Wanna know a secret? I don’t have all the answers… nor do I trust anyone who claims they do (especially when you’re talking about the topic of social media and teens). Yes, I’ve got young ones… and just like all the rest of us, I sometimes screw up too. Damn, motherhood. Damn.
Which is why I’m on high alert these days.
Last week, I was thrilled to talk about how to spy on your teens’ social media habits (in the name of safety, y’all!) on my new Wednesday segment appearing on CBS Los Angeles’ Channel 2 News at 5pm. Because if we don’t talk about it… then we can’t live it. So Pat and I talked…
As usual, it was a blast. (Anchor Pat Harvey is so easy to talk with.) More tips over on CBS Los Angeles... fabulous inside information from some of my most trusted experts in social media. You can also check out the #1-ranked parental control software among consumer groups, Net Nanny, or take a peek at this chart describing various parental control softwares. I’m a big sucker for sharing information and spilling my guts about how it’s totally cool to keep a close eye on kids, no matter how they might complain about ‘privacy’ — we’re the parents, right? But that’s just me.
No joke, I do live what I preach when it comes to monitoring my little ladies and tech. I don’t hand over the iPad every time my girls have a hankering — I don’t take it with me to restaurants, I don’t let them hold it in the car on long trips (or short trips) and I certainly don’t feel comfortable with just handing it to them at home because they want to play the princess game again. Oh no. I am not an iPad mom — mainly because I’m secretly intimidated by a lot of technology and the iPad we have here technically belongs to my husband.
So I felt good about our talk on TV. Keep a close eye on these kids of ours… and start when they’re YOUNG. Feeling a high on the way home after the segment, I returned home to put my daughters to bed. Sometime after our bedtime story and before brushing our teeth, I was informed by my almost-4 year old daughter that her sister, my 5 year old, had ‘stolen’ my husband’s iPad from his nightstand earlier that day when our sitter was in the house.
Excuse me?!?! What do you mean you stole the iPad?!? And I was on TV tonight talking about monitoring kids, technology & social media?!?! The Fraud Mom.
She stole the iPad. And played the princess game. Not okay. (The princess game is fine, but taking tech without an adult knowing about it is NOT.) So I took her two favorite dolls and held them hostage for two days… you know, so she’d get the point. She got the point. And my husband changed the password on his iPad just in case.
Secret’s out: I’d better start spying on my kids… more. (Damn, motherhood!)
Beginning February 17, 2016, watch “The FAB Mom on 2” EVERY WEDNESDAY night on the CBS Los Angeles’ Channel 2! Like CBSLA on Facebook, Like The FAB Mom’s *NEW* Facebook Page and comment, ask, request and shout what YOU want us to talk about. And share, share, share what you like on Twitter & Facebook using #CBSLA … just like your mama taught ya.
