iRules: What Every Tech-Healthy Family Needs to Know About Selfies, Sexting, Gaming, and Growing Up

After parent coach Hofmann bought an iPhone for her 13-year-old son, she created a technology contract and wrote a blog that went viral. Here, she details the contract point-by-point and chapter-by-chapter, expanding upon her original piece to include anecdotes, practical pointers (for example, create a password log book for the entire family), and ruminations about the pros and cons of growing up in a tech-saturated world. In three major sections (Respect, Responsibility, and Live Fully) Hofmann covers topics including sex and technology, manners, and living in the present moment. She encourages parents to tailor the plan according to their family’s needs and the ages of their children. Setting boundaries and defining expectations play an essential role, as do keeping an open dialogue and learning how to use and navigate every tool at least as well as the children. (Because her son has a Vine and Snapchat account, Hofmann joined too.) With technology omnipresent, this invaluable “manifesto on parenting in a technological age” is simultaneously informative and reassuring. [em]Agent: Amy Hughes, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Agency. (May) [/em]