TikTok and Quarantine - Tasha Wrona

Sky Ranch SkyMom Special SHOUT OUT!

Amidst all that is going on in our world we reached out to our Sky Ranch families and asked them to share a little "happy" with our SkyMom community!

Please enjoy this special SHOUT OUT from Tasha Wrona of Carrollton, Texas. She would love to share these TikTok thoughts:

The words "quarantine" and "shelter in place" have thrown this mom for a curve ball! I'm sure that I am not the only one. Many days, I find the uncertainty of this "new normal" overwhelming. Then I'm reminded that my children are looking at me to see how they should feel. If I am worried and full of fear, then so are they. If I am constantly speaking doubt about our present situation, then they are expecting the worst.  I'm reminded, as a mom, to speak what I know the Word tells me. It tells me that the Lord can use this situation for our good. 

With all of this extra time, we are finding ourselves looking for things to elevate the atmosphere in our home. I have six children, three of which are teens, so you can imagine how hard that can be. Much to our surprise, we have had a blast making family TikTok videos! As all social media platforms, you will find both positive and negative content. Here are five things that have stood out as we have begun to navigate our way through TikTok.  
 
1. No Child is the Same: 
As every parent knows, you can have multiple children, living in the same house and being raised the same way, and still be very different. Each child is wired uniquely. What works for one child, is not always going to work for another. You know your child and what they are mature enough to handle. The age recommended by the app makers, may not be the best fit for your family. 
 
2. If you can't beat them, join them: 
When we started making family TikTok videos, it gave us the opportunity to be apart of what our children are involved in. My husband made a joint account with my daughter to post the family videos. This allowed us to see exactly what they are seeing when they access the app. As a parent, I would encourage you to make a point to be on the whatever social media platform your children are on. Join them and investigate how the platform works.  
 
3. It all about who you know:   
When setting up a TikTok account, you have the choice between a public and private account. Our older teens have a private account.  This means, when they post video of themselves, it will only go out to their private list of friends. When they were setting up their accounts, we had a long conversation about who was allowed in the private group and who wasn't. Did they actually know the people they were letting in? Who are they following? This allowed for lots of great conversations about who we surround ourselves with and the potential dangers of TikTok.  
 
4. You can always find the dark and the light: 
All social media platforms have both positive and negative qualities.  You can always find ways that it can be used by the dark side and ways it can be used to spread light. I try to focus on the light. I'm not saying to foolishly ignore the darkness and not use caution. What I am saying, is look for Jesus in the midst of it. As parents we are navigating through a technology based world with our children. As the conversations come up about social media, point them to Jesus. Why do we need to track the number of likes? Are they finding their self-worth based on the number of comments or likes that a post gets? Are they searching out true relationships or hollow social media relationships? Use whatever conversation you find yourself in, to point them back to Jesus.
 
5. Make it Feel like Family camp: 
Every summer our family sets out for Colorado to attend Sky Ranch Family Camp. We will be heading back this summer for our 9th year. It is my children's favorite place on earth. There are two main reasons my children love it. We are completely unplugged, and our kids get to experience my husband and I completely relaxed. The worries we have are left at the front gate and are not thought of again for a full week. Joy is the only way to describe it. When my husband and I are dancing in our kitchen with our three teens to TikTok videos, we are choosing joy. In this uncertain time, we have the ability to control our actions. Our 30 second dance video brings laughter and unity to our family. They bring a feeling of security and peace to our children. It makes us accessible and approachable for questions they might have. My encouragement in this crazy time, is to find a way to bring joy to your home.
 
-Tasha Wrona