Sue Scheff: Be a Curious Tourist in your Teen's Digital World 2

From Educator and Author, Sue Blaney, her parenting tips are priceless! In today's digital world of social networking and texting - you need to be a proactive and educated parent! Learn what your kids are doing in cyberworld!

My tip this week is Be a Curious Tourist in Your Teen’s Digital World >>Listen

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that your teen is living in a different world than you are. His or her world most likely includes computer-based activities like online gaming, virtual worlds, social networking and more that you may find unfamiliar. Your teen is a “digital native;” you are not. This presents an opportunity…and your resident expert has lots to teach you if you play your cards right.

It is helpful for you to get a realistic perspective about how fundamentally the digital world is changing. In February, social network usage exceeded web-based email usage for the first time. There are 87 percent more online social media users now than in 2003, with 883% more time devoted to those sites*. This isn’t a passing fancy; this is a paradigm shift that has dramatic implications on all fronts. One study released this week titled Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update says students have become…”'Free agent learners,’ and as such, they are less dependent upon traditional education institutions for knowledge acquisition and are much more self-reliant, exercising their internet-based skills to aggregate data and information. It has become increasingly clear that students are functioning as a 'Digital Advance Team' for our nation illuminating the path for how to leverage emerging technologies …” So, tap into your teenager’s world, and ask him to show you around.

My suggestion is to make this fun, and to approach it as a curious tourist. Being a digital native, your teenager approaches his digital tools, games and activities fundamentally differently than you do, so use this opportunity to get into his head a bit to try to understand his point of view. What can she do online that amazes you? What is fun about his world? Being open minded and curious will make it more likely that your teenager will be happy to show you around. Be careful not to express an attitude that is judgmental or negative in any way. If she plays games with kids in Japan, ask her to show you what she does. If he has an avatar in Second Life, have him give you a tour of some Hot Spots or cool areas there. Does she like to watch some of the funny videos on youtube? Ask her to show you her favorites.

We will discuss the fact that you have an important role to play in providing guidance in your teen’s digital life…and I’ll speak about that aspect in future articles and 2 minute tips… But this week’s tip is to relax and have some fun learning from your teen, allowing her to be the expert showing you around. You probably have a lot of catch-up to do, and it’s never too late to start. Your attitude of curiosity will get you there faster.

Follow Sue Blaney on Twitter at @sueblaney

Sue Scheff: Parents You're Empowered!

Sue Blaney continues to educate parents and her audio collection for busy parents and limited time is now available. Check out her recent Blog today.

YOU’RE EMPOWERED! Parenting Teens with Conviction, Communication & Love

By Sue Blaney

You’re Empowered! Parenting Teens with Conviction, Communication and Love has been named as a top-three finalist for a 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award for best audiobook-nonfiction. The Benjamin Franklin Awards are among the most respected Book Awards in the country and recognize excellence in both editorial and design. The award is administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association, IBPA, (formerly PMA) with the help of industry professionals coming from the library, bookstore, reviewer, designer, publicity and editorial markets.

I am a big fan of audio content. Commuters, runners and parents who spend hours in the car each week transporting kids have great opportunities to listen to valuable and beneficial audio programming. I developed this program so parents can listen when it’s convenient for you, and the 28 page workbook accompanies the audio so that you can revisit the concepts and make some notes. The Parents’ Action Tool makes the program even more concrete and actionable. This program is created for typical parents with typical teens.

This 3-hour audiobook (available as an MP3 download or as a 3-CD set) looks at parenting teens through a communications framework because I believe the key to raising teenagers is good communication.

The first CD is titled De-Mystifying Teens. In it we examine three Growth and Development Factors and three Invisible Motivators. When parents understand more about why kids behave the way they do, it is easier to understand your teen and find ways to motivate, communicate and support them.

The second hour is titled simply Improving Communication. Here we look at obstacles to communication and common mistakes that parents make. Then we look at how parents can improve your listening skills, and various approaches and tactics to improve your communication effectiveness.

For the most part, parents don’t need to rework your approach…improving communication is a matter of making little tweaks and adjustments. This feels very doable using these relatively simple tactics.

In the third hour of the program we look at Keeping Your Teens Safe from Risky Behavior. Examining risky behavior through a communications lens is a unique approach, and a very valid one. It is through effective communication that parents have the best possibility to influence kids and diminish tendencies for experimentation. We examine alcohol use, drug use and sexual activity, providing a combination of facts and communication approaches that parents can use.

Learn more at http://www.pleasestoptherollercoaster.com/blog/