FLORENCE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin Extension of Florence County will provide free eParenting online workshops for parents and caregivers.

Dates and classes include:

Tuesday

— eParenting Little Ones, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

— Raising High Tech Kids, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Thursday

— eParenting Little Ones, 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.

–Raising High Tech Kids, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Today’s parents can benefit from a better understanding of the role digital media plays in their children’s lives and learning how new media might enhance their responsibilities as parents. To date, most programs for parents about digital media focus on the potential negative effects of its use and how parents can protect their children from such dangers.

While these programs can be valuable, they ignore the many positive aspects of digital media, including ways that it can contribute to the child’s development, enhance the parent-adolescent relationship and provide tools that can strengthen and extend child-rearing skills.

 “Let’s face it, digital media, like television and rock ‘n’ roll, is not going away,” said Tierany Rugg, UW Extension educator. “Digital media provides children and young people access to a whole new virtual world where they can test some important developmental tasks, sensible, productive adults.

“So, how can we use digital media as a positive force? We can integrate digital media into our responsibilities as parents and learn ways we can use digital media to help us stay connected and continue to be an influential part of our children’s and teen’s life,” she said.

You must register online before the workshops at https://florence.extension.wisc.edu/parenting/ in order to get the meeting information. Any questions, contact Rugg at 715-528-4480, ext. 5, or at tierany.rugg@wisc.edu.