Parenting the Cyber Child

Published October 25, 2022

Parenting the Cyber Child — Helensburgh Anglican Church is hosting a parenting talk on tech issues on 3 November. Photo: Matthew Leach

Matthew Leach, Assistant Minister of Helensburgh and Stanwell Park Anglican Church, invites parents to attend a talk

After a conversation with a friend, where we discussed the difficulties we face raising children in this technological age, I realised an opportunity to provide parents in our community with support to help us manage kids and technology was well overdue. After some research about what is available, I happened to find a couple named James and Simone Boswell who have written a book called Cyber Parenting.

Speaking at conferences and events since 2013, James and Simone Boswell update parents about technology and how it impacts families and also discuss parenting principles that help mums and dads teach their kids how to stand firm when the physical and digital worlds collide. James has worked in the information and communication technology industry for nearly 30 years. They are parents to six children, so I am thrilled that they are able to come for a one-night only seminar on Thursday, 3 November to Helensburgh Anglican Church and discuss tech issues with kids and how to approach them.

You may be concerned about how much your children use technology, maybe you’re worried it’s already an addiction. Kidshelpline.com.au points out that kids can become addicted to any game – online, offline, digital or video – and they explain that the difference between healthy gaming and an addiction is the negative impact it is having on their life.

As parents, I believe it is important for us to recognise the warning signs and support our children to make a change. But what are the warning signs we should be looking for? How do we support our children to make a change when we are all so busy and time poor? How can we talk to them about our concerns without them exploding in our faces? There is no easy solution to the diverse difficulties we all face when raising kids, but if you are like me, you want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

If you are a parent struggling with children who cannot put down a device, or who are addicted to technology, or if you are trying to decide when is the right age for your son or daughter to get a phone, this is a seminar for you.

I’d love to see parents with children of all ages there, developing a better understanding of how we can parent our cyber children. See you there!