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Sexting Part 5-What to Say If Your Kid Has Been Sexting (continued)

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

Talk about the risks.  Here’s the list. Sending pictures of yourself when you are younger than 18 is distributing pornography.  Having a picture of yourself stored on a phone, computer, etc. (or recoverable from the secret, undeleted areas of things you have deleted on your device) is possession of child pornography.  Having pictures of your sext buddy who is under …

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Sexting Part 3-Warning Signs

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

This article is the third in a series on how parents can address the issue of sexting with their teenage children.  The first part of this series emphasized the importance of educating yourself as a parent and talking to your kids about sexting as well as internet and social media issues.  Part 2 reviewed some of the ground rules to …

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Sexting Part 2-Setting the Ground Rules

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

This article is the second in a series on how parents can address the issue of sexting with their teenage children.  The first part of this series emphasized the importance of educating yourself as a parent and talking to your kids about sexting as well as internet and social media issues. Set the ground rules.  Once you have talked to …

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Tech Free Family Renaissance

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

Technology has taken over our lives in both wonderful and annoying ways.  Here’s a particular question that can have a troubling answer.  What is the longest you and especially your kids have gone without using electronic technology?  Most of us don’t realize the ways in which our reliance on and responsiveness to technology has filled every moment with some kind …

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Developmental Stages of Access to Social Media Grades 11-12, Part II

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

Will the torment ever end?  Yes, with this column.  We have finally reached the end of this interminable series on trudging through developmental considerations for access to and use of social media and the internet.  Eleventh and 12th graders use of cell phones, social media accounts and video games will be covered and then we’re outa here. Cell Phones.  By …

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Developmental Stages of Access to Social Media Grades 11-12, Part I

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

Well, we’ve come to the final developmental stage in this series on access to and use of social media and the internet.  Much of the heavy lifting in parenting should have been occurring in the years before your teenager reaches the 11th and 12th grade.  By staying on top of things, building in important values, requiring self-restraint and repeatedly addressing …

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Developmental Stages of Access to Social Media Grades 9-10, Part III

In There's a Stranger in My House by Dr James Wellborn

This column continues the series about setting limits on your kid’s access to and use of social media and the internet.  The topic for this column is video games and social media accounts.  It is the third part of the expectations and recommendations for kids in grades 9 and 10.  (If strategies or information have been covered in previous columns …