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You may have heard the phrase, “The stricter the parent, the sneakier the child.” This can be true, but not necessarily. After all, it assumes that parents don’t have their kids’ best interests at heart and don’t have a strong, open relationship with them.
Are we communicating to our kids that we love them and that God loves them? Do they understand that God’s way is not only true, but also good and leads to their life and flourishing? Do they see us as quick to forgive and eager to be gracious?
What kind of example are we setting for them? If we want our kids to love God more than anything else, are we? Do we lead the way when it comes to confessing and repenting of our sin? Are we following the technology principles //that we expect of our kids? We can give our children the best boundaries in the world, offer the most helpful advice, and implement the strongest filters—and all of that means nothing if they don’t trust us.
That’s why we have to flip the typical narrative about smartphones on its head. [These devices //that so often get in the way of important conversations with our kids] must become the catalyst for important conversations with our kids.
As I mentioned on yesterday’s BreakPoint, the Axis team has identified over one hundred different conversations () you can have with your kids about smartphones. Some are edgy. If your kids have found porn online, or been involved in sexting, or have seen some of the darker parts of cyber-bullying, your conversations need to be edgy.
* edgy definition: 1. nervous; not calm: 2. unusual in a way that is fashionable or exciting: 3. nervous or easily upset:
If you’re just starting out, start conversations about how to look people in the eyes, how to use the phone to help relationships and not harm them, and just basic philosophical questions like: are smartphones good or bad?
If a smartphone is on your kid’s Christmas list, check out the three free videos from Axis available at BreakPoint.org/phone. They’ll help you assess the boundaries to put around your kids’ smartphones, and help you start having the conversations they desperately need.
To watch them, go to BreakPoint.org/phone.