Can you protect your child online?

Hello there!

Welcome back to my weekly newsletter on Smart Parenting...In a new avatar!

We have finally entered December and the year is almost at an end. With 2022 right around the corner, I thought why not change things up a bit? Let’s keep things fresh!

So after going through your suggestions in my inbox and all your inputs, I decided to tweak the existing newsletter and this is what I came up with:

• 1 trending topic of interest around parenting
• 1 Parenting quote
• 1 parenting pro-tip

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The goal is to get 1% smarter every week.

(By the way, I would love to hear what you have to say about this new format. ALL inputs are welcome.)

Let us begin with today’s newsletter....starting with the Topic of Interest.

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Are you digitally savvy enough?

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Do you know what the different emojis on your phone actually mean? If your daughter says to you that a guy she was talking to last week ghosted her, what do say? Are you dealing with a ghost now?

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Do you know what Valorant is? Or the difference between Manga and Manhwa?

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If you have no clue what I am talking about then you have something in common with more than half the parents raising a kid today.

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Kids are given access to good computer systems, the internet, shiny earphones and expected to handle it all like it was done back in the old days. Well, that is hardly possible. Kids today are living entirely separate lives online.

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And if you are not careful, your kids could get hurt, really hurt.

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As parents, you need to learn new ways of parenting in today’s digital era. Digital involves risks as well as benefits and kids need vigilant monitoring and protection. If your four-year-old is adept at using your iPhone then feel proud but also be wary!

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You need to familiarise yourself with the tech kids use to protect them from the dangers lurking on the internet.

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Here are a few things you can do:

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1. Learn about the safe use of the internet. You can set up parental controls for when your child goes online. For this, you need to have knowledge about how technology is used and the various dangers it can pose. Major operating systems, games online, and browsers have free or online parental control systems that you can use.

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2. Communicate with your child. Learn more about where they are spending their time. If a friend asks what your kid is doing, you should be able to say, “Oh he is playing Valorant online. He loves that game” instead of “I don’t what he is doing but he is on the computer.” Understand what your child likes and why. Only when you know where your son or daughter spends their time, can you do something to keep them safe from online dangers.

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3. Always, always be the role model – If you have laid down the rule ‘no phones during dinner time’ then you better follow the rule yourself. If you don’t practice what you preach, then your child will not listen to you no matter how important what you say is. Be the role model your child can look up to.

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This list is not exhaustive by any means. The most important thing is to be aware of what your child is indulging in and understand the online world enough to protect your kids if need be. That is what being a Smart Parent is all about.

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And the first step toward being a Smart Parent is to connect with your kids. You can check out my book “How to raise a topper.” Here I talk about tips and techniques that will make you a smarter parent and your kid, a smarter individual.

My book “How to Raise a Topper” is based on my interviews with hundreds of toppers & their parents to find out their secrets. The book talks about how you can use the power of mindset and habits to transform the child. The book helps you to bring out the best in your child without having to use your parental authority. Remember, authority evokes rebellion in teenagers.

So buy your copy today and learn the secrets to connect on?a deeper level with your child.

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Parenting Quote of the day:

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“Be the person you want your child to be”

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Parenting Pro-tip

This was quite a while ago but I still remember it to this day.

We were sitting at home. It was during the lockdown. My son had gained quite a lot of weight in the past few months and the extra weight was making him feel tired and lazy all the time. So I went ahead and told him, “Son you should start exercising. You seem more tired than before. It will also help you shed all that weight. You should start working out.”

Without batting an eyelid he said, “So do you dad”, pointing to my own bulging gut.

I thought how can I ask him to do something I myself am not willing to do?

So I made a plan. I sorted out a regimen for both of us and made a pact that if either of us slips from the routine, he shall help the other one to get back on track.

Along the way, I also explained to him, the other benefits of having a healthy body, how it can lead to better grades and better mood.?Over time he started doing it regularly and saw improvements.

That is how I convinced my son to stay fit.

Today’s generation is not interested in gyaan. They firmly believe, ‘preach only what you practice.’ In addition, lectures are dead and only logical explanations get through to them.

?Pro- Tip? Practice what you preach. ?

Do you want inspirational and moral stories for your kids? Then subscribe to my new channel: -?Avinash Agarwal

Free Goodie

As a gesture of courtesy for providing immense love and support to my newsletter, I want to share my latest?email course-?“10 days to better Parenting-A Step by Step Guide to Raise happy, Successful and responsible children” .?This is an email course where you will get 7 secrets, one every day on your email.

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