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family values 19% opens a world of possibility, but it takes intentional parenting and answering parental calls. to help children navigate Strike a Balance. Mindfulness trainer explained. TechNewsWorld, "The key to managing kids' technology use is to establish clear of kids ages 2-5 know how to play with a smartphone application, only 9 percent of kids those ages know how to tie their shoelaces. over the keys to a car and say, "Be safe!" There are rules to obey for the privilege, such as safety guidelines (including photo sending, downloading and driving use), cost responsibilities, app purchases, web surfing, videos, hours of use, whom may have their number, texting privileges and rules limits, school Technology it safely. present moment is the priority and technology is given a secondary role. Kids need to learn that there are times when paying attention to those around you is of primary importance, no matter what type of urgent "This means recognizing times when the zones," she Maya Talisman Frost told 'tech-free' phone calls or instant messages might be coming their way." Nearly every expert recommends restricting cell phone use. Learning to relate with those in proximity is of far more significance. Technology certainly lends to less face-to-face interactions which leads to many relational issues. Faces, body language, context and intonation all input as to how a message is interpreted. When words are communicated only by text, all of these components are missing. This leaves a huge amount of communication lacking. Children need "face time" to develop healthy communication skills. Which reinforces the need for "off" time. Consider the "1 Rule": one hour a day, one day a week, one week a year, all phones are off. By all means, parents should control an end time each evening, when phones are handed over for the night. For many teens, having cell phones in bedrooms can lead to unhealthy behavior and misuse. Young ones face challenges and choices their parents never dreamed of. Parents must take the lead role in helping them navigate the "techno-world" surrounding them. I would dare say; it would be best to teach them to tie shoelaces long before you give them a cell phone. Elaine Stone, mother of three, lives in Spotsylvania. www.fredericksburgparent.NET 21