Advice from Katy parents on common topics we all face.
By Tanya Erickson | KATY MAGAZINE, September 2017
How can I monitor my daughter’s Internet use?
Don’t Snoop “First, don’t look at things without her knowledge. Ask her what accounts she has and tell her you need her passwords and will be checking the accounts regularly.” - J.L
Check It Every Day “If she is using a device that you pay for, she needs to follow the rules you set out for her about using them. With all the horrific things happening these days, you need to check everything every day.” - M.R.
Trust Issues “If you’ve trusted your daughter with her own phone or computer, that means you trust her not to abuse them. I think checking the devices once a month should suffice.” - D.W.
How can I get my son to clean his room
Hold Out “When my son refused to clean his room, I refused to clean it, too. It finally got so bad that he couldn’t stand it anymore so he cleaned it from top to bottom and he’s never let it get that bad again.” - R.O.
Take It All Away “Take away everything he loves until the behavior changes. Phone, tablet, extracurricular activities - everything. If he doesn’t change his mind on his own, his friends will probably change it for him.” - S.T.
Talk It Out “Talk to him about it first and see if he will tell you a good reason for not wanting to do so. Then, let him know why it’s important to you. If this doesn’t work, start taking away privileges.” - F.Y.
I think my daughter is being bullied at school. What can I do?
Get the School Involved “The first thing you should do is call the school. Ask her teachers if they have seen anything and talk to her counselor, too. If you have them keeping an eye and an ear out, they may be able to help where you can’t.” - G.D.
Go to the Source “If you don’t think she’ll tell you directly who the culprits are, casually ask about it in a conversation. She may open up to you without knowing it. Then, go directly to the parents of the kids who are named.”- E.M.
Use Resources “Check her phone and social media sites. Also, check any apps on her phone that seem weird. There are so many kids use just to bully each other. Read about the latest sites kids are using to bully others. There’s a lot of information available for parents.” - A.T.
Tanya Erickson is a writer and Katy mom.
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