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Technology- the good and the bad

We live in a technological world.

I work in health care and every day more and more of the services we provide and modalities we use in physical, occupational and speech therapy, wound care, surgery and even psychotherapy utilize technology.  Even the medical chart, which used to be pen to paper is electronic in most settings nowadays.

Access to the internet, technological advances and our dependence on electronic gadgets can have negative consequences.  We need to be aware of those and work diligently to protect our sons from the influences and temptations available via electronics.

But, at the same time, I don’t want my sons to fear technology or shy away from the internet.  As a blogger, the internet has become my mission field and the harvest is plentiful.  My prayer is that, just as with anything else in their lives, my sons will learn to harness the good of this electronic age while being conscious of the dangers.

the good and bad of technology

Here are some of the good things I want them to focus on:

  • Information is literally at their fingertips.  Knowledge is a powerful tool and because of the internet, our children have access to knowledge on almost any topic imaginable with the click of a mouse.  Kids with access to the internet have higher GPA’s and test scores than their counterparts {source} My junior in high school is even using a smartphone app to study for his SAT’s.
  • Technology keeps us connected.  Having older boys I have come to appreciate the value of technology in my communication with them.  Texting with our smart phones, skyping from school, playing each other in Words with Friends- technology keeps me connected to kids that are less and less kid and more and more adult with each passing day.  Technology is also valuable in staying connected with family that lives far away.
  • Technology prepares our sons for the future.  Technology isn’t going anywhere.  By the time our sons are adults, our society will be even more dependent on technology then we are now.  Teaching our sons how to utilize technology smartly and safely will prepare them to be leaders in the future.

Our sons are blessed to be growing up in this digital age.  As moms, let’s remember to educate our boys about the responsibility  they have to be good stewards of their time, online and off.

 What things would you add to this list?

About Melissa Smallwood

Melissa Smallwood (aka Multi-tasking Mama) has worked with seniors and families as a professional organizer for several years and is the owner of Organized Life by Design, LLC. She has an extensive human services background. She is also the mom of three teen/tween boys (ages 17, 14 and 12). Melissa enjoys helping people get their lives, calendars and homes organized so that they have time to see and enjoy their blessings! When not writing, speaking, tweeting or socializing on facebook, Melissa can be found cheering her sons from the bleachers or taking in the scenery of wild and wonderful West Virginia on the back of her husband's motorcycle.

Let’s Get ‘Serious’ – Friday Funnies

baseballI knew my boy would be athletic when he was around eight months old. We were at one of his older brother’s soccer games and I sat his plump little behind in the grass. He couldn’t move yet, so he simply screamed and reached his arms out toward an extra soccer ball lying a little ways down the field. I quickly grabbed it and rolled it toward him and for the entire 40 minute game he giggled and cackled and grinned as he batted the ball back and forth.

He’s five now and he is no longer a fat little baby. In fact, I sometimes wonder how it is his twiggy bird legs manage to hold him up all day long. But one thing has not changed – the boy loves sports.

While most kids his age are into Disney Jr. and CARS, my boy lives, eats and breathes baseball, basketball and…really, anything with a ball. The only station he knows how to find on TV is ESPN and there are some mornings when I walk out and find him engrossed in the highlight reel.

I am then forced to drink my coffee while listening to the run down on which teams are doing well and which teams are “being crushed.”

 

Last weekend, we took a weekend trip and stayed in a hotel where I got the misfortune blessing of sleeping with my sporty cherub. By the way he kicked me repeatedly in the kidneys all night long, I assumed he had a mad game of soccer going down in his sleep. Around 2:00 am, however, he yelled out, “Homerun!” followed by a contented sigh. He finally settled after that so I can only assume he won the game.

When Landon was three and a half, our beloved St. Louis Cardinals went to the World Series and in a wild 7 Game series, they clinched the title. We watched Game 7 with all three kids in the bar section of Buffalo Wild Wings because we are awesome parents…and because we didn’t have cable at our house.

Landon-sleepsAs the Cards batted their way to World Series Champs, Landon fought to stay awake. But the game didn’t end until midnight and finally sleep took over and he fell asleep on my lap. In the bar.

Every time I tell this story, I feel a strong urge to quote Reese Witherspoon: “Look at you. You have a baby…in a bar.”

He was so disappointed to miss the final innings of the game, so when the DVD highlight series came out, I bought it, and in the year since we’ve owned the “Cardinals World Serious” he has watched in no less than 65 times. Last week he was sick and he watched the entire series, from Game 1 to 7, every day, twice a day.

He calls every play before it happens. He talks along with the announcers. (“Pujols will score, Berkman will score, Freese into the third! This game is TIED UP!”) He sings along with the music in the background.

And every time he watches the stunning Game 6 win when David Freese hits a walk off homerun in the 11th inning to force a Game 7, he falls to his knees and screams as though it’s the first time while anyone nearby runs for cover from his enthusiastic need to form a dog pile.

If it weren’t for that child and his older brother, I wouldn’t know (nor would I care about) baseball statistics, or the entire starting line-up of the Miami Heat. I wouldn’t swelter on hot bleachers during a weekend of baseball tournaments and I wouldn’t bite all my nails off nervously as I watch them pitch.

I wouldn’t do a lot of things if it weren’t for those two little men.

I love the adventure of raising boys.

Friday Funnies

 Your turn! Write a post with one of your funny boy stories (or pictures) and link up here. Let’s laugh together…and really, we might as well help each other understand the mechanics of sports. I still don’t understand how they come up with batting averages.

Have a funny story to share? Leave your link here!

 



About Kelli Stuart

Kelli Stuart is a freelance writer and a mom of three who spends most of her days shuttling children from one event to another in her smokin’ hot minivan. Kelli launched her website, Minivans Are Hot, as a way to write about the often baffling and hilarious business of being a mother knowing that if she didn’t laugh at life, she just might cry. In 2012, Kelli had the distinct privilege of traveling to Tanzania with Compassion International as one of their bloggers. Kelli currently lives in Tampa, Florida where she tries hard to concentrate on balancing her love of writing with her desire to sit on the beach and read a good book.

Doorposts: New Bible Studies for Boys & Moms!

This is a sponsored post. The materials were provided for review, but all opinions are 100% our own!

We here at the MOB have been big fans of Doorposts for a long time and they have delivered yet again with two fabulous new Bible studies we think you will love! One is for all you busy mamas – and I think we all qualify for that – and one is for those boys in the pre-teen age group and up!

because-you-are-strongLet’s start with the boys…

Because You Are Strong: A Study of Godly Strength for Young Men is a new Bible study that will help young men gain a biblical view of strength and use that strength wisely, for God’s glory.

Intended for boys ages 10 and up, strength is examined in reference to God, Jesus, and several biblical heroes in the ten studies found in Because You Are Strong for 74 days of study! With all of the extra study ideas included, this could be a year-long Bible study for your son!

This book will also introduce your guy to practical Bible study skills like how to:

  • Use a concordance.
  • Study the original Greek & Hebrew words used in a passage.
  • Perform a character study.
  • Study a specific topic in the Bible.
  • Understand and use marginal notes in your Bible.
  • Study a verse, passage, chapter, or entire book of the Bible.
  • Use free Bible study tools on computers and mobile devices.

My sons are not old enough for this yet, but when they are, this is exactly the kind of study I want them working through! I want them learning early on how to study words and make applications and all of the Bible study skills taught in this book! And I just love the focus on GODLY strength. This is not a book about physical strength, but the kind of strength found only in God. For all of you asking about a Bible study for pre-teen and teen boys, THIS is where you should start! {Plus the cover looks really cool!}

moms-bible-study-colossiansNow, for you, Mom…

While I haven’t used Because You Are Strong yet with my boys, I HAVE used this incredible new Bible study for moms and I’m so excited to tell you about it!

Thirty Days of Bible Study for Busy Mamas: Colossians 3 was an answer to prayer for me this spring! I’ve been wanting to start “marking up” my Bible more – make it come alive with notes and color codes and whatever else He speaks to me as I’m reading His Word. But the truth was, I had NO idea where to start and the perfectionist in me didn’t want to start writing in my “good Bible” until I had a set plan.

And then this book by Pam Forster arrived in the mail.

The premise is that busy mamas don’t have time for Bible study but they NEED it. I can wholeheartedly agree with that! Thirty Days of Bible Study For Busy Mamas is set up to help you, as a busy mom, dive deep into the Scriptures in five minute chunks each day – whenever and wherever you can fit it in!

I am halfway through the study right now and I absolutely love the way Pam breaks down Colossians 3 into meaningful topics and directs my focus to prayer, application in my own life, journaling, and even ways to share what I’ve learned with the kiddos!

And wouldn’t you know, at the back of the book, Pam has laid out many of the ways she marks up her Bible with colors and symbols to help her understand and remember what she reads! I have been using many of her methods and adopting some of my own – I. LOVE. IT. {Why did I let so much time pass before I started doing this?!}

Colossians 3 has been a great book for me to study in this way, and I am thrilled to say there are more Thirty Days of Bible Study for Busy Mamas in the works!

The even better news for you today is that Doorposts hit 10,000 Facebook fans yesterday {thanks to many of you!}, so…

Doorposts Coupon

They are offering $10 off any order of $10 or more through 5:00 p.m. Pacific time Friday, May 17th! Use the code THANKS10K at checkout! {This does not apply to shipping costs or previously placed orders and may not be combined with other offers!}

Check out these two great new resources and the whole Doorposts line and get your $10 off now!

 

About Erin M.

MOB Society Marketing and Community Manager, co-founder and creator, Erin is at Home with the Boys in Nebraska after five years as an elementary music teacher. Her Savior, her doctor husband, and her three lively boys are the loves of her life – and the inspiration for her blog! She loves to cook, bake, craft & read as well, so there’s always a little of that thrown in on the blog from time to time! And through it all, you'll probably find her breaking out in random song. She tweets at @homewiththeboys.

