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Parenting in the cyber age

An upcoming presentation is tackling the topic of Parenting in a Cyber Age. The Parents' Night Out speakers' series continues Feb. 15, with a twohour presentation about parenting in the cyber age.

An upcoming presentation is tackling the topic of Parenting in a Cyber Age.

The Parents' Night Out speakers' series continues Feb. 15, with a twohour presentation about parenting in the cyber age. In addition to information from Safe Online Outreach Society, a detective with the New Westminster Police Service will offer a local perspective on online safety and challenges.

Ashley Currie, a community school coordinator in New Westminster, said this is an issue she hears about a lot at parent advisory council meetings at the middle and high schools.

"It seems to be an incredible concern, as so many parents feel alienated by the technology that is so intuitive to our young people. Many have expressed to me their sense of helplessness in sufficiently monitoring their youth, and their absolute shock at discovering risky or inappropriate actions their kids have taken or been subject-to online and through social media," she said. "It's a whole new world, and a whole new set of parenting concerns."

The presentation will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Queensborough Middle School. It's open to all parents and caregivers in New Westminster.

Parents' Night Out is presented by New Westminster school district community schools and drug and alcohol prevention, New Westminster parks, culture and recreation, Fraserside Community Services Society, the Ministry for Children and Family Development, Youth Probation, the New Westminster Police Service and the New Westminster Teachers' Union. The presentations include refreshments and free child-minding for children ages three and up.

Past sessions have focused on anxiety in children and sex education, while upcoming topics will address how to build positive relationships with your child (March 14 at New Westminster Secondary School) and trends in teen alcohol and drug use (April 11 at Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School).

People are welcome to register at 604-527-4567 or at www.newwestpcr. ca - or they can just show up.

tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com