Parents of plugged-in kids should upgrade their screen-time smarts
Author Amber Mac offers tips to help adults monitor, educate youngsters, writes Erin Ellis.
Technology author and blogger Amber Mac says parents need to step up their game if they want to limit what their kids are doing on their smartphones and tablets.
“For parents of kids from preschoolers to teens the No. 1 issue they’re trying to manage is screen time,” says Mac, co-author of the book Outsmarting Your Kids Online.
“There are a lot of tools out there that parents don’t know about that make things easier.”
Those include apps like Kidslox — which can be set to block use of their devices at regular times — or routers that manage Internet access throughout the home.
“In some houses where the parents say, ‘Two hours only,’ the kids listen. In other houses, the kids don’t listen. So if a parent has a tool to physically turn off the Internet in the home, that’s
pretty empowering for them,” she says.
The next biggest issue is that children are using technologies like Instagram, Snapchat and muscial.ly far younger than the age of 13 noted in the terms of agreement for those apps. And they tend to over-share in social media, with potentially dangerous consequences.
“Whatever social media you’re talking about, kids are exposing a lot more than they think they’re exposing. A picture on Instagram may be taken when they’re wearing their school sweatshirt or standing in front of their house.
“Kids don’t think about the big picture, and that’s another area where parents can use some guidance in educating them,” she says.
Mac is presenting six half-hour talks at the Vancouver Baby and Family Fair at Vancouver Convention Centre East next weekend, where she’ll also be selling her book.
EMPOWERING GODDESSES EVERYWHERE
If the thought of calling yourself a Warrior Maven doesn’t send you running, a new “mindset and movement” for women before, during and after pregnancy may help you hear the whispers of your inner wisdom.
Vancouver’s Georgia Morley — former chef at Heirloom Vegetarian Restaurant in South Granville — launched a website, vegetarian cookbook, video and meditation program this fall under two brands: Built for this Baby and Yoga for your Belly.
It takes a thoroughly West Coast new age tone, advising women to listen to their own bodies telling them what they need to eat as new mothers. Hint: it won’t be three grilled cheese sandwiches in one sitting, but might be raw strawberry chia jam on crackers — bound to leave you celebrating your victory.
Morley lists her credentials as a certified doula, holistic nutritionist, registered yoga instructor along with stints as a private chef for Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks and Lululemon founder Chip Wilson. That hints that joining the Warrior Maven crowd isn’t cheap: $285 to download a 1.5 hour video, recipe ebook, workbook and tips. But there’s a more affordable Built For This Baby App at $3.99. It includes Morley’s plant-based recipes and — just in case your body isn’t saying kamut and kale loudly enough — grocery lists needed to make them.
For more information go to builtforthisbaby.com