I love looking through unique #Holidays happening throughout the month and seeing if they fit anyone I know. When I found out about National Techies Day on October 3rd I thought of Charlie and all the technologies he knows then I thought of David and I who doesn’t know much but we try.

I thought you might enjoy learning about this holiday called National Techies Day which was created to recognize the people who love technology, understand how it works, solve problems when our computers decide not to cooperate, and help the rest of us figure out what we are supposed to do with all this technology that seems to change every five minutes.

And believe me, technology has changed a lot since I was a child. When I was growing up, technology wasn’t anything like it is today. We didn’t have smartphones sitting in our pockets. We didn’t have tablets. We didn’t have every answer in the world available with a few taps on a screen. Computers weren’t something every child automatically had access to at home.

Even when my daughter Suzanne was little, computers weren’t everywhere like they are now. She didn’t get her first computer until she was about 12 years old. She had a cell phone, too, but let’s just say it was nothing like the smartphones our kids have today. Sometimes I think about what Suzanne would think if she could see technology today.

I would absolutely love to see her face. I can just imagine her looking at today’s phones, computers, tablets, smart TVs, watches and everything else we have and wondering what in the world happened! Then I could here her saying is it better now or did I have it better before all these changes and sometimes I think we had it better back then. What do you think?

I want you to think about how much technology has changed in just one generation. A computer used to be something you sat down in front of. Now we carry computers in our pockets. Our phones take pictures, record videos, connect us with family and friends, let us watch movies, play games, shop, read books, send emails and look up almost anything we want to know.

And computers themselves have changed dramatically. When I was younger, learning to use a computer was something new. For Charlie, computers were simply part of growing up. Charlie learned about computers pretty much before he could walk.

He was going to school when he was four years old, and computers were already being used in his classrooms. So while Suzanne and I grew up learning about technology as it became available, Charlie grew up with technology already being part of everyday life. And he took to it.

Over the years, he learned more and more about computers, technology, gaming and all the things that come along with them. Today, I find myself going to Charlie when something on the computer isn’t working. I’ll sit there and stare at something and think, What in the world am I supposed to do now?

And Charlie will come over and fix it. Sometimes he explains what he is doing. Sometimes I understand. Sometimes I don’t. And there are plenty of times when I just look at him and say, “Okay, whatever you did, thank you.” I’m still learning. Then there are times when he says mom figure it out you need to learn how to do these things and that is when I want to scream instead I pick up the phone and call my nephew David M. because he works on computers for a living.

Don’t mess with me Charlie I don’t need you even though I may never understand all of it. And you know what? That’s okay. One of the things I loved about homeschooling was realizing that parents aren’t always the teachers. Sometimes our children become our teachers.

We may teach them how to read. We may teach them history. We may teach them math. We may teach them about faith, responsibility, cooking, cleaning, animals, nature and everyday life. But then they turn around and teach us something we don’t know.

That’s exactly what happened with technology in our house. Charlie knows things about computers that I don’t. He knows how to troubleshoot things I don’t even understand. He has learned how to use technology to create, work, communicate and build businesses. And I’m incredibly grateful, thankful and blessed for that.

Because of everything Charlie has learned Charlie has started many different jobs and businesses over the years, including his own gaming company. That is something I am especially thankful, grateful and yes, even blessed for and its why I thank the LORD everyday.

Technology isn’t just entertainment for him. It has become a tool. It is something he can use to create things, learn things, work, communicate and build something of his own. That’s one of the things I think we sometimes forget when we talk about children and technology.

Technology isn’t automatically good or bad. It depends on how we use it. A computer can be used to play a game. It can also be used to create the game. A phone can be used to watch videos. It can also be used to take photographs, edit videos, communicate with customers or run a business. The same technology can be entertainment, education and a job depending on what someone chooses to do with it.

