Nanny to Mommy

It's not that I am totally against YouTube. I watch it myself and have a few accounts that I subscribe to and actively follow, but between pedophile comments on kid content and suicide tips for kids hidden in videos on YouTube, I decided that enough was enough and I removed YouTube Kids from both of my kids' iPads. My daughter cried. Seriously. But I explained to her that some recent stuff had come out about bad content that she or her brother might accidentally see. I told her that it could get fixed, but there are videos that I just don't want to have to worry if she would see or not right now. She seemed okay with that explanation and moved on to her educational apps that she enjoys as well.

And hopefully the algorithm will get fixed. And it wasn't just the bad press that YouTube has had recently that made up my decision. My children were becoming like little electronic zombies. Looking at a screen too long is bad for eye sight and my son already has vision problems. Thankfully my children still play outside, but the weather has been so poor this past week and they were on Winter Break from school. They ended up watching YouTube almost non-stop. My daughter who normally loves arts and crafts, wasn't asking at all to create anything. But yet she did ask to start her own YouTube channel and she is only 8!

I don't think everything found on YouTube is bad. My daughter loves JoJo Siwa, watching how to make slime, and learning more about the world of Mine Craft. But watching kids unbox a too many toys and even watching other children play kind of mean pranks on their friends is just not appropriate. We took my son to Monster Jam recently and he had such a short attention span that we believe is because he is just able to hop around to any ridiculous video he wants without having to finish and follow through.

I do think tablets and iPads can be great resources, if used properly. If you have iOS 8 or later, then you have Family Sharing and Screen Time Set Up. With this you get a weekly report with insights about your screen time and set time limits for apps you want to manage. If you don't have this, then there are other time options and apps available as well.

And here are some apps that we do endorse to download instead of YouTube Kids:

Starting with a free trial to try it out. is a multi-award winning reading program and app that helps children learn to read. The resource is interactive and uses colorful animation, fun characters, songs and rewards to keep children motivated. The program was created by experienced teachers, developers and writers, and has a 91% improvement rate for children between the ages of two and thirteen years old. It’s a fun and effective way to inspire children to not only learn to read but to get them excited about it.

ABCmouse.com is subscription-based, with no advertising, pop-up ads, or links to other sites. Children can learn and explore with their parents, or on their own (depending on age and ability), in a safe and secure online educational environment. Their goal is to help children build a strong foundation for future academic success by providing a comprehensive and engaging online curriculum to greatly assist early learners to succeed in pre-k, kindergarten, and early elementary school programs.

A teacher-created phenomenon! Millions of kids, parents, and teachers visit ABCya.com each month, playing over 1 billion games last year. For over ten years ABCya has been one of the most popular K-5 educational gaming websites in the world! The ABCya iOS app features six free games each week. For even more access to ABCya’s award-winning content, choose an optional in-app subscription and unlock over 250 games!

LeapFrog Academy™ is an interactive learning program for 3-6 year olds that they can play on the go. It goes beyond the core subjects that are important to a child’s development by guiding them through a variety of fun Learning Adventures. Learning Adventures cover curriculum for preschool through first grade and include activities such as math, reading and science along with problem solving, creativity and social-emotional skills. Designed by award-winning educational experts, LeapFrog Academy™ tracks your child’s learning progress, then provides extra practice in subjects they need help mastering and serves up more difficult activities designed to keep them challenged.

Come watch your child’s understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division grow with their very own pets! Pet Bingo is a playful game for Kindergarten through Fourth Grade, that is aligned with Common Core State Standards for Math. Kids will visually learn and practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division! Pet Bingo includes unique educational hints that teachers have developed to help kids understand different math concepts. Play the mixed math mode that adapts to each kid's level to make sure that they're understanding the concepts while still having fun. If you're learning multiplication, you can choose different times tables to practice. Pet Bingo includes a Report Card section where parents and teachers can monitor progress and find additional skill-building activities.