Nanny to Mommy

These days, parents have a new dreaded question coming from kids. It’s only a matter of time before you hear it:

"When can I get a cell phone?"

It's not surprising that kids start asking about phones (and being handed them) at earlier and earlier ages. For most kids, screens from household TVs to tablets to family smartphones are present from day one. And recent studies have shown that kids are getting phones at earlier than ever:

According to Common Sense Media, “Tech use is aging down as young people get devices earlier. A majority (53%) of kids have their own smartphone by the time they are 11, and 69% have one at age 12.”

One major concern that many moms and dads have is the amount of time their kids spend looking at screens. Screentime and how much of it kids should have is a hotly debated subject, and many parents, and even parenting experts, disagree about how much screentime is too much. As every parent knows, reducing how much time your kids spend using their gadgets is not easy. Sometimes letting the kids play video games for a while is easier than constantly saying no and encouraging them to do something else. If you are struggling to keep your kid's screentime low and find that this is causing disruption in the family, it is time to take action.

Research shows that kids aged from eight to 18 years spend an average of 7.5 hours looking at screens each day. This figure includes 4.5 hours each day spent watching television. If you are concerned that your child is spending similar amounts of time looking at screens every day, you may be looking for ways to reduce this significantly. Here are some tips to help you tackle the issue of too much screentime:

Did you know? COVID-19 has caused a 500% increase in screen time for kids. Nearly half of American children spend more than six hours a day in front of a screen. One of the drawbacks? More time to search for (or stumble upon) harmful content.

The world is a scary place, which may be the understatement of this lifetime. However, as a parent, you need to recognize the truth and reality in that statement. It's easy to get caught up in our grown-up lives and forget that the world looks quite different from the perspective of our children. 

If it isn't already, the internet is going to play a major role in your child's education and development. Nearly every school in the U.S is using the internet as part of their education. The internet is a fun place and a seemingly bottomless resource for learning and self-development.

That said, your child needs some online safety tips because as much as the internet is full of potential for good it has the potential to harm your child. For example, according to some research, 25 percent of children have encountered unwanted pornography and more than half of teens have received messages from a stranger. 

Your child needs protection when they use the internet and it is your job to do that. If your not that tech-savvy, you may be wondering how. Read on for 8 excellent online safety tips. 

Post millennial, Gen Z or iGen are some categories associated with kids aged between 6 and 23. Raising them as a parent is quite challenging as compared to millennials. If we analyze millennials, they have seen everything from doing manual jobs to automated ones. However, post-millennials are those who opened their eyes in the digital age.

The struggles of raising a millennial child versus Gen Z has taken a 360-degree turn. In fact, the child’s development and education in today’s digital age are quite challenging for parents. They have to look so many things that were not present at the time of millennial. For instance, Smartphone and tablets are prime examples.

A study found that the average age for a child to get the first Smartphone in the United States is 10.3 years old.

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Playing Forward. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

School has changed quite a bit since I went and I think for the better! They are embracing technology and encouraging our children to learn about their world in a way that will help them with their future endeavors. My children's favorite things to do are to play outside and explore or play on the iPads. Since I know they like their tablets, I try my best to search for quality and educational apps that will peak their interests.


Playing Forward is a transformational technology studio that creates digital experiences that ignite children’s imaginations. According to studies, social emotional development is key to success in school and in life. Playing Forward's name comes from the fact that the company is "playing it forward" to give every child the very best shot at a happy childhood and a successful adulthood. Playing Forward apps are specifically designed to support kids' social-emotional development through entertaining storytelling, movie-quