Parenting In A Digital Age
As our students grow and learn, their needs and access around technology also change. The home-school partnership is critical when it comes to supporting our students to use their digital resources in a healthy, safe, responsible way. This page is intended to provide parents with a list of currated and age-appropriate resources for supporting their child at home as their technology needs and access evolve.
Grades 6-8
Information for Parents of 6th-8th Grade Students
- Developmental Stage
- Current Research on Social Media
- Is My Child Ready for Social Media?
- Parent Tips and Guidelines
- Technology Contracts
- Digital Footprint: Who Are You On Social Media?
- Safety
- Cyberbullying
- Screen Time
- Healthy Gaming Habits
- Managing Distractions
- Diving Deeper
Developmental Stage
Current Research on Social Media
Is My Child Ready for Social Media?
Parent Tips and Guidelines
Articles
- Child Mind Institute: Media Guidelines for Kids of All Ages
- Common Sense Media: Cellphones and Devices: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
- Family Online Safety Institute: Social Media Guide for Popular Sites
Videos
- American Psychological Association: 4 science-backed tips for parents on kids' social media use
- Children on Screens: The Good, the Bad, and the Filtered: A Social Media Primer for Parents: Social Media Primer for Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok
- Connect Safely: Smart Digital Parenting: Navigating Screens with Children & Teens
- Common Sense Media: Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing)
- Common Sense Media: Parenting in a Digital Age
- Common Sense Media: Social Media Basics for Parents
- Common Sense Media: 5 Social Media Rules for Teens & Tweens
- Common Sense Media: How Parents Can Address Social Media Challenges
- Internet Matters: Supporting pre-teens (11-13) online
- Internet Matters: Supporting teens (14+) online
Technology Contracts
Digital Footprint: Who Are You On Social Media?
Safety
Cyberbullying
- Common Sense Media: Cyberbullying: Solutions for Parents (video) (produced 2010 but still relevant)
- Common Sense Media: Help Kids Fight Cyberbullying and Other Mean Online Behavior (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Cyberbullying Guide (article)
Screen Time
- Child Mind Institute: How to Set Limits on Screen Time (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: The Trouble With ‘Screen Time’: Ditch Counting Digital Calories and Build Your Family’s Digital Nutrition (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Ending the Tug-of-War Over Screen Time in the Home (article)
- Common Sense Media: How to Help Kids Balance Phones and Screens with Sleep (article)
Healthy Gaming Habits
Managing Distractions
Diving Deeper
Presentation
Digital Safety Parent Webinar Slides (Nov 2021) includes:
- Guiding principles for supporting your child and family with balanced and safe technology use at home
- Cell phones
- Social media
- Screen time
- Gaming
- Parental controls
- Resources for getting more information
Articles
- Common Sense Media: Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between article database
- Children and Screens: Research Database
- Child Mind Institute: Screentime and Tech Resources (article)
- Connect Safely: Parent Guides (article)
- Common Sense Media: Research: A Double-Edged Sword: How Diverse Communities of Young People Think About the Multifaceted Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health (article)
- Common Sense Media: Research: Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person's Smartphone Use (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Tools and Resources for Parents (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Social Media Guide (article)
- Internet Matters: Tech and Age-based Guides (article)
Videos
Grades 3-5
Information for Parents of 3rd-5th Grade Students
- Developmental Stage
- Is My Child Ready for Social Media?
- Is My Child Ready for a Smart Phone?
- Parent Tips and Guidelines
- Technology Contracts
- Digital Footprint: Who Are You On Social Media?
- Safety
- Screen Time
- Healthy Gaming Habits
- Managing Distractions
- Diving Deeper
Developmental Stage
Is My Child Ready for Social Media?
Is My Child Ready for a Smart Phone?
- Children and Screens: Ready, Set, Smartphone: A Guide for Families (video)
- Common Sense Media: The 411: Common Sense Advice on When to Get Your Child a Phone (video)
- Common Sense Media: The Download on Device Adoption: The Skills Your Children Need Before Getting a Smartphone (video)
- Child Mind: When Should You Get Your Kid a Phone? (article)
Parent Tips and Guidelines
Articles
- Child Mind Institute: Media Guidelines for Kids of All Ages
- Common Sense Media: Cellphones and Devices: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Videos
- Common Sense Media: Parenting in a Digital Age
- Common Sense Media: Social Media Basics for Parents
- Common Sense Media: 5 Social Media Rules for Teens & Tweens
- Common Sense Media: Smart Digital Parenting: Navigating Screens with Children & Teens
- Internet Matters: Supporting young children (6 -10s) online | Internet Matters
Technology Contracts
Digital Footprint: Who Are You On Social Media?
Safety
Screen Time
- Child Mind Institute: How to Set Limits on Screen Time (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: The Trouble With ‘Screen Time’: Ditch Counting Digital Calories and Build Your Family’s Digital Nutrition (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Ending the Tug-of-War Over Screen Time in the Home (article)
- Common Sense Media: How to Help Kids Balance Phones and Screens with Sleep (article)
Healthy Gaming Habits
Managing Distractions
Diving Deeper
Presentation
Digital Safety Parent Webinar Slides (Nov 2021) includes:
- Guiding principles for supporting your child and family with balanced and safe technology use at home
- Cell phones
- Social media
- Screen time
- Gaming
- Parental controls
- Resources for getting more information
Articles
- Common Sense Media: Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between article database
- Children and Screens: Research Database
- Child Mind Institute: Screentime and Tech Resources (article)
- Connect Safely: Parent Guides (article)
- Common Sense Media: Research: A Double-Edged Sword: How Diverse Communities of Young People Think About the Multifaceted Relationship Between Social Media and Mental Health (article)
- Common Sense Media: Research: Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person's Smartphone Use (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Tools and Resources for Parents (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Social Media Guide (article)
- Internet Matters: Tech and Age-based Guides (article)
Videos
Grades TK-2
Information for Parents of TK-2nd Grade Students
- Developmental Stage
- Is My Child Ready for a Smart Phone?
- Parent Tips and Guidelines
- Technology Contracts
- Safety
- Screen Time
- Healthy Gaming Habits
- Managing Distractions
- Diving Deeper
Developmental Stage
-
Children and Screens: 0 to 5: Eeny, Meeny, Mighty Tech (#AsktheExperts) (video)
-
Children and Screens: 5 to 11: Keeping the Training Wheels on Tech (#AsktheExperts) (video)
-
Children and Screens: Early Childhood Mental Health and Digital Media (#AskTheExperts) (video)
-
Children and Screens: On Boredom: Screen Time, Free Time, and Child Development (video)
Is My Child Ready for a Smart Phone?
- Children and Screens: Ready, Set, Smartphone: A Guide for Families (video)
- Common Sense Media: The 411: Common Sense Advice on When to Get Your Child a Phone (video)
- Common Sense Media: The Download on Device Adoption: The Skills Your Children Need Before Getting a Smartphone (video)
- Child Mind: When Should You Get Your Kid a Phone? (article)
Parent Tips and Guidelines
Technology Contracts
Safety
- Common Sense Media: Training Wheels for Tech: Common Sense Safeguards for Success (video)
- Common Sense Media: 5 Myths and Truths About Kids’ Internet Safety (article)
- Connect Safely: Family Guide to Parental Controls (article)
- Common Sense Media: Help Kids Make Friends and Interact Safely Online (article)
Screen Time
- Child Mind Institute: How to Set Limits on Screen Time (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: The Trouble With ‘Screen Time’: Ditch Counting Digital Calories and Build Your Family’s Digital Nutrition (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Ending the Tug-of-War Over Screen Time in the Home (article)
- Common Sense Media: How to Help Kids Balance Phones and Screens with Sleep (article)
Healthy Gaming Habits
Managing Distractions
Diving Deeper
Presentation
Digital Safety Parent Webinar Slides (Nov 2021) includes:
- Guiding principles for supporting your child and family with balanced and safe technology use at home
- Cell phones
- Social media
- Screen time
- Gaming
- Parental controls
- Resources for getting more information
Articles
- Common Sense Media: Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between article database
- Children and Screens: Research Database
- Child Mind Institute: Screentime and Tech Resources (article)
- Connect Safely: Parent Guides (article)
- Common Sense Media: Research: Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person's Smartphone Use (article)
- Family Online Safety Institute: Tools and Resources for Parents (article)
- Internet Matters: Tech and Age-based Guides (article)