Move over, turkey, things are about to get all Christmas-y up in here. We can scarcely believe we are saying this, but Christmas is literally around the corner. As you start to make those cookies, trim those trees, and be-deck those halls, you also need to get serious about all those presents. You know we are good for gift ideas for tweens and teens, and if you have one, you know a smartphone is definitely at the top of that list. But before you brave long lines and sign up for a data plan, think about giving the most important gift of all: the gift of digital citizenship.

Looking for a great gift for your teen or tween? Look beyond just a smartphone and give them the gift of digital citizenship | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Digital citizenship is the idea that kids don’t just consume technology but are empowered by it. With this in mind, here are some things you can do to encourage digital citizenship in your child:

Do Your Homework.

Be the smart consumer and research before you buy. Make sure you understand what you are buying and how it works. That’s the easy part. Now for the hard part: really look at your kid and be honest with yourself and your child about whether they are developmentally ready for this step. Be prepared to wait until your child is ready. “Because everyone else has one” is not a good bar here. Think of technology as the ultimate amusement park: you need to be this mature to ride.

Talk about it. A lot.

The talk about technology and being responsible in the digital space is not a one and done conversation. Be available and keep yourself informed. Ask where kids are hanging out online, find out what they they are doing, see where they play. The most successful digital parents we have seen are super informed consumers of technology who can talk the technology talk with their tweens and teens. They also set firm guidelines, but are open to negotiation. Citizenship is about learning to make informed, smart choices, and your kids need opportunities to be decisive on their own while being safe online. Let your child know that you are right there with them in that digital space but you want them to learn to navigate it on their own.

Buddy up.

This is an important responsibility and they will need lots of support from you in handling it. Make sure your child knows from the beginning that this is something you will be checking in on from time to time. Yes, this means you might be prove to some of the most boring text exchanges ever set to screen. On the flip side, playing a little Hay Day together from time to time isn’t all bad. You can consider it low rent espionage as to how your kid is really using that smartphone.

Of course, another way to do this is with some smart parental control software. In particular, the new Family Safeguard just released on November 27th is one we especially like. We have reviewed it before here and you can read about all of its great features. In particular, we like that it doesn’t just monitor kids’ activity online but gives you the tools to encourage that digital citizenship we are talking about.

And in the spirit of giving, we have a special offer from Familoop for all of you:

A 2 month subscription on Familoop Safeguard Premium 10

A value of $19.98 for $2.

Follow this link for the special offer

The offer is valid until the end of the year.

There is no limit to the number of parents who can take advantage of the deal so share this code freely with all your friends. They’ll think it’s Christmas! Oh, wait . . .

But seriously, if a smartphone or two is going under your tree this year, give yourself the gift of peace of mind and your kids the gift of digital citizenship this Christmas.

After all, our goal is to prepare our kids for how to be good citizens of their world. Theirs just happens to be a digital one.