Managing Kids and Technology Over Summer – CSC on The Morning Blend Milwaukee

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Cyber Safety Consulting’s Liz Repking appeared on Milwaukee’s Morning Blend to talk about the balance between unstructured summer break time and the use of technology. See the segment here: Managing kids and tech over summer. Here are some suggestions offered to ease the pain and confrontation around kids’ increased screen time:

  • Reset the limits and boundaries around tech use. This is a good time to bring out that tech contract or even work with your child to create one for the summer. Talk about time limits, down time, apps, and of course, the appropriate use of tech.
  • Encourage your child to use technology in more productive ways than just scrolling through Instagram posts. Create a blog on a topic that they are interested in or create a website for fun. My daughter created a website for baking gluten and dairy free desserts. She loves baking and this combines her interests and the use of technology in constructive ways. Check out her site here.
  • Have your child make a list of non tech things he or she enjoys doing…reading, going to the pool, riding a bike. Sometimes the mere act of reminding ourselves what we enjoy not involving a screen can motivate us to put the device down and engage in some long, lost, fun activities. I once heard my son say, after the encouragement to find a non tech activity, “I forgot how much I like to read!”
  • Use technology with your child. Find a game that you can play together or create a summer bucket list of things to do and research it online.
  • See a movie or read a book together that centers around issues kids are dealing with online. Here is a long list of Young Adult books: Internet novels.
  • And like always, be involved and stay current on trends, news, apps, games and websites. Check out this article on Instagram’s new antibullying efforts.

Most importantly, find some non tech time this summer to spend as a family. It could be as simple as going for a walk together and talking or picking a day a week to go ‘tech free’ for the entire family. Decide together how to use non tech time and talk about it.

We hope you enjoy your summer!

How to Limit Screen Time for Your Kids – CSC on The Morning Blend

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CSC’s Liz Repking appears on The Morning Blend in Milwaukee talking about the best ways to limit your kids’ screen time.  She gives excellent tips and addresses the common parenting questions:

  • How much screen time should I allow my child spend online any day?
  • Where should I allow them to use their devices?
  • Are there apps that are good that I should encourage them to use?

Liz also talks about modeling your behavior with your children and also giving your child a ‘voice’ in these decisions resulting in better buy in.

Watch the video at the WTMJ 4 website below:

How to Limit Screen Time for Your Kids

Back to School: Expert Advice on What Parents Should Ask About School-Issued Technology

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, August 8, 2017 – Chicago, IL – Within the next month, millions of children will return to school. With each passing year, schools are integrating more technologies into the classroom. One-third of all K-12 students in U.S. schools use school-issued devices. While the benefits have proven to be inarguable, the challenges to parents can be both intimidating and frightening. News of the misuse of technology involving students, whether it be online bullying or being victimized by predators, is growing at a rampant rate and the statistics are staggering. Nearly 43% of children have been bullied online. Only one in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse.

Cyber Safety Consulting (CSC), a local Chicago company with nationwide influence, combats these statistics by providing interactive education to students, parents and teachers about today’s technology and how we can keep our children safe as they utilize technology both in the classroom and at home. Liz Repking, CSC’s founder, is a nationally recognized speaker with vast knowledge of the issues, and is a valuable expert resource for news outlets. Here are her top three suggestions for questions parents should ask about the technology used at their children’s schools:

  1. What safeguards does the school have in place to ensure my child’s information stays private and only age appropriate content is accessed?
  2. In addition to the technology the students have access to, how is the school educating them on safe and appropriate online behavior?
  3. Schools have “An Appropriate Use” agreement that students must sign and adhere to. How will violations of the agreement be handled by the school?

As a subject-matter-expert (SME) in cyber safety and a parent of three children ranging in age from elementary school to college, Liz Repking offers a uniquely combined professional and personal perspective on children’s use of technology. She is highly relatable to parents, teachers, and school administrators and stays informed of present-day technology trends and issues.

Topics CSC covers in their workshops include online bullying, sexting, online predators, gaming issues and concerns, popular apps and how to use them safely, cell phone monitoring, safety settings and restrictions for phones and computers, and more. Liz Repking and her fellow cyber safety experts have spoken to students, parents, teachers and businesses across the country and are available for media interviews.

For more information about Cyber Safety Consulting, visit the website at www.CyberSafetyConsulting.com.

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About Cyber Safety Consulting:

Cyber Safety Consulting (CSC) is an organization focused on protecting children in today’s high-paced digital age. CSC offers Internet and cyber safety training courses and personal consulting to parents who are overwhelmed by the amount and breadth of technology and social networks that our children are using. Services include student & parent workshops, family & small group sessions, and institutional IT consulting, and a classroom curriculum (CASE). For more information about Cyber Safety Consulting, visit the website at www.CyberSafetyConsulting.com.

About Liz Repking:
Liz Repking, Cyber Safety Consulting’s founder and senior Cyber Safety Expert, is also the mother of 3 children ranging in age from elementary school to college. After entering the workforce over 20 years ago, she spent a majority of her career working as a technology consultant, developing and delivering a variety of training courses for clients. As the Founder of Cyber Safety Consulting, Liz’s technology and training experience is perfectly paired with her passion for the online safety of our children. Liz’s mission is to help parents increase their comfort and confidence in order to keep their children safe by being involved in their online life.

Cyber Safety Consulting Talks Cyber Safety at School on Fox News in Chicago

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You may be keeping an eye on your kids computer usage at home, but what about cyber safety at school?   Liz Repking from Cyber Safety Consulting joined Fox News Chicago LIVE on Good Day Chicago to talk more about how to better parent your children in the digital age and help prevent cyber bullying at school from taking place.

Watch the video on Cyber Safety at School at Fox 32 Chicago.