Given that we are halfway through 2021, I thought it was a good time to share the top read Tech Talk Tuesdays in 2021 thus far. Whether it is to catch up on any you’ve missed or reread something you found helpful before, this list of the top picks is a good way to go.

**Also, let a friend, colleague, or family member know about this blog by forwarding this email to them. 

1. 12 Summer-Fun Ideas For The Whole Family
   

This blog has 12 ideas to boost summer fun. 

Here is an example of one which is a game I invented that had us all in stitches. 

My daughter Tessa and I had two moms over with their daughters. I asked everyone to quickly write down all the little traditions they had in their families — old ones and current ones. After 3 minutes, we stopped writing. At that point, a mom-and-daughter pair shared from their list. One would read, and the other would see how many they both had on their list in common. The mom-daughter team with the most in common won. All six of us were laughing a ton, hearing things like “Sugar Cereal Sundays.” 

2. Engineering Versus Helicoptering

Many children languished this year from the lack of in-person social activities. This can be so tricky for us parents — especially when our kids are teens. The last thing we want to do is helicopter parenting, but there is a role for our social engineering at times. If you’ve seen Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, you may recall when my daughter called me out for having contacted the debate team, hoping to get info in a way that could entice her to join the club. That sure backfired! Today I give ideas to help and contemplate the fine line between engineering and helicoptering.

3. When We Judge Moms About Their Kids' Mental Health

Every one of us parents has experienced episodes of pain because of our child’s pain. Our pain becomes exponentially worse when our kids face serious mood challenges, drug challenges, etc. Add to that, parents often feel judged by others for what is happening with their child. Moms have traditionally been the brunt of judgment. I share a story about what happened with me and three sisters and one of their daughters who has battled anxiety and depression.

4. My kid won't socialize, won't exercise, won't…

Pre, during, or post COVID, it’s equally challenging for us when our kids and teens resist what we know will help them. How do external rewards fit into all of this? Don’t rewards just crush internal motivation? And while we might “win” in the short term, aren’t we messing them up in the long run? And how does some clever social engineering as a parent fit into all this?

5. Porn and How To Talk

Not surprisingly, reports on porn use have shown an upswing of use during COVID. I have tips on having those necessary and challenging conversations about this with our kids and teens.

One example is to use science to bring up the topic with your teen. This excerpt from a New York Times includes stats that provide good entries into a conversation with teens,

“...data from a 2016 Indiana University survey of more than 600 pairs of children and their parents reveals a parental naïveté gap: Half as many parents thought their 14- and 18-year-olds had seen porn as had, in fact, watched it. And depending on the sex act, parents underestimated what their kids saw by as much as ten times.”

6. Recovered Gaming Addict Shares Insights

As a teenager, Cam Adair‘s video gaming habit took over his life. After several years and the help of counselors and family, he was able to quit. He’s now devoted his life to helping others quit and/or reduce their video gaming. Adair shares helpful insights for kids, teens, and parents.

7. My Kids Not Motivated, Now What?

Are your kids experiencing a lack of motivation? Is it depression? I  share strategies to help when you're challenged by your kids’ or teens’ lack of motivation. Before I get to some strategies about working with your kids on this, let's turn to clinical depression for a moment. In my clinic, as part of the visit, a patient will often get a screening form that asks, “Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?” 1. Little interest or pleasure in doing things 2. Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless? If the answer is that they are not bothered by either, the chances that they have clinical depression go way down. It does not eliminate the possibility but makes it far less likely. I want all kids to know that with depression, people might not even be aware of feeling sad but that they may primarily feel low motivation. 

8. A Peek Into My Day

A year (or new season, i.e. summer) is always a good time to look at our habits and consider goals. Some readers have asked me about my tech habits, and I realize that I have not shared them much. So let me now share some of my tech practices.

9. Hope — Is It Teachable?

Through research, we’ve also learned that hope can is a skill that can be acquired — hope is a combination of positive feelings and inspired action. Today, I write about how you can teach hope too.

10. Podcasts And Books I Recommend RIght Now

Feelings of compassion have been intensely visceral for me this year. It has made me reflect on books and podcasts that have influenced me in the far past and the near present. In this blog post, I share a few that inspire compassion and insight that you can listen to or with your kids, or they can read or listen to alone.

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‍As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel