Keeping Kids Safe and Moms Sane with Cyber Pro Katie Greer
In this episode of Mom to MORE®, host Sharon Macey chats with Katie Greer, a trailblazing internet safety expert, keynote speaker, and mom of two. From her beginnings in law enforcement to becoming a sought-after authority on digital safety, Katie shares her journey of building a meaningful career while balancing motherhood and self-care.
Katie began her career at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, creating programs to help families and schools navigate online safety. Featured in major outlets like USA Today and Time, she’s now pursuing a PhD in Criminology, focusing on teens and technology.
Katie shares practical tips for creating a safer digital environment at home, insights on setting boundaries with devices, and the power of self-care in becoming a better parent.
Tune in for relatable advice on managing the mental load, finding your identity beyond motherhood, and fostering healthy relationships with technology—for you and your kids.
[00:00] Introduction
[01:32] Katie’s journey as a mom and raising kids near Boston
[03:02] Balancing career aspirations with motherhood
[07:45] Finding identity beyond being a mom
[12:20] From law enforcement to becoming an internet safety expert
[15:27] Essential digital safety tips for families
[18:26] Kids embracing device-free schools and activities
[22:51] Creating tech-free zones and quality family time
[25:16] The importance of accepting help and normalizing support
[27:35] Katie’s advice for moms starting a reinvention journey
[35:02] Katie’s MORE: Prioritizing self-care to thrive as a mom
Meet My Guest Katie Greer:
Website: https://www.klgreer.com/
Want Katie to speak at your school, community organization, or parent group?
She’s passionate about educating families about the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity and keeping kids safe online. To inquire, visit Katie’s website.
Instagram: @katielgreer
Looking for More? Follow @momtomore on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
@Sharon Macey on LinkedIn.
Keep an eye out for episode #32 of the Mom to MORE™ podcast where Sharon is joined by Kathleen Smith, Founder of Morphmom. Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥
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Sharon Macey (00:35)
Welcome to the podcast where motherhood meets reinvention. I'm your host, Sharon Macy, and this is Mom to More. I'll be speaking with remarkable moms who have embraced the art of transformation, crafting their more by leveraging the skills they hone as stay at home moms. They'll share their experiences, struggles, and successes as they return to a former career, pursued a passion or hobby, or charted an entirely new path, giving you the clarity, motivation, and inspiration
help you answer the question, what do you want to do when your kids grow up?
Sharon (01:12)
Welcome back to Mom2More. Okay, today's guest is a first for me and you will soon understand why. With a background working in law enforcement, Katie Greer empowers people to use the internet in a healthy and safe way. And I love this. Katie's journey as an internet safety keynote speaker started at the Massachusetts Attorney General's office as director of internet safety. She worked with the Massachusetts State Police
an intelligence analyst. developed a bespoke educational program that helped put people at ease while keeping communities safe. For the past decade, Katie has been equipping her audiences, both young and old, with useful information that brings awareness to our relationship with technology. Boy, I need this. She's been featured in USA Today, Time Magazine, Parents Magazine, CNN, and Inside Edition, to name a few.
She is now pursuing her PhD in criminology with a focus on teens and the internet. And of course, Katie was also a stay at home mom. Hello, Katie, welcome.
Katie Greer (02:16)
Yeah, I'm so happy to be here. Thanks for having me.
Sharon (02:19)
I'm so excited to dig into your journey because I have never talked to anyone who does what you do. And I find this so intriguing. And I know for me, the internet is a, it can be a really scary place and it's like a necessary evil, right? Like we have to have it, we have to be on it, but at the same time it can be a super scary, dangerous place. So we're, we are going to talk all about that stuff. But before we get
I start all my interviews with what I call my essential mom question. And that is how many kids do you have and where'd you raise them?
Katie Greer (02:49)
Yes, I have two kids. have a 13 year old girl who's an eighth grader and I have a 12 year old boy who's a sixth grader, which is really interesting in the space that I'm in particularly because.
deep in all this stuff. But yeah, we started off in Vermont for six years and then moved to Massachusetts so we could be closer to my family. yeah, I'm raising them in a little north of Boston and, you know, trying to keep my head above water as I navigate parenthood and working and PhD stuff, you know, how we all roll as moms.
Sharon (03:05)
Right. Right.
So let's just say you're just a little busy. Okay. Just a little busy, little busy.
Katie Greer (03:32)
I have nothing to do.
Sharon (03:37)
So
talk to me about what your mom journey looked like and why was it important for you to be home with the kids?
Katie Greer (03:44)
Yeah, so I didn't grow up with my mom really in the picture. I was raised by a single dad, myself and my two younger brothers. And I always knew from a very, very young age, maybe because of that, that I wanted to be like the greatest mom on the face of the planet. That was my journey. That was my goal in life. couldn't tell you like, couldn't tell you anything about profession or that was my goal to have kids so that I could do a really good job being a mom to them.
I got married fairly young ish and had my kids at 28 and 29 really back to back close and
Sharon (04:18)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Greer (04:20)
had got into a job prior to having kids that I really liked and kind of lit a flame under me outside of wanting to be a mom. It was totally accidental like I did not mean to step into this career that I am I'm into but it worked out and I kind of
Sharon (04:34)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Greer (04:36)
pushed the needle further along and didn't know when I had children, if it was going to be possible to do both. But I actually ended up starting my company right around the time that I had my first child,
yeah. And not really my personality either. Like I'm very type A, like have a plan for things and.
Sharon (04:49)
Add crazy on top of crazy. Okay, yeah.
Katie Greer (04:57)
have a salary and like, you know, got very comfortable in that.
my husband at the time got shifted up to Vermont for work. And I
thought it was a good jumping off point to, okay, I have, I'm to have a family, but also could I start this business that started to get some traction? So that's kind of how I landed here.
Sharon (05:13)
Okay, and also here you are as a new mom, right? And like everyone, we are wholly unprepared for what just happened. And you,
didn't really have family around you,
And what was that like?
Katie Greer (05:26)
I cried so much because I'm very, close with my family and the fact that they were like a solid four hours away and I realize that's not a lot for a lot of people, right? People are across country and across the Atlantic and all this other stuff. So I realized I was luckier than some other people. But that for me was probably the single hardest thing is that being far away from my family while
trying to raise my kids. My husband at the time was working a ton, so he wasn't really around. And just trying to navigate all the things about motherhood they don't tell you about, the postpartum stuff and the nursing issues and
They don't send you home with a manual on how to keep these things alive. So my goal was to be the greatest mom in the face of the planet, but trying to keep these humans alive on my own
Sharon (06:02)
Yeah.
It's a massive undertaking. And I don't believe that we were actually ever sort of
put together to do it by ourselves, right? Because it's a community. And also, when we first talked, you mentioned something about the
talk for other moms.
Katie Greer (06:26)
I feel like no one
equips you for all of these things that come along with motherhood, right? And whether it's the, like diapers that you put, they put you in at the hospital,
the sleepless nights or the deprivation or the hormones. Everyone's like, baby sweet, you take a picture. No one talks about all the other stuff.
Sharon (06:43)
it's just it hits you with so much and you think you're prepared, but boy, you're so not prepared. That's for sure.
Katie Greer (06:48)
No, not at all, not
Sharon (06:49)
And, you mentioned something really interesting when we first spoke and you said your friends all ask, what is our identity outside of being a mom? And that is centered around like self-love, self-care.
Katie Greer (06:58)
Yeah.
I have to be honest with you Sharon. I don't think I really acknowledge this or talked about self-love or self-care for yourself as a mom until maybe a few years ago and my kids are 13 and 12 years old. I have
a small group but amazing group of friends that are in similar parenting
situations as I am and only recently did I actually give myself the permission to take care of myself, right? Like I feel like I spent so much of my mom life and work life to feeling guilty and feeling everyone else needs to be put ahead of me. And I still do. my friends still have to remind me of it constantly, but like only in the past few years have I actually gone on a trip.
away without my kids with a couple of moms for a couple of nights, right? It's not like I'm going away for two weeks or whatever. And feeling like I deserve that. And I need that to be a better mom. And you could have told me this when my kids were four years old or two years old. And I maybe heard it, but like I didn't feel that
if I could say one thing,
to moms, would be, that has changed my life. That has changed me as a mom. That has changed me as a person. I don't do it often. I probably don't do it often enough, but I cannot emphasize how I change as a human and as a mom, more importantly, when I can even take, even this morning, I went to boot camp with one of my close friends, right? It was 35 minutes long. And even after I dropped my kids off,
But even that time for me when I'm not like running to the grocery store, going Christmas shopping or working or changing beds or whatever, like is a life changer. And I wish I had realized that sooner.
Sharon (08:44)
So smart and true. Like we put ourselves aside for the sake of everyone else. But the reality is, is if we don't take care of ourselves, no one else can really be taken care of in the way that we would like to take care of them.
Katie Greer (08:57)
Yeah. And you know, the thing is to Sharon, I find hard with that is everyone says that I've known that since I before I had to actually do it is courage is growth is learning is being able to let go of that guilt of it's okay, if I go out and have fun with my friends, I have to be honest with you something else that I have started to do really recently is tell my kids how important that is right because
Sharon (09:03)
Right, but to do it. Yeah.
Katie Greer (09:24)
whoever they choose to have as a partner, I want them to be able to be supportive or feel supported themselves. Because, you know, I would say things like, mom's mom's gonna go have dinner with the girls tonight. And like, that's really important for me, because you know, I get stressed out sometimes. I love spending my time with you. But going out with my friends, like, just let's my brain do different things that is really important to my body in my mind, and let's me be a better mom for you and a better daughter and a better aunt and a better all of these things
Sharon (09:52)
love that you're telling them. mean, that is so important, but for them not to think that, you're just leaving because you can't handle it or you don't like them, but it's more like, no, no, no, this is for mom. This is for my sanity.
this makes me more present when I'm with you.
Katie Greer (10:06)
gosh, no one ever said that to me growing up, right?
I just wish I had done that sooner,
Sharon (10:09)
That is such a strong message. Thank you for that.
All right, Katie, you have such a cool career and I want to talk about the progression. Why this field of internet security? How did you get into it? How did you get into it and how did you sort of start to develop it, you know, during your mom years?
Katie Greer (10:27)
So I wish I had a really great inspiring story. I don't. I totally stumbled into this career. I graduated college early and my dad told me I needed to get a job. I thought he was going to send me across the world to go explore because I saved him a whole bunch of money and he was like, you need to work. So I applied for a job that sounded cool and that was in Beacon Hill in Boston. And it happened to be at the attorney general's office in Boston.
Sharon (10:31)
Hahaha
Katie Greer (10:52)
and they had a computer crimes unit there and I was 21 years old and I was like, hey, I'm on a computer. What do you all do here? And then why don't you come with us and maybe we could learn some things from you. You could learn some things from us. And it ended up being this right place, right time moment where, you know, I was in and my friends and my family were in these spaces where these people were investigating these crimes that happened, but they didn't really know the whys behind it.
So I was able to tell them like how we were using this stuff. They were able to tell me all these really bad things that kind of went along with it. And I, know, after doing this for a little bit and learning from them, I thought it was really important that we had some proactive conversations. Like, why are we just dealing with these crimes after the fact? Why can't we tell kids and equip parents with the tools that they need to take safety in their own hands, right? Yes, yes.
Sharon (11:44)
And you're telling this to the police. Yeah, okay.
Katie Greer (11:47)
And, and so they were like,
that's really important. We just don't have,
a resource. We don't have the time. I'm like, let me do that. got this. So I started a really small program at the attorney general's office. It gained a lot of attention. No one 20 years ago is really having these conversations. So that's kind of how this all started. And then I went on to work for the Massachusetts state police. I got my master's degree.
at the same time building out all these programs to hit different audiences, whether it was kindergarten students or high school students or their parents or administrators. And then when I got pregnant and we ended up moving to Vermont, I was like, I can't keep this job in the state. maybe I've gotten a lot of inquiries from outside of Massachusetts. Maybe I could do this on my own. And I got their blessing and I did. And it just started to.
trickle in and become something that I was like, maybe I could actually sink my teeth into this. And I did, and it snowballed. And here we are hundreds of thousands of people later and law enforcement training and corporate trainings. And I'm in schools every single day. And like, I totally think I have the coolest job on the face of the planet.
Sharon (12:54)
You do,
it sounds like it. So give my listeners sort of a high level, like what are some of the things you talk about, some sort of key safety tips. And
yes, parents have to know about this too, as well as the kids, because our kids are growing up in this online world.
Katie Greer (13:11)
Yeah, and I think that's a really important component of it that people don't think of often, right? Like we didn't grow up with this stuff, immersed in this stuff like our kids are, or like this generation is. And I think in order, if we as parents or as educators or as community members want to help our kids use this stuff effectively, like we gotta know a little bit about how this stuff functions. I'm not asking you to create a TikTok account and be active on it every single day, but I need you to know.
How does TikTok function? Could it be safe for my kids? Are there things that I can use to make it safer for them? Are there conversations that we need to be having around it? And honestly, Sharon, at the end of the day, that is my biggest message. think that is we need to be involved in this stuff. can't hope that parental controls will save our kids or help them make good choices. And we also need to realize that until 25 years old, kids' frontal lobes aren't fully developed. So if we're giving them this super
Powerful tool that is live with billions of other people We can't just expect they're going to make good choices and do all the right things all the time their brains aren't wired that way So
we need to be involved to help our kids have productive and safe experiences with the stuff because they going away like you said so if we can
come to peace, make peace with that and also acknowledge that we didn't grow up with this stuff. We don't know what we don't know. So can we ask questions? I'll tell you, one of my resources is kids. That's where I get a ton of my material is listening to what kids have to say about where they're at with this stuff. And it's been remarkable listening to what they have to say. I'll tell you a real quick story. of schools are going device-free right now.
Sharon (14:37)
Yes.
Katie Greer (14:54)
And you would think as an adult, like, this must really tick a lot of kids off, right? I don't want to be without my device. We know it's getting it out of their hands is so hard. And I had a focus group the other day with a group of leaders at a school who just went device free this year. And I was like, guys, how's it going? I know, like kind of annoying. I know. And they're like, no, we love it. We love it. We wish they had done it sooner. And I was like, what? I thought you would hate it. And they said, yeah, they said.
Sharon (15:19)
And why?
Katie Greer (15:21)
Like they have more interaction with their friends and they pay attention more and they realize even when they're out of school, they now put this stuff down more. And I'm like, gosh, I, would assume as an adult, a kid would be hate would hate to be told to put this stuff down. But the fact that these kids are telling me they love it and they wish they had done it sooner is like remarkable information that I wouldn't have known if I didn't ask.
Sharon (15:43)
I think that's amazing. And also letting kids be kids.
Katie Greer (15:47)
Yes.
Sharon (15:47)
you and I didn't grow up with devices and we went outside and we interacted with other people and we had that social, we had the ability to interact socially, which sometimes kids don't now because they're always, you know, looking down at their phones.
Katie Greer (16:01)
So I have to tell you, my eighth grader girl and my sixth grade boy do not have their own devices. They don't have their own phones. They don't have their own tablets. And I do not preach, like, I don't think this is the gold standard for everyone. I am in the very, very, very small minority of people
whose kids at this age don't have access to their own devices. But I have to tell you one of the things that I noticed a lot that's different and that happens to work for our family may not work for everyone.
My kids play outside a lot. My daughter reads a ton. She crafts a lot. My son is playing basketball constantly. He's dribbling the soccer ball around. And I feel like in my household, again, this isn't the gold standard. Everyone's houses are different. But in my household, if my kids had access to devices, they would not be doing those things. So I think that that, think really,
Sharon (16:47)
True. True.
Katie Greer (16:50)
taking some...
inventory of your family and the individuals within your family and your needs, I think is a really important part of making sure when we do give them access to these devices, we're doing it in really thoughtful and smart and productive ways.
Sharon (17:04)
And do you have any advice for us moms in terms of, you we know that we shouldn't be on them a lot. think those of us who are starting businesses with things like Instagram, right? It's a necessary evil. Any advice for moms in terms of put that darn thing away.
Katie Greer (17:18)
Yeah.
One of the things I ask kids of all ages is raise your hand if you think that since the pandemic people in your household have been on their devices way more than they were before and I'm hard-pressed to find a kid that doesn't raise their hand, right? So my follow-up to that is well, I challenge you to challenge your family to find times
maybe even 10 minutes twice a week, where your whole entire family powers down and puts the stuff away and all the kids immediately Sharon are like, Nope, nope, nope, nope. I'm like, what do mean? Nope. And they're like, they're they say that their parents won't put their phones down.
Sharon (17:54)
Why not? love that idea.
Gosh.
Katie Greer (17:59)
And I think it's kind of true statistically, actually, we adults are on these devices more than kids are on these devices. So I think it definitely starts with us being better role models, myself included to when we're on our devices, how we're on our devices. And while I understand that we may have more of a need to be on these than our kids might, I think one really strong, productive, tangible tool is as a family.
putting this stuff away together, agreeing on two times. I don't care if it's 10 minutes for five minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from four o'clock to four o'five, that you can actually actively turn this stuff off and put it away or a place in your household. I have a kitchen island behind me. And while my kids don't have access to their own devices, the TV in my household was on for three full years during the pandemic. Like my kids watch TV, they do not have any more to watch.
And it kind of spilled into our everyday like eating and it would just the TV would just stay on.
and I would be on my computer or my phone at the Island while the kids were watching TV trying to be productive or not sometimes. And so I made our kitchen Island a tech free electronics free zone. So when anyone's at the kitchen Island, the TV can't be on. I can't be on my phone. I can't have my computer there. This little tiny silly thing.
change the whole dynamic of our family. Like we now eat and have conversations together. We play card games together. I have subscriptions to magazines that my kids actually read now.
Sharon (19:33)
my gosh,
reading something that's not online. Okay, yeah.
Katie Greer (19:36)
So finding times or places in your household where you can reserve like a tech-free zone or tech-free time, I think really brings a lot of awareness back and a lot of socialization back to this family time that is limited anyway.
Sharon (19:51)
super wise advice. I love that.
Let's talk about mom skills, because obviously when you become a mom, we fine tune so many skills that we often just sort of like blow off, but they're all marketable and they're important and they go to sort of who we are and what we are able to bring forth to the world. So talk about your mom skills that you took with you into this field of work that you're doing now.
Katie Greer (21:06)
Okay.
Yeah, my gosh. Planning time management, like we are wizards at time management. It's how we roll as moms. If we don't, you know, we manage our time, we manage everyone else's time. I can get stuff done like you wouldn't believe if I have a schedule and if I have things laid out and it's busy and it's crazy and it's chaotic. But I think that for me has been a non-negotiable, right? I just couldn't function. I couldn't function with my kids' and pickups and life.
if I couldn't schedule like running a business and phone calls and also running their lives. So that for me has been huge. I'll tell you something else I learned way too late in the game or accepted, I should say accepted way too late in the game. Cause I heard about this when I was pregnant is accepting help from other people. my God. And I guess Sharon, this goes back to my mom guilt and always being like, you know, I was, I'm a very independent person. I like take pride in that and
Sharon (22:12)
Yes.
Katie Greer (22:21)
you know, my dad raised me to figure out how to change my tires on my own and I do my taxes and I, I, I can figure this out on my own, but, I did for so long and I tortured myself doing it. and I still have to practice at it, but being able to rely on other people, look, I just can't function if I don't. And, and the, and let go of the guilt around that as well. Right.
So I think that that is such a huge mom thing that spills into my work that we have to delegate and we have to let people help people love us. It feels good when we help people, but it also feels good for people to help us. So I think that has been a key to success in my personal life also and in my professional life,
Sharon (23:07)
I always believed that we were never designed to do this all on our own. And I don't have family nearby, so we had to use, like, know, we had au pairs that would help me do the stuff that I didn't want to do so I could spend the time with my kids. Or if I needed that little mental break for like a half hour or so, I could get out of the house. Yeah.
Katie Greer (23:20)
Yes.
Yes, yeah,
I think that is, I think that is instrumental and I wish that, I wish that we would kind of normalize that more
there's like a shame associated with around the fact that I needed to have someone else help me watch the kids or pick up the kids and like, gosh, I can't function if I don't. And so we need to kind of normalize that and make that okay.
Sharon (23:46)
100%, I agree with you. And that is, it just goes to the health and wellbeing of moms to us. And that is so, so, so valuable and important. So
Katie Greer (23:51)
Yeah,
Sharon (23:55)
was there something in your career journey that totally took you by surprise?
Katie Greer (24:01)
yeah, I think that I could do it. I know that sounds very, like broad, but being a type A person who like needs to know and needs to have this planned and needs to know if the business is going to work. That's not how business works being a business owner, right? Like some days it could be great some days it can be terrible. And as someone who's not kind of like a fly by the seat of my pants type of person that has been really
challenging to accept, but also if you let it flow, can support my family and can take me to amazing places and meeting amazing people like yourself and being able to go for it, I think is again, against who I am, but has really worked out for me and has provided me with a career that like I pinch myself that I get to do things like this for work.
Sharon (24:56)
you just said something cool about going for it. And that would really go into advice you might have for other moms who are starting on this reinvention journey. And maybe they're like in their 50s or their 60s, but they're like, I know there's more inside of me. know there's some things that really interest me.
Katie Greer (25:11)
I have a lot of friends that are in this journey as well actively as we speak and maybe they have a job or don't have a job. Maybe they have a job that's not really fulfilling or literally think about my best friend as we speak or they're doing something or they're not really doing something but they don't know what they want but they're amazing capable, smart, brilliant people that do have an identity outside of being a mom. And I cannot emphasize enough.
how again, Sharon, I think this goes back to like prioritizing yourself a little bit, which is really hard for us moms to do sometimes. But gosh, you can show up better for your family. And all aspects of your life if for sometimes you can put yourself first, right. And I think that goes for business or reinventing yourself or starting a blog that you wanted to start or or going for that job interview, like we only go around this way once right.
And you do not know if you don't try. I know that sounds two cheesy things after another. Yeah.
Sharon (26:09)
no, I say that. I always say
you never know how good you could be at something until you try.
Katie Greer (26:13)
sure and look with gosh, the advent of social media now and technology, you can look like I could start a cooking show when I leave here if I wanted to be successful, but I could go in my kitchen with my computer and start a cooking show or DIY show or a fancy wrapping paper show or something, whatever, right.
the opportunities for us now are just endless. Especially when sometimes you even have to leave your own home. So I think that, you know,
we are living longer than ever before. And it's really important to for your kids to see this too, right? Like, it's important. My kids give me crap sometimes when I leave, they're like, we don't want you to leave again, because you have to go to work. And I'm like, guys, I think it is really important that you see that mom does this stuff that I have to go do this stuff. And sometimes in life, we do things we don't want to do. But like, this is how we live our life. And this is
what makes me feel good inside and I hope that you can find a job one day that makes you feel good. And, and I think role modeling that, know, again, as moms, we think like, my gosh, I'm taking time away from my kids because I want to go pursue something. But like, I actually argue you're giving more to your kids by going and pursuing something that's of interest to you or that you always wanted to try out because it makes you a better person. And I can't imagine wondering the what if, what if I didn't write, what if I didn't try that out? And
Sharon (27:30)
think that could be haunting later in life. like, what if?
I wish I had done fill in the blank. All right. So
Katie Greer (27:35)
Yes.
Sharon (27:36)
Let's talk about the struggles. How did you manage growing speaking opportunities and the kids? But it sounds like, mean, obviously they're already in school. So you had,
more bandwidth, more time.
Katie Greer (27:47)
Yeah, the struggles I still continue to have, right? And again,
I think this comes with being a mom sometimes in general that it's so funny. I was having this conversation with my friends this morning at bootcamp. They're like, well, the kids are at school and I need to get so much done. But gosh, there is no faster block of time between eight and three on a Monday through Friday when you're like, Ooh, I'm a stay at home mom. can get so much stuff done. Nonsense. that.
Sharon (28:13)
Nothing. I know. know.
Katie Greer (28:16)
And and like those minutes and hours are full fleeting that I don't care if you work or don't work. It's like, you know, you're constantly in the mental load, you're constantly planning, you're constantly thinking. So sometimes my mental load, even if my kids aren't here, I'm thinking about like, I have six practices to drive to tonight, how am going to feed them dinner, the laundry is wet upstairs. and I have four business meetings. Just that mental capacity. Like, I can't focus on my business meetings because my brain's in a
clothes that need to be ready in an hour for my child to go to practice. So I think it's a constant balance. I cannot stress enough the two things that we already talked about, which is taking time away from all of this for yourself. I don't care if it's a meditation or a workout class or a walk around the block. It does not need to be a week long vacation to Greece, although sign me up. I wish, but that is really important. And then to like,
Sharon (29:10)
Sounds good.
Katie Greer (29:15)
leaning on other people. You can't do this all by yourself. You just can't you can't do it all by yourself. So whether it's a nanny or no pair or a neighbor that I have to call because I have to run out because something just went down. Like I hope that everyone finds their people and and that might be family it might you might not have any family it might be a friend that you call I can't tell you how many emergency phone calls I've had to friends just for like a mental health check or break or
And that to me, especially in the past few years, as I've learned to accept that that's okay to take and acknowledge is like something I wish I could get like tattooed across my chest for all moms to be or all. You have to, and we don't have to make it look bad. And it doesn't have to be the mom guilt is so real. I still feel it. I'm working on it, but to be able to feel yourself outside of being a mom or outside of being a stay at home mom.
Sharon (29:56)
Take time for yourself, yeah.
Katie Greer (30:14)
outside of being a professional or whatever is changed my life for sure.
Sharon (30:20)
Yeah,
it's connecting with your humanity. That is really so wise, Katie. Thank you for that. my gosh, this has been such an interesting conversation. Is there any sort of like last thing you would like to say?
Katie Greer (30:22)
Yeah, for sure.
Sharon (30:32)
any other online tech internet security things to moms. Obviously, we know we need to be on top of our kids. We need to know what they're doing.
and there is a trend to give kids devices later. Yeah.
Katie Greer (30:46)
There's a huge trend and I support
it. Again, every family has different needs. I worked with a family recently who has a kindergartener with an iPhone and most people would be like, what? The child has type one diabetes. So guess what? He can have six iPhones as far as I'm concerned, right? So different families, different situations. So we have to be gentle. There are sensory issues. There are neurodivergent issues. So we have to be like nonjudgmental in that and do what works best for your family. But I think in a lot of instances,
I have to say that one of the best things that I did as a parent, I think, I'll let you know in a few years, but I think is holding off on these devices. I said it to my daughter the other day after she made a PowerPoint for me saying why she should get one for Christmas. She was reading a book that she loved and like couldn't talk to me because she was so engulfed in this book. said, if you had a phone right now, you would not be reading this book. And she was like, I know mom, I know you're right.
like I know like parenting win. But yeah I think trying to hold off a little bit because their brains, their underdeveloped brains aren't ready for all the power that comes along with these things yet. So I think in a lot of situations if we can hold off it is a benefit to them.
Sharon (31:47)
Hahaha
So, so interesting. This has been, God, what a fascinating conversation. you know, thank you. Thank you for all that. Unfortunately, our time is almost up and I have a question that I ask all of my amazing moms and that is, since this is the Mom2More podcast, Katie Greer, what is your more?
Katie Greer (32:09)
Great.
My more is taking time for myself. Really owning that, really appreciating that.
and understanding that that.
still makes me a good mom and a sister and a business owner and all these other things that doesn't make me selfish.
and that I wish I could sprinkle to every mom out there is it doesn't have to be big. can be buying yourself flowers while you're at the grocery store shopping for everyone else in your household, but like doing something for you every single day and making yourself a priority.
Sharon (32:57)
I'll say amen to that one, that's for sure.
Please tell our listeners where they can find you online, where they can learn more about you.
And I will also include if they are involved with their kids' schools, whether it's middle school, high school, and they would like for you to come and speak to their parent association or their school district
Katie Greer (33:09)
Yes.
Sharon (33:14)
or something,
Katie Greer (33:15)
yeah, so I do that all over the country, all over the world, K through 12, college, I do professional development stuff. We do a lot of parent education. I do a lot with ERGs and BRGs and corporations. So I would love, please, please, please be in touch. My website is www.klgreer.com. And on there is information on how to be in touch with me, inquiries, the programs I offer.
Also a link to my social media where is where I put like the juicy stuff I like to say so any article that I think is interesting I'll put up there. I often do like a debrief when I go into schools and say hey, here's one really cool thing I learned at the school today Here's a new app that's out here that parents should know about so that is my way to kind of get in touch And keep you educated beyond, you
into your school or your company. So please feel free to follow on social media. But yeah, I know I would love any and all opportunities to be in schools and communities. So please feel free to contact me through my website.
Sharon (34:15)
Terrific, thank you for that. Katie Greer, you're a kick. what an informative and important conversation we had from internet security to self-care to taking time out for us because we are precious individuals and we deserve that time. We deserve that sort of mental break. And so thank you for really driving that home. Thank you.
Katie Greer (34:36)
You
thank you so much for having me. I'm so glad we were able to have this conversation, not just around digital safety and health, but also around how we can take care of ourselves as moms. Because if we don't take care of ourselves as moms, forget everything else. Forget business, forget other people, forget. And I think that is such a crucial conversation that we need to have more.