Privacy vs. Protection :: 4 Tips to Establish a Balance for Boys {Parenting in an Electronics Age}

Sometimes our obligation to protect trumps their need for privacy.

Sometimes our obligation to protect trumps their need for privacy.

At fourteen, my boy-of-few-words texts as if he’s full of nonstop chatter. Which I know is common for any adolescent with a phone. But upon a random check, my curiosity peaks when his inbox and outbox are empty. As if erasing texts is a technique to hide something.

My gut tells me something’s going on. And being the mama bear I am, I begin to hunt. The clock chases me and I need to pick him up soon, but I log on to his Facebook account and start looking anyway. And what I find jolts me out of my chair.

There, in a private Facebook message is a picture. A picture of a girl, in what looks like her underwear, and it’s not the Hanes variety! She is posing and flaunting what she has, with her head cropped out of the picture in an attempt to be more seductive. And I recognize her name. She’s a girl from church who attends the mid-week youth service with her friends. And the comment she writes underneath her picture provides the suggestive language to match the image.

I scan the thread between them, and am disappointed in what I read. He responds to the scandalous sensuality she serves up on a platter. It’s an unsolicited feast, offered to his eyes for free. It is something he fails to resist.

I start the car and drive to the school, and a conversation ensues. He admits her behavior makes him uncomfortable and yet agrees it is flattering for a girl to give him that kind of attention. He knows what she did was wrong, but admits to feeling powerless to do anything about it.

The time to protect is now.

I get home and I do what any other loving mama would … I open my phone and dial the girl’s mama. At first he doesn’t want me to. He’s embarrassed and begs me not to call. But I cannot be moved. If that had been my daughter, baring her skin in a shameless and degrading way, telling the world her dignity is worth nothing and her virtue is of no value, I would want some boy’s mama to give me a call.

My heart races as I dial, and pounds harder with each ring. I’m unsure how she’ll respond but I am not turning back. She answers on the fourth ring and is shocked to find out her daughter has a Facebook page, or even knows how to upload a picture on the internet. She is so thankful I called.

I ask for her help in terminating our children’s interaction and she offers to block his number from her daughter’s phone. I offer to send her the picture if she needs it. And no more than 10 minutes pass before she calls me back, asking for the copy … sad that her daughter is denying it all.

Although my son is initially upset with me, several days later he stops, and he thanks me.

He thanks me for helping him manage a situation that made him uncomfortable.

A situation full of the potential to escalate.

A situation he may never have had the willpower to resist alone.

Sometimes our obligation to protect frees them even from themselves. 

In this electronics age, managing our boys and their electronics can be tricky. From texting, to Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, and Xbox gaming, it’s a fine line between their desire for privacy and our obligation to protect them.

Below are four tips to help us balance our boys’ desires for privacy with our parental obligation to protect them … words offered with the utmost humility, from a mama still learning the delicate balance herself.

4 Tips to Establish a Balance for Boys

1. Maintain complete password knowledge

As we prepare our children for adulthood we are responsible to guide, protect, advise and counsel. Without knowledge of what they are facing, we become handicapped at best, and uselessly incapacitated at worst. The bottom line is, if they want an account, we must always know the password.

2. Review accounts regularly, and more frequently if there is cause

Our boys deserve gradations of freedom as they show themselves to be responsible. Privacy is an earned privilege, not an automatic right. In order to protect them from themselves and others, it is prudent to periodically review their email, text, and social media accounts. As teens they are still growing and learning. And they need our guidance more than ever throughout these pre-launch years. It’s not about disrespecting their privacy, but about empowering them in who they are becoming.

3. Restrict erasing or deleting of messages without permission

In order to have the ability to randomly monitor emails, texts, and social media accounts, it is important there is no deleting without permission. This parameter removes the element of dishonesty which is so tempting for our boys and holds them accountable for their activity and interaction with others.

4. Establish an electronics “turn-in” policy

In reviewing my son’s texting history, I discovered he had been texting with peers up until midnight at times. Instead of sleeping with his phone quietly charging, he had been using it to interact. No wonder he was so tired every morning!

If we wouldn’t physically ring a house phone at a certain hour, then we shouldn’t be texting or interacting either. As parents, establishing an electronics station where items are turned in each night, prevents the temptation to use them at inappropriate times, and also helps to manage the endless distraction so rampant because of them.

Have you struggled to balance privacy with protection?

What tips would you offer to help in helping balance the two?

 

About Jacque Watkins

Jacque resides in Southern California with her civil-engineering-general-contracting husband, and her five energetic children, ranging in age from 4-16. When not enjoying their new homeschooling adventures, she works as a labor & delivery RN, where she never tires of the miracle and wonder of birth! She travels along life’s road, amidst daily missteps and failures, yet is relentlessly caught by God’s mercy and restored by His grace. Jacque’s heart is to encourage others to see God’s mercy and grace in everyday moments, and be healed and set free through the freedom Christ brings. You can find her writing at Mercy Found Me, on Facebook and on Twitter