Gloria, founder of The Parent Coaching Institute (PCI) and author of Parenting Well in a Media Age, talks with PCI Certified Parent Coach® Lauren Leiker. Lauren is a seasoned parent educator, a college instructor, and owns and operates her parent coaching company, Parenting Aware in the Seattle area. Both as a mother and as a professional Lauren has seen the fruits of teaching children to use their creativity and know-how to become wise, selective, and intentional users of all forms of screen technologies.

This podcast is about how parents can empower their children to use their devices as tools and not become habituated, or even addicted to them, as tethers.
Gloria and Lauren discuss two major steps for parents in a digital age to empower their kids to be in control of screen technology:

1. Set boundaries, so both children and teens spend time doing other activities—apart from 2-D screen activities—so they know themselves better and can express their creativity in diverse ways.
2. Once kids have a healthy sense of themselves and their talents and love expressing themselves creatively, then it is sure bet they will use screens to do the same.

Although the formula is simple, it is not always easy to implement. Gloria and Lauren discuss ways they support parents to empower their kids. Lauren shares an inspiring story about her daughter who loves to write and now as a middle-schooler writes two blogs—one about her brother’s sports team and the other book reviews for kids.

Let’s empower kids to use screen technology as a tool for their creative expression. It can be done. And it’s the only way we make sure we all live with technology, rather than for it—today and in the future!