One of the pivotal differences between my own generation and that of my parents is that my children were given cell phones at an early age. As they’ve tested their adolescent independence, they’ve had a lifeline to their parents. They can text us or call us to check in or ask us for permission to participate in various activities. While it sounds great on paper, I’ve found reality is often much different. “You need to answer you cell phone!” is a common mantra in my house. I’ve found they love the convenience of being able to contact me when they want or need something but often ignore my communications to them. It was delightful to have my frustration validated by other moms (my kids are normal) but none of us had a truly effective solution to the problem.
Enter “Ignore No more!” Created by Sharon Standifird, “Ignore No more is a parental control app that helps solve the problem of defiant children ignoring their parent’s repeated phone calls and text messages” (Bland, 2014). Sharon has creatively leveraged technology to provide novel consequences for ignoring mom’s messages, the phone can be locked remotely and kids can only dial 911 or mom for a passcode to unlock. Taking the phone from the child as punishment has always seemed counterproductive so I love this solution. Way to go Sharon!
Christine
Bland, M. (August 2014). Fed-Up Mom Creates App that Shuts Her Kid’s Phone Off if He Ignores Her Calls. Accessed 16-August-2014: www.mommish.com
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