Ways Technology Can Bring The Family Together!

There are actually ways to use technology to create more quality family time, says Denise Pellow, in an article in the March 2010 of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Having combined her legal career with certification in computer network engineering to found KidsBeSafeOnline, a Web site aimed at education adults on child Internet safety, the Missouri-based grandmother is passionate about how kids use new technologies. But she’s just as dedicated to encouraging families to use them to their advantage. “Technology has brought me closer to my family,” says
Pellow, who plays Webkinz online with her grandchildren. “Parents need to keep the dialogue open about technology if they don’t want to shut out their children’s lives.” Here are her tech-niques to create more quality family time.

1. Let your fingers do the talking: Text with your kids. “Children can’t roll their eyes at you or use a sarcastic tone in a text message,” points out Pellow, so texting often limits negative interactions. Plus, parents tend to be long-winded, and texting is better suited to adolescents attention spans.

2. Play Online games with your kids: From Fego Indiana Jones to more advanced role-playing games, have fun with your kids online and they’ll be more open to doing other activities with you. A good resource for choosing age-appropriate games: commonsensenedia.org.

3. Get up and go Geocaching: Go outdoor adventuring with your family through geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunting game played worldwide that involves finding hidden objects, called “geocaches,” and sharing your discoveries online. All you need is GPS device. Find out more at geocaching.com/