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Today, teens spend significant time online, building friendships, sharing milestones, and expressing their personalities through social media. But beneath these positive interactions, there’s a real risk that too few parents know about: sextortion.

Growing up in a homeschool household, my parents had two approaches for giving us kids a phone. One, getting a really old outdated flip phone, or two, no phone at all. I chose no phone over a flip phone because I didn’t want to stand out amongst my friends with a weird device. Was this a good decision by my parents to give me no phone, was it a bad one? Here are the top things I think every homeschool parent should know before giving their kid a phone.

By trusted Pinwheel affiliate
Kate Harner, MS, MBA
Founder of TechDetoxBox.com

We want our children to be happy. How can we help them get there? Is it money? Fame? Good genes? No. What makes a good life is the quality of our relationships. Let dive into why and how!

By trusted Pinwheel affiliate
Larissa Mills
Corporate Digital & Wellness Educator, Founder of IparentGen.com

Before a family decides on a phone, it is important to think about having 4 components in place before any screens come into play. In order to prevent phone addiction and mental health, having these set routines in place can save your family a lot of heartache and battles. (Following the Canadian & American Pediatric guidelines.) 

By trusted Pinwheel affiliate
Tessa Stuckey
Licensed Professional Counselor, Author & Speaker

There’s no denying that parenting today is much more difficult than previous generations before us. Parenting without today’s cultural obsession with technology is hard as it is, add in the world wide web and we have a new wave of parenting complications that is overwhelming, confusing and exhausting. However, working with teenagers and being a mother of four myself, I have found some really helpful and practical ways to build strong, resilient, independent kiddos while having technology in our home. It’s all about balance and boundaries. 

By trusted Pinwheel affiliate
Hillary Gruener of Word From The Bird

As a parent in this day and age, it's challenging to reconcile being laid-back when we know the many dangers in the world that could harm our kids. Most of us would agree there’s a lot out there to fear when your objective is to raise healthy individuals. But we mustn’t let our fear of the world turn into controlling, uptight parenting. Be assertive about what your kids are up against – after all, it’s your responsibility to keep them safe physically, mentally, and emotionally. But while it’s natural for parents to hold tight to their children and desire to protect them from everything, sometimes, the very thing you desire for them can begin to work against your relationship. Good-intentioned parenting can quickly turn into fear-mongering control.

Social media and tech can lead to a number of problems or struggles, but they can also serve to be some of the best resources available to us when used intentionally. The internet and social media have made connecting with fellow parents and accessing all the best parenting tips and tricks easier than it’s ever been before. With hundreds and thousands of parenting resources being so available, it can be hard to keep track of which ones you find to be worth your time and which ones just aren’t your style, especially when it comes to Facebook Groups and Parent Communities. 

"When should I get my child a phone?"

Back to school shopping can be stressful. Let’s be real here. You have to get the clothes, the shoes, the pencils, the binders, and all the other items from the teachers list that comes home with you. But why do we buy these things for our kids anyway?

"I sent 36,000 texts the first month I had a “REAL” phone"

It was the summer of 2009, I had mowed many lawns and had done odd jobs to pay for two specific things I had worked towards all summer. At the age of 14, I wanted nothing more than an excellent music collection and a cell phone with which to text and call friends.