By Gema Alvarado-Guerrero

Parenting Resource Center Executive Director

Question: My daughter has a school-issued laptop that she brings home every day, should I be concerned that she does homework for hours in her bedroom?

Answer: It should be noted that at school, the staff oversee setting restrictions, setting appropriate times for computer use, and implementing consequences when the rules aren’t being followed.

At home, that is the parent’s responsibility. In fact, in most cases, the laptop settings at school don’t carry over when they are taken out of the building, so the restricted webpages at school are not necessarily restricted at home, unless parents and caregivers set these up. To learn more about this, talk to your internet provider.

In the meantime, there are three steps you can take to keep a closer look on your child’s activities. The first thing you can do is to become informed. For example, did you know that you must be at least 13 years old to have a Facebook account?

Ask school teachers what the estimated amount of time children should spend doing homework at home. Become informed of online dangers, online reputations, and have an open discussion with your child about this.

A second step you can take is to limit computer use to family areas, such as the kitchen and living room, and put the laptop away at night. This makes it easier to monitor computer use. Finally, remember that you are in charge when it comes to setting boundaries of technology use at home. If your child does not follow your rules, set consequences just like you would in the offline world.

Gema Alvarado-Guerrero is the Executive Director of the Parenting Resource Center in Austin. If you would like to talk with a parenting specialist about family challenges, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Línea de Apoyo at 877-434-9528.  For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599.