Parenting coach gives tips on handling new rules for cell phones in schools

IT IS BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON AND NEW. THIS YEAR. THE STATE OF OHIO HAS BEEN CELL PHONES DURING SCHOOL HOURS, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY ALSO, OR THE STATE OF KENTUCKY ALSO MAKING CHANGES. SO IT IS A BIG DISCUSSION POINT, I THINK, FOR SCHOOL FAMILIES AND ESPECIALLY OUR TEENAGERS. SO HERE AGAIN, TO HELP US NAVIGATE THESE FAMILY DISCUSSIONS IS CARRIE BROWN. SHE’S A PARENTING COACH WITH BEACH ACRES PARENTING CENTER. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THIS IS A HOT BUTTON ONE. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE BREAK. SO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THERE ARE PARENTS OUT THERE THAT DO HAVE SOME ANXIETY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO GET AHOLD OF THEIR KIDS. AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM? YEAH, AND I GET IT. IT’S A CHANGE AND NOBODY’S COMFORTABLE WITH CHANGE, RIGHT? CHANGE CAN BE STRESSFUL, BUT YOU CAN GET AHOLD OF YOUR CHILD LIKE YOU CAN CALL THE SCHOOL. YOU CAN LEAVE A MESSAGE. SO THAT’S, YOU KNOW, THAT FEAR. ACTUALLY, NOW YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO INTERRUPT YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION. BECAUSE I AM GUILTY OF TEXTING MY OLDER CHILDREN, ASSUMING THEIR PHONE WAS IN THEIR LOCKER, AND THEY WOULD TEXT ME BACK LATER, AND THEN THEY WOULD RESPOND RIGHT AWAY. RIGHT NOW, KAREN, WHAT ABOUT PARENTS LIKE YOURSELF AND SHEREE? DO YOU THINK HOW YOU THINK THEY WILL COPE WITH THIS AND THE ANXIETY AROUND IT THIS YEAR? YEAH, SO I HAVE HAD PARENTS COME TO ME AND SAY, WELL, MY CHILD HAS SOCIAL ANXIETY. THEY NEED THEIR PHONES AND I’VE ALREADY SEEN POSTS EXPLAINING LIKE PARENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT HAVING THEM AT LUNCH. AND I GET THAT. BUT ALSO, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS TO KIND OF LEAN INTO THAT DISCOMFORT A LITTLE BIT. LIKE INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE THEY HAVE SOCIAL ANXIETY, THEY NEED THEIR PHONE. WELL, HOW ABOUT WE TEACH THEM HOW TO LIKE, ENGAGE AND TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE? OR WORST CASE SCENARIO, THEY CAN READ A BOOK IF THEY REALLY HAVE THAT MUCH SOCIAL ANXIETY. SO HELPING PARENTS, THEY NEED TO MANAGE THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT IT FIRST, LIKE YOU SAID, SO THAT THEY CAN HELP THEIR KIDS COPE WITH THIS CHANGE. THERE’S ALSO THE KEY ISSUES, OF COURSE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CELL PHONES, BUT ALSO SOCIAL MEDIA. WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUR PARENTS ABOUT MANAGING THAT WITH KIDS? BECAUSE I DO FIND SOMETIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, I WILL I’LL NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN MY ESPECIALLY MY YOUNGEST SON, YOU KNOW, 14 YEARS OLD AND KIDS CAN BE CRUEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SO IT’S A REAL DISCUSSION, I THINK, FOR FAMILIES. YEAH. SO I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS TO LEAN INTO THAT FACE TO FACE INTERACTION. SO RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT ADULTS ALL THE WAY THROUGH, CHILDREN ARE DOING LESS IN INTERACTIONS. AND SO THEN IT’S SHOWING THEM, BECAUSE IF THEY’RE ENGAGED ONLY IN SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD, WE ALL KNOW IT’S NOT REAL AND IT’S GOING TO GIVE THEM A SKEWED PERCEPTION OF REALITY. AND SO TALKING TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA TRYING TO DO, HOW IS IT TRYING TO GET YOU ADDICTED? WHY? LIKE WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING? WHAT CONTENT ARE YOU TAKING IN? AND THEN HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER YOU GET OFF YOUR PHONE. YEAH. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS COULD PAY OFF IN A GOOD WAY FOR KIDS IN THE LONG RUN? WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR PARENTS? OH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW ANY PARENT THAT HASN’T STRUGGLED WITH OLDER CHILDREN. WHERE YOU COME IN AND EVERYONE’S JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, PHONES DOWN. SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO IF YOUR CHILD’S NERVOUS ABOUT GOING BACK AND NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THEIR PHONE, TALK ABOUT OTHER THINGS THEY CAN DO, TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAN ENGAGE WITH THEIR PEERS IF THEY’RE SCARED OF THAT, THAT’S OKAY. BY ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE THE PHONE, IT’S NOT EMPOWERING THEM. IT’S JUST ENABLING THEM NOT TO LEARN THOSE IMPORTANT SKILLS. BECAUSE EVEN COMPANIES ARE SAYING THAT SOME KIDS GRADUATING NOW DON’T HAVE THOSE SOCIAL SKILLS THEY’RE LACKING. SO THIS IS A GREAT CHANCE FOR US TO LEAN INTO THIS CHANGE AS A POSITIVE, AND SEEING IT AS A WAY FOR OUR KIDS TO GROW. KERRY BROWN WITH BEACH ACRES, THANKS SO MUCH. YOU’RE ALWAYS JUST A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND A CALMING VOICE. I THINK DURING, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE UNCOMFORTABLE. YEAH, TH