Dr. Toth's Info Page

Families can apply strategies that promote healthy behaviors and reduce cell phone use so their children can feel and perform at their best at both school and home. In addition to the open conversations described above, families can consider some of the items below as they work toward supporting their children’s wellness.

• Take a pledge with other parents to wait until at least 8th grade to give your child a smart cell phone.
• Promote unstructured and offline connections with family members and peers.
• Allow children to take reasonable risks, like exploring the outdoors or trying a new sport or instrument.
• Encourage physical activity, such as playing outside or taking a walk with a friend or family member.
• Find ways to play with younger children, including arts, crafts, experiments, and unstructured free play.
• ​Consider structured after-school activities, such as sports, music, drama, science, or art-related clubs.
• Keep mealtimes device-free to foster an environment that encourages family members to socially interact and engage in conversation.
• Help your child select educational media that encourages creativity and accelerates their learning.
• Keep cell phones out of your child’s bedroom. Use a standard alarm clock instead of a cell phone.
• Set expectations around cell phone and general screen use at night. Set a screen-free routine with your child, like reading, to help them settle in for the night. If children are doing homework that requires a screen late, help them find a routine that calms their brain and body down after they turn off the device.
• Become familiar with any apps or social media your child uses frequently. Research and understand the apps to determine if you will allow them and, if so, any limits you need to set.
• Help your child adjust notification settings and set time limits on their devices for application time limits, time of day, and overall use.
• Track (with your child) how much time your child uses the cell phone and set limits for use.
• Set parental controls on your child’s cell phone and talk to other caregivers about how they track what their child is doing to stay aware of trends.
• Establish consequences for problematic use. Talk to your child about when and how they can use their cell phone and the implications if they do not follow the expectations.
• Resist the urge to text your child during the school day. Follow your school policy for communication with your child during the school day.
• Model your own cell phone usage. Pay attention to how often you are using it and how it makes you feel. Control what you view on your cell phone (positive experiences, blocked users or apps that are damaging). Work with other families or friends to create boundaries, and talk with others about what you are seeing.
• Set a good example of what responsible and healthy use looks like by limiting your own cell phone use, monitoring your own habits, and making clear attempts to avoid unnecessary cell phone use.

Report Concerns for Student Safety: 844-723-3764

The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system that accepts tips via call, text, webform, and mobile app 24 hours-a-day. Anyone can download the Safer Ohio School Tip Line app or use the webform.

This tip line allows students and adults to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety, whether that involves a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student.

Things to report to the tip line include (but are not limited to):

• Bullying incidents;
• Withdrawn student behaviors;
• Verbal or written threats observed toward students, faculty or schools;
• Hazing;
• Weapons or suspicious devices on or near school grounds;
• Gang-related activities;
• Unusual/suspicious behavior of students or staff;
• Self-harm or suicidal sentiments; and
• Any other school safety-related concerns.