10 Great How-To's

• You. And along with your decision comes a big helping of frustration and eyerolls. 
• OR they just join one or more without knowing the gravity of the decision they've just made.

Does it have to happen quite that way?  There is a way to achieve parent (and your child's goals) thru a 3rd method.

Flip Their Script. 

Have your "almost grown" child report to YOU the good-bad-ugly of each social media site they are interested in.  Being on social media should be treated as a privilege - one they earn. 

As your "almost grown" approaches life after you, social media decisions are an opportunity most parents miss.  Pew Research reports that 45% of this age are on social media almost 24/7 of their free time, and 97% are on at least one media site.  It makes sense for we parents to get a handle on "where" our kids really are when they have that pint-sized computer in their hands.

By flipping their social media script, you have an opportunity to help shape which sites, if any, you want your child to be a part of.  Plus, you are shifting the burden of knowing how any particular social media site operates for your child to discover and report on - to you.   You are teaching them to research timely issues.  This will bring up vivid family discussions and help you both navigate the right social media decisions at your house.  

What questions to get your child to investigate per site?  In this podcast, you'll learn:

• how to share the social media yes/no question with your "almost grown"
• what research questions can jump-start this process
• discover two types of questions:  logistics and posting criteria

At a glance:

[1:33] How to get in the social media driver's seat

[3:05] 10 Pertinent Questions Your "Almost Grown" should know before signing up for a particular site.  (you will want a pen and paper & be sure to add your own family slant)

[7:02] BONUS 1: clever way to find out your child's perspective on posting and a way to re-shape if needed

[7:45] BONUS 2:  Your child might already have a "bio" online without them knowing it.  Finding out what that "bio" is will probably surprise you.  

Just having set boundaries, definitions, and yes/no on what's shared with your child's social media will get you a better night's sleep.  You just might be helping your child stay safer both mentally and physically with setting guidelines at the outset.  And more sleep?  We parents can always use more of that.  

Interesting and important dinner table discussions . . . just ahead.