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10 Amazing Technology Tips Every Preschool Parent Needs to Know

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=If you have a young child then you probably recognize that technology is becoming more and more ingrained in their lives. Technology touches almost every aspect of our children from school work to communication to playing. Here are 10 Tips that every preschool parent needs to know to raise a well rounded technology savvy kid!

First 5 Technology Tips for your Preschool child

  1. Technology is for Communication. Start out by using technology as often as you can for communicating. Most people associated their phones with a major part of their technology strategy.  Phone calls are slowly being replaced by facetime and text messaging requiring us to ensure our children see technology as a communication method.
  2. Be a good Role Model. The most important thing we can do for our young children is to set them up to succeed by role modeling expected behavior. It’s confusing and sends the wrong message if you tell your children they can’t do something and then you do it.
  3. Make sure your child plays with other toys. Like most things in your preschool child’s life you have to ensure they aren’t spending to much time on any one thing. Technology is no exception.
  4. Set Limits. Children expect and need limits on the things they do. This sets them up to expect boundaries later in life.
  5. Do your Research. Look into all the apps you let your children use. Make sure you understand what they are doing and when. Just because something is rated for preschool aged children doesn’t automatically make it a good choice.

Additional Tech Tips for your preschooler

  1. Don’t Let Technology run your life. To often we allow technology to dictate how we act and interact with others. Ensure you don’t limit your experiences based on techology needs. This includes meal time and other family designated times. Preschool aged children need to learn how to socialize with older children and adults as well.
  2. Say NO! Saying NO is encouraged and should be utilized as necessary. Give yourself permission to disappoint your child. Set clear expectations and stick to them saying NO to children is acceptable.
  3. Start early discussions on Safety. As we move more and more into the techology age, it’s so important to ensure our children understand online safety. This includes cyber bullying, predators and technology impacts that may be negative experiences.
  4. Combine Technology and Outdoor Activities. Technology interactions on our phones, ipads and other devices make it easy to combine them with other play and outdoor type activities. These devides are portable making it easy to take with you wherver you are going. This can include games that encourage physical movement, or learning about plants and animals they see everyday.
  5. Screen Time doesn’t equal Alone Time. Do not allow technology to be a substitute babysitter for your children. Preschool aged kids need to know that watching tv, playing on a tablet or other technology device doesn’t automatically mean they are by themselves.

10 Amazing Technology Tips Every Preschool Parent Needs to Know #parentingtips #parenting #tech #technologytips

In conculusion the 10 Tips for technology are:

  1. Technology is for Communication – Facetime with relatives or family friends.
  2. Be a good Role Model – This isn’t just good advice for technology, this is good parenting advice in general.
  3. Make sure your child plays with other toys – Ensuring your child gets adequate outdoor time and play time along with technology time are important to their well being.
  4. Set Limits – Set time limits, how to use limits and where to use technology based on your family.
  5. Do your Research – Stay informed and be involved.
  6. Don’t Let Technology run your life – Put the screens away sometimes and ensure you children are learning social skills.
  7. Say NO – Stick to your predetermined limits and expectations.
  8. Start early discussions on Safety – Age appropriate conversations regarding this topics are and need to be a part of your overall technology strategy!
  9. Combine Technology and Outdoor Activities – Use your technology to learn about the things they see or do. Or use it to help them create a vision board.
  10. Screen Time doesn’t equal Alone Time – Spend time together learning and playing with technology.

Life Lessons from working in IT

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Life Lessons Learned from working in Information Technology

I’ve been working in IT for the past several years, and I’ve learned a lot about myself, my coworkers and how teams operate. Now you can take advantage of some of my life lessons and apply them to your life.

Below are some of my favorite tips and life lessons learned from working in IT.

Stop making simple things complicated

My biggest life lesson is easy; stop making things so complicated. Many things in life and IT are more difficult because people try to over complicate them.

Sometimes the fastest, most natural, and most common sense answer are the simplest. Try not to make things complicated. Look for the most straightforward solution first. This may seem to be common sense, but trust me it isn’t.

Bonus: Read about Life Changing Things to Make You Successful.

If you can’t explain it in simple terms, you don’t understand it

After having books and books worth of complex system integration’s, data flow, networking diagrams explained to me I’ve come to realize that if you can’t explain something in simple terms,  then you don’t understand it.

You may be able to tell me the textbook answer or give me some predefined explanation but if you can’t put it in simple terms. Then you don’t understand it as well as you think.

It’s ok to get pissed off and have meltdowns

Another life lesson… It’s ok to get pissed off and have a meltdown. Well… sometimes. It’s perfectly understandable that you are going to get mad at your coworkers.

After all, you don’t go through life without getting mad at your parents, kids, family members, friends once in a while. While people think that co-workers won’t ever get mad at each other is beyond me.

It’s ok, have your pissed off moment, have your meltdown… do it in private. How you react to a stressful situation will determine how you are treated in the future. Those who remain calm and collected have the advantage.

Ask for what you want

My best employees and coworkers are those who know what they want and ask for it. No one is a mind reader.

If you are new your leaders, don’t know you well enough to see what you can handle. Don’t wait for them to figure it out. Go and ask for what you want.

Whether that’s a chance to work on a project or to work with another team…. ask!

Keep a record of your positive contributions

Likely you will need these anyway. Every company I’ve ever worked for has done performance evaluations; this is primarily an opportunity to brag about your yearly contributions to the good.

Keep track of your positive contributions, they all add up.

Understand your sphere of influence – Life Lessons Learned

Too often I see people spend way too much energy on things they can’t control.

Understand what is in your sphere of influence and use it for the greater good. Never use it for the negative, that may get you immediate gratification, but you will never come out ahead, in the long run, this way. Understand who/what you control and use it.

Help someone behind you on the line

Whether just starting out or if you’ve been there for some time, there is always someone who is behind you. There is someone who doesn’t know what you know.

There is someone who hasn’t been there as long as you have and hasn’t had the opportunity to figure out the life lessons you have learned. Take that person under your wing, show them the ropes and you will forever have someone in your corner.

People remember, make sure they remember you as helping them.

Networking matters – those water cooler moments matter

I know so many people who don’t seem to understand this. Networking matters, those small moments of chit chat… they matter.

People want to make a personal connection. They can’t help it, so use it to your advantage. Who you choose to network with matters, it becomes your sphere of influence.

Ask someone about their kids, give advice when asked, or help them with something in the hallway.

Those moments are so often overlooked, but some of my best friendships and job advice have happened in those moments.

Curiosity is a good thing…

Curiosity makes us want to do better and learn more. Find what you are curious about, and learn it.

Find someone to teach you or figure out how to apply that curiosity to your daily job. It will make you more passionate, more committed and a better co-worker.

I’ve learned a lot of things over my career… but these things combined with 5 Super Easy ways to overcome your fear of technology are my best life lessons learned from working in IT.