Christian Parenting in the Digital Age

What Families Need Most Right Now

The living room fills with laughter and inside jokes as you spread out a board game on the coffee table. Your child leans in close, picking up the game piece as a tablet buzzes and lights up on the edge of the couch. Then, another buzz.

The family board game that felt satisfying a minute ago fades behind the pull of text messages, videos, and social media updates waiting just out of view.

It’s a familiar scene, even in homes where connection and faith are the focus.

Teachers at The First Academy see this tension every day as students carry their phones, their friends, and their worries in their pockets. But with a few intentional habits, families can reclaim moments that shape their children’s hearts.

Create Restful Rhythms That Slow the Pace

Children move through each day with constant digital noise, so families often benefit from simple rhythms that help everyone slow down and reconnect. These moments do not need to be elaborate. They only need to be steady and shared.

• Wait as long as possible before introducing personal devices. This gives children more time to enjoy friendships through playdates, shared activities, and real conversations before digital pressures enter the picture. 
• Create a predictable moment for prayer or Scripture. Teachers often see students who long for spiritual grounding but struggle to find it in the fast pace of their week. A brief, steady time of reading or prayer helps children experience a calmer rhythm and reminds them that faith grows through quiet, repeated choices. 
• Choose a tech-free window during the week. “If I could have a do-over with my own sons, I would have had a day where we did not have any tech,” said Vanda Harvey, an Upper School teacher at TFA and a parent of three adult sons. “I just feel like that would help reset and help you to focus on the things that are really important.” Maybe every Saturday would be tech-free and filled with board games and throwing a Frisbee.
• Model pauses as a family. When adults put away their own devices at agreed-upon times, children sense the shift.

Set Clear Boundaries That Protect Their Well-Being

Once families begin slowing the pace of their week, the next helpful step is to create boundaries that make digital life feel manageable for children. 

A natural place to begin is with a daily stopping point. Many parents find that evenings feel calmer when devices are turned off and placed outside of bedrooms or gathered in a central location, such as a basket on the kitchen table. 

Time away from devices also gives parents a clearer view of how their children are doing. It opens gentle opportunities to ask questions, listen well, and understand what might be happening beneath the surface. 

Before our always-on and always-reachable culture, adults and children could find comfort at home — even if they’d had a bad day at work or had an argument with a friend at school.

Now, we carry troubles home, notification after notification.

“You get notifications at home until you go to sleep, and you physically cannot see them anymore,” said Will Zavala, TFA’s Director of Technology. “And then you wake up before you even get to school, you grab your phone, and it’s right back in your face.”Children need a break from the constant stress so they can focus on the truth of what God says about them and the love that surrounds them.

Trust a School That Understands the Digital Landscape

While families play a central role in shaping healthy digital habits, it is even more powerful when a child’s school comes alongside parents and supports their values and choices. 

• The First Academy uses a comprehensive content filter that monitors student Gmail accounts and Google Drive activity for concerning behavior. When something needs attention, staff members can respond quickly and with care. 
• Through the school, parents also have access to Securly Home, a tool that allows them to view weekly reports of their child’s online activity and adjust access after school hours. Parents can observe patterns, ask thoughtful questions, and follow up at home.
• Students receive support academically as well. Trek AI, a biblically grounded tutoring tool, provides a safe space for users to experiment with AI and explore questions without venturing into the open web. Trek AI’s foundation in Scripture and Christian worldview makes it a trustworthy companion for learning.
• Faculty members also regularly grow in their understanding of digital life by studying resources like Matt Miller’s AI for Educators and contributing to TFA’s Parent University sessions, which offer guidance on topics ranging from social media pressures to digital citizenship.

Together, parents and schools can give students the skills to navigate technology with purpose and maturity. And as they grow in spiritual discipline, they’ll begin to see how God strengthens them for the world they are called to engage.