you stretched out every curl from the tethered phone cord in desperate attempt to talk to your friends away from listening ears? Or maybe you recall arguing with your sibling as they continued to pick up another house phone during your call. These are the sweet and precious memories of home […]
The Growing Trend of “Random Video Chatting”: What Parents Need to Know
Everything online is moving towards video. Perhaps this is due to our plummeting attention spans or our lack of desire to read on a screen. More likely, however, it is because our brains are wired to appreciate and engage with moving, talking, breathing, humans instead of edited selfies. For children spending an increasing amount of […]
5 Reasons Why No Child Needs Snapchat
Everyone parenting in our Snapchat society can probably identify with one of these FOUR places: You are preparing for the adolescent/teen years when your child will ask for Snapchat. Your child has already asked for Snapchat and you are currently debating whether to allow it. You’ve allowed Snapchat, you don’t like it, and you need […]
A Parent’s Guide to Shared Data (Not Just on Facebook)
Facebook has been collecting, using and selling our data. This is the new outrage. After discovering the data abuse of nearly 50 million Facebook profiles for political ends by Cambridge Analytica, the blind trust in the Social Networking giant has ended. News of Facebook’s practice of collecting phone and text data on Android phones added […]
LEGO Life App and The Slow Death of Childhood Play
Late one evening in 1999, I made a late-night Wal-Mart run with some college friends. This trip is only memorable because it was the first time I saw a man ecstatic about buying LEGO sets. His smile spread and his eyes glistened with joy as he found the display of newly released Star Wars LEGO sets. […]
Why Sexual Predators Can Still Lurk on Social Media and Prey on Our Children
Which is more important to you as a parent: The government’s responsibility to protect vulnerable children from sex offenders or the constitutional right of free speech for sex offenders? Tough question. The US Supreme Court justices also thought so in 2017. The Post that Started It All In 2010 Lester Gerald Packingham entered a benign […]
How to Wean Your Child Off Social Media
You said yes to the social media app. So many of your kid’s friends use this app so it seemed like the right thing to do (I’m the only person in the school without it!), but now you regret allowing it. The constant selfies, the never-ending checking, viewing, responding, checking, checking, checking. It’s like they […]
Love is NOT an Unrestricted Smartphone
A recent study by Pew Research Group showed that only 16% of parents use parental controls to restrict their child’s cell or smart phone. To restate this in a more obvious and ominous way: 84% of parents DO NOT USE parental controls to restrict phone usage. As a parent in the 16% I assume this […]
How To Deactivate/Delete Social Media Accounts
Just recently, it was reported as “news” that the soon-to-be-wife of Prince Harry deleted her social media accounts. This is a woman who understands there is a time and place for a social media platform and that, ultimately, these accounts are not near as important as personal relationships. You don’t have to be marrying into […]
What Every Parent Needs to Learn from Recent SWATting Tragedy
In late December 2017, a news story out of Wichita, Kansas brought a growing issue into full light: SWATting. While this may seem like an issue for large cities or a crime-riddled subculture not affecting the average family, there are valuable lessons every parent and child can learn from this story. “SWATting” SWATting refers to […]
The Alternative to Scrolling in 2018 is….
If you weren’t online right now, what would you be doing? When you aren’t scrolling through news, emails, and social media feeds, are you watching television? Working out? Cleaning your house? What about reading – as in actual books? Is this on your agenda? Brave Parenting believes one of the BEST goals for a New […]
How Brave Faith Changes Children
Brave Parenting welcomes guest writers to share their stories and testimonies of parenting bravely with our community. Today we welcome Anika Ortiz, a mother of three from West Linn, OR. Connect with Anika: anikaortiz.com One of the greatest gifts we offer our children is the opportunity to move beyond their comfort zones into the expanse […]
Outsourcing Your Role as a Parent
“Honestly, I don’t know what I would do.” This was an honest confession from my neighbor about kids and screens. She and I were sitting on my front porch in the sweltering Texas heat. Jeanne is wise in her years, especially after raising 4 children as a single mother. But, the one feeling that came […]
Porn-Proofing your Home
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links to products for which we may receive a commission. We purchased all products mentioned at full price and only became an affiliate after using and loving them ourselves. Do you recycle in your home? If so, chances are you have discussed with your children the importance of recycling in […]
How Instagram Opens a Back Door to Pornography
The beloved photo-sharing social network our children love so much could be their first exposure to pornography. These aren’t methods promoted by Instagram, but kids are so tech-stealthy these days, they find ways around things. SEARCH: TOP PEOPLE TAGS PLACES The SEARCH feature is what turns your child’s small circle of peer influence into an […]