Hello @Sunglasses    Hopefully I can help in some way! I've been teaching for 10 years! I can't imagine the stresses that come with raising kids in a Digital World but I'd love to help you in any way I can.    *How do I monitor my son's phone and internet interactions? (He has his own phone) I would suggest having a room where he can go on his phone. A living room or in the kitchen. Most of social media misbehavior occurs when the child is on their own (bedroom especially). If he questions why- tell him that you want to be there if he needs you for anything. Try and put a positive spin on it!   * How much monitoring is too much monitoring? (I know teenagers deserve some privacy and opportunity to connect with their peers and figure some of this stuff out themselves) I think that if you follow through with the above, the monitoring will seem less invasive, you can watch his facial expressions to see what is going on. If you pay his phone bill- you have a right to check his phone. Most apps require kids to be over 16 so you should be also able to approve the downloading of apps if he uses your account.   * What would you do??? Consequences etc.  (His 13th birthday is in 2 weeks and he was going to be getting a new tv, phone and xbox upgrade)  I think one gift is absolutely enough. He should have to write an apology text/letter to whoever he offended in the group chat and admit he was wrong. Accountability is so important here so that he remembers what he did wrong and it prevents future occurrences. Inform him that all his activity stays on the internet forever and he may be haunted by it in later life (sounds dramatic but it is true). Remind him that nobody is perfect all the time but we do not want to have documented evidence of when he is not behaving like his best self ... View more

Hi @indsg12    I have heard from lots of people that the career counsellors at schools are not particularly well equipped to help kids make decisions about their future. Not that career counsellors are to blame, instead there are so many career options these days that it can be really confusing and difficult for kids   As a Primary School Teacher, I completely agree. We are not equipped to help children make decisions about their future. I work with 9-12 year old children. After quarantine last year, we reflected on what worked well for us. Some children said they did not enjoy sitting at the Laptop all day and so they learned that a more active job was desirable for them (builder, bus driver, plumber, teacher). I think having children reflect on what they enjoy the most (working with others, working alone, hands on or technology) will really help with job direction. Also normalizing that nobody has it all figured out (including ourselves).   I hope this helps!  ... View more