Parenting is one of the most challenging and yet rewarding undertakings in life. During the last two decades, the new era of technology has created many changes in our daily habits. More families have become increasingly submerged in the over-abundance of technology. Looking at a typical family on any given day. You may see a toddler swiping his small fingers over a tablet looking for his favorite app. Mom and dad on their cell phones checking emails and texting. Big sister or brother socializing on Facebook or playing video games.

All this activity with technology is not a passing fad. The elements of the internet and social networking will continue to morph into the future.

Have these changes affected our parenting skills? Have they made our lives easier or more complicated? Perhaps the answer is yes to all of these questions.

Along with the advancements in technology, several hazards have come with it. These include online privacy issues, cyber bullying, texting while driving, computer game addictions, and porn addictions. Just to name a few. Another very alarming hazard is the inactivity of children. As they spend more time with gadgets and less time playing outdoors and being active.

There is a positive side of parenting in the digital age. We have instant communication with our children. Educational sites that can develop your child’s intelligence and creativity. The capability to interact with cultures from around the world and instant answers to many of our questions. Studies are finding children of the cyber age are excelling in leadership skills, open communication skills and are highly cooperative with one another.

Our job as parents is to teach and inspire moral integrity in our children’s lives. This in turn will foster respect in the real and virtual world. We must provide boundaries and rules for the cyber explosion. We need to educate ourselves about the online community. Monitor our children. Encourage good manners. And enforce time limits to prevent overindulgence. So if we instill these messages in our children, we can feel confident that we have provided them with the skills to make good choices in life, as well as online.

Answers from AZ