Power 2 Parent
Published: August 1, 2019

You Are Your Child’s Most Important App

By Erin Phillips, Power2Parent

“Showing your kids you love them is 2% effort and 98% putting down your phone.”

-Collin Kartchner

Internet Crusader, Collin Kartchner, visited Las Vegas last week to discuss the effects of Social Media on our kids’ mental health.  At the end of a life-changing Parent Education Night at American Preparatory Academy, which included a panel discussion from local experts, the attention turned to what parents could do in the face of a startling reality. When a few “oversight” apps were mentioned, like Bark and OurPact, which will help you monitor what is on your child’s phone, Collin got up and very frankly said, “You are your kids best monitoring app.” In the face of current political trends and proposed legislation his message could not have been more urgent for us to hear. No app, no piece of legislation, no school and no teacher can take the place of a parent.

There is no substitute for good parenting. Children need love, affection, attention and, according to Collin and his team, they need 8 hugs, for 8 seconds each, every day. We can’t turn that over to the school, the government, or an app, hoping our kids will turn out emotionally stable and socially adjusted. Parents are the people who know their kids the best and who know what is best for them. Schools and science both tell us that number one factor in whether or not our children succeed is us. If we consider we are raising the next generation of leaders who will shape society, there could be no better perspective than from Harold B. Lee who says, “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.”

Thank you Ginger Oghigian for helping us sponsor this message. Ginger works with buyers and sellers and specializes in single family homes, townhomes and condos in the West, NW, and SW parts of Las Vegas.