Now, don’t even ask me about David and the computer. He’s allowed to have a phone because he has to have it for work. But he’s never, ever, ever allowed to touch my computer or Charlie’s computer. Or my tablet. At all period. Not even to play a game. Because he’d probably blow them up. And the funny thing is, he wouldn’t even mean to!

There are a lot of things David can do. I’m not saying he isn’t good with electronics. But when it comes to computers, that’s just not his thing. Charlie and I have learned that the safest thing to do is just keep David away from our computers.

And please don’t volunteer to teach him. Because Charlie and I don’t want to have to shoot you! LOL and yes, I am laughing out loud just thinking about it. That’s just how things work in our house. The funny thing about technology is that just when you think you’ve finally figured something out, somebody changes it.

A button moves. A program gets updated. Something that worked yesterday doesn’t work today. And suddenly I’m calling Charlie. Again. But I’m okay with that. I don’t have to know everything. And I don’t think parents should feel like they have to know everything their children know. Sometimes our children will know more than we do. That’s part of watching them grow up.

Technology can also be a wonderful homeschooling tool. Children can use computers to research topics they’re interested in, learn new skills, watch educational videos, practice typing, learn coding, create artwork, edit photographs, make videos, explore history and science, and even start learning skills that could eventually become part of a career.

And one of the wonderful things about homeschooling is that you can follow a child’s interests. If your child loves computers, you don’t necessarily have to tell them that technology is something they can only use after school. You can make it part of the learning.

Maybe they want to learn how computers work. Maybe they want to learn programming. Maybe they want to build a website. Maybe they want to create a video game. Maybe they want to learn photography or video editing. Maybe they want to learn how to run an online business. Those are all opportunities to learn.

Parents can learn alongside their children and if you don’t know how to do something? Learn together. You don’t have to pretend you know everything. You can say, “I don’t know how to do that. Let’s figure it out.” That can actually be one of the best lessons you give your child.

They learn that adults don’t know everything. They learn that it’s okay to ask questions. They learn how to troubleshoot. They learn patience. They learn that sometimes you have to try something more than once. And sometimes they get to be the expert. That’s not a bad thing. It’s actually pretty special.

National Techies Day doesn’t have to mean buying the newest computer or the latest gadget. You can celebrate by learning something new together.

Try one of these:

• Learn a new computer shortcut.
• Let your child teach you something they know about technology.
• Learn basic coding together.
• Create a simple family photo or video project.
• Explore an educational website.
• Learn how to organize digital photographs.
• Try creating something instead of simply consuming content.
• Ask your child what they would like to learn about computers.
• If your child has a technology-based hobby, ask them to show you what they are working on.
• Talk about how technology has changed since you were their age.

And if you are homeschooling, make it a lesson. Let your child become the teacher for the day.

I know technology will continue changing. There will be things coming in the next few years that I probably can’t even imagine right now. And I’m sure Charlie will understand them long before I do. That’s okay. I’ll just keep asking him questions.

I’ll probably still stare at my computer and wonder why something isn’t working. And eventually I’ll hear Charlie say, “Mom…” And he’ll fix it. That’s our life. I grew up in a world where computers weren’t part of everyday childhood. Suzanne grew up during the beginning of a much more connected world.

And Charlie grew up with computers practically from the beginning. Three generations. Three very different experiences with technology. And I think that’s pretty amazing. Now, I have a question for you. What do you think of National Techie Day and why?

I wanted to remind you National Techies Day reminds me that technology isn’t just about computers. It’s about learning. It’s about curiosity. It’s about solving problems. It’s about discovering what you can do. And sometimes it’s about realizing that the child you taught for years has become the person teaching you.

I’m grateful, thankful and blessed that Charlie knows as much as he does about computers and technology. He has taken something he learned as a child and turned it into something he can use as an adult. And while I may never completely understand everything he does on that computer, I am incredibly proud of him.

So today, if you have a techie in your family, let them know you appreciate them. And if that techie happens to be your child? Let them teach you something. Just make sure you don’t let David near the computer. Or you might find yourself running for the hills when the computer explodes.

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Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates