52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid: How to Engage with Kids Who Can't Seem to Pry Their Eyes from Their Devices!

By Jonathan McKee

In 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid, author Jonathan McKee offers just the help you need to have meaningful interaction with your kids instead of always overreacting to their unhealthy consumption of technology and media. In a world where over 80 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds now own a smartphone, parents are searching for ways to pry their kids’ eyes from their devices and engage them in real, face-to-face conversation. Mckee--drawing from his 20-plus years of experience working with teenagers, studying youth culture, and raising three teens of his own--provides an abundant supply of useful tips and creative ideas to help you bond with the Smartphone Generation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing
• Release date: Jul 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781634098885

Jonathan McKee

 Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous books including Ministry By Teenagers, Connect, and the award winning book Do They Run When They See You Coming? Jonathan speaks and trains at conferences, churches and school assemblies, all while providing free resources for youth workers on his website, www.TheSource4YM.com.

Book preview

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The Coviewing Connection

Way back in 2004, I read about a California mom who learned the hard way that she didn’t know as much about her kid as she thought she did.

Roberta Bobbi MacKinnon died from injuries after being flung from a playground merry-go-round propelled by a rope tied to the back of a vehicle. Bobbi and her friends had watched the MTV show Jackass and decided to try to copy their merry-go-round stunt. The result was fatal.

I read about the story in my local newspaper. Joan MacKinnon, Bobbi’s mother, said, I had no idea that she watched the show. Maybe I would have made her stop and think that this is dangerous fun.

I clearly remember my reaction reading Bobbi’s mother’s words that day. I swallowed hard and thought, That could be me! I don’t know every show my kids watch.

In the silence of the moment, I heard the TV on in the other room. I thought, Oh great! My kids are watching something right now, and I don’t even know what it is!

I popped up from my chair and ran into the other room. They were watching the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants.

As I stood there in the doorway, I recalled a study I had just read in the journal Pediatrics, revealing the importance of parental guidelines with entertainment media. One of the techniques the authors suggested was coviewing—simply sitting down and watching entertainment media with your children so you can use it as an opportunity to talk about important family

Reviews for 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid

[anne_rightler-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jonathan McKee has given parents an excellent resource in his newest book, 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid. With insight from his study of youth culture and trends and his experience working with teens, McKee is well-prepared to share the advice he has compiled in this book. Citing research studies and using his own personal family experiences, he presents, as the book title suggests, 52 ideas for parents to use or springboard from to help their kids learn to communicate face to face. Easy to read, sprinkled with humor, these pearls of wisdom for engaging kids and helping them disconnect from technology are proactive, practical and seemingly easy to put into use. The chapters are short and succinct and at the end have several questions to ponder. The author reminds parents to notice and affirm their kids, to ask questions, to give guardrails and not shackles. Parents are encouraged to practice both bonding and boundaries. "If all we ever do is bark out boundaries, we'll hinder the opportunities to bond." (152) Included at the end of the book is a list of useful questions for parents to utilize as they begin to connect with their kids with the many helpful tips McKee has shared. A great resource for parents who want to build strong relationships with their children.I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.