Parent Summit

Parent Summit Online

Parenting in a Digital World

Welcome to Parent Summit Online!

This resource was created to help you guide your kids in a digital world.

Section One includes helpful principles for parenting kids of any age.
Section Two features trusted experts addressing the biggest technology tensions parents are facing, organised by stage.
Section Three includes answers to additional questions related to related to teens and tech, social media, and navigating technology with a special needs child.

We recommend starting with Section One before jumping into the content for your stage.
Our hope is that this resource gives you the clarity and confidence to lead your kids well.

👉 Want to take this further? Join our Parent Summit Workshop, where you can discuss these topics with other parents and learn practical ways to apply them in your family.

All the information about the Parent Summit Workshop is on the page below.

To stay in the know about upcoming events and resources for your family, follow us on Instagram or Facebook using the handle:
@therocks.waumbaland
@therocksupstreet
@therockstransit
@therocksyouth

RSVP for Parent Summit Workshop

You're Invited to the Parent Summit Workshop!

Join us for an inspiring and practical afternoon designed especially for parents navigating the journey of raising children in today’s world. The Parent Summit Workshop will equip you with tools, strategies, and encouragement to support your child’s development.

📅 Sunday, 19 July 2026
🕑 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 The Rocks Cannington
☕ Afternoon tea provided
👶 Child minding facility available

We will cover the following topic: Friends Matter: Guiding Kids and Teens through Healthy Relationships - Smiling Campbell
Electives:

Parent's Guide to Conversations about Sex - FOR Boys - Michael Rumende
Parent's Guide to Conversations about Sex - FOR Girls - Janine Sara

RSVP Now

Parent Summit Workshop Speakers

Smiling Campbell

Smiling (Xiaoting) is a relationship and family counsellor and educator with a Master's degree of Counselling and a Master's degree of Education. She has 20 years of experience working with teens, young adults, couples and families. She's a proud wife and mum of an 8-year-old beautiful boy with a rare chromosome mutation, and a bright bubbly 2-year-old girl. At her spare time, she's translating the award-winning young adult fiction series "Calculated" into Chinese.

Michael Rumende

Michael is a pastor, husband to Citra, and father to three sons — Benjamin, Judah, and Levi. Over the years, he's been on a deliberate journey to become more intentional about his marriage and his parenting, building rhythms and rites of passage to walk his boys from boyhood into manhood. He trained in theology and ministry and has spent more than two decades serving in church life. When he's not with family, you'll usually find him cooking, behind a camera, or in the garden with a podcast going.

Janine Sara

Janine is a Pastoral Care Manager working with School Chaplains and has experience as a counsellor, chaplain and pastor and is the mum to 3 adult daughters and 4 grandchildren. Time with family, search for good matcha and walking her dog are a few of her favourite things.

Section One

Technology Principles for All Parents

Part 1: Competing with Big Tech with Joel Thomas
24 minutes

Part 2: Going First with Joey Odom
27 minutes

Part 3: Living Free with Clare Morell
24 minutes

Section Two

Frequently Asked Questions from Parents

The Preschool Years

How to use tech as a tool and not a crutch?
Dr. Chinwè Williams

How to balance screens for convenience and the long-term impact?
Dr. Chinwè Williams

How to transition from screen time without a meltdown?
Sissy Goff

How to set screen limits without being too strict or too lenient?
Sissy Goff

The Elementary Years

How to prepare my child now to handle tech wisely when I’m not around?
Kara Powell

How to teach self-control with screens instead of just enforcing the rules?
Sissy Goff

How closely should I monitor my child’s online access?
Chris McKenna

How to set technology limits without a daily argument?
Dr. Chinwè Williams

The Middle School Years

How to balance growing independence with appropriate accountability?
Kara Powell

How to help my student make wise choices online when I’m not around?
Chris McKenna

How to respond to the constant request for more–more time, apps, access?
Dr. Chinwè Williams

How to help my student navigate the pressure of constant digital connection?
Chris McKenna

The High School Years

How concerned should I be about how much time my student spends on screens?
Dr. Jean Twenge

How to help my student develop wisdom around tech use beyond the rules I set?
Kara Powell

How much oversight is appropriate as my student becomes more independent?
Chris McKenna

How to prepare my student for responsible tech use beyond high school?
Kara Powell

Section Three

What’s one data trend about teens and technology that parents need to know?
Dr. Jean Twenge

When should I allow social media?
Chris McKenna

What should parents know about social media?
Dr. Jean Twenge

How to navigate technology with a child with special needs?
Chris McKenna

Additional Technology Questions

The Four Norms to Roll Back the Phone-Based Childhood
Recommendations from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Closing Thoughts for Parents

What would you say to a parent who feels behind or overwhelmed trying to raise kids in a digital world?

Thanks for joining us for this year’s Parent Summit Online.

We hope you found this content to be both helpful and hopeful.
We love partnering with you by providing helpful content like Parent Summit, in addition to our Sunday experiences for kids and students.

If there’s any way we can serve you or your family, please let us know!