A few weeks ago I recommended a book that can act as a guide in parenting digital citizens. When I stumbled across this mother's thoughtful approach to explaining the use of a smartphone I had to share it. I invite you to take what's helpful, leave what's not and adapt this contract in a way that makes sense for your teen.
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The radio interview I did last week was packed with great questions from the host Carol the Coach. Below are the questions we discussed. To listen or download the interview you can go HERE. The interview starts about 15 minutes in.
What led you to want to work with teens who are addicted to pornography?
How does pornography impact an adolescent brain differently than an adult brain?
How can pornography be harmful to developing a healthy sexuality?
What is a healthy sexuality?
What should parents understand?
Carol the Coach
How should parents respond if they discover their teen is using online pornography?
What practically should a parent do if their teen is viewing online pornography?
How can parents with younger children discourage pornography use?
What can the recovery community do to help teens?
Are there people who would be helped by this podcast? Feel free to share it. If this podcast has helped you let me know by "liking" it.
Tonight at 6:30pm I will talk about TEENS, SEX and TECH with Carol the Coach. You can join the show too and ask me about anything related to sex addiction, parenting or technology.
The show is pretty popular with 130,000 downloads/week from an international audience.
Here is the info for calling in:
(646) 595-3284
We'll be taking calls starting around 6:30pm PST.
Read MoreNavigating the cultural divide between digital natives (born post 1980) and digital immigrants (born pre-1980) can be a challenge for parents. I hear questions like:
"How do I help my kid enjoy their life online but at the same time equip them to be safe?"
"How restrictive should I be or how much should I monitor my kids online behavior?"
"Is it too late to even try to change things now that my kid is in high school?"
In their book A Parent's Guide to Understanding Social Media, Adam and Mark approach these questions with compassion, wisdom and experience. They give great practical tips which they have used themselves.
The other thing I like about this book is that it can be read in about 2 hours. Parents have so many things on their minds that having concise material is helpful.
The one main critique I have is that they don't address in enough detail what to do if your child has a porn or sexting problem. So, while their recommendations are generally useful I would recommend consulting with a professional if there are chronic boundary violations. A teen with chronic sexting or porn issues may be addicted. And, if they are addicted finding the right combination between grace and truth; monitoring and equipping is crucial.
Are there people who would be helped by this article? Feel free to share it. If this article has helped you let me know by "liking" it.
Alex Lerza, practicing in Los Gatos, CA is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - 83946, and authorized to act as a Psychotherapist providing Psychotherapy. He is also an Certified Sex Addiction Therapist providing Sex Addiction Treatment. His focus is on trauma, sex addiction and pornography addiction. In addition to dealing with these issues Alex Lerza provides treatment for anxiety, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, sex difficulties, anger regulation issues, betrayal from an affair, self-esteem, co-dependency, trauma, abuse and managing grief and loss. If you search for counseling San Jose, psychotherapy San Jose, psychotherapist San Jose, therapist San Jose, counselor San Jose, couples therapist San Jose, couples counselor San Jose, marriage therapy, Sex Addiction Therapist San Jose, Sex Addiction Counselor San Jose, Adolescent Treatment, Teen Pornography Addiction, you can find Alex Lerza's website. In addition to serving San Jose, Alex serves clients in San Jose, Campbell, Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Cupertino, Scotts Valley, Felton, Sunnyvale, Morgan Hill, Fremont, Los Altos, and Gilroy, California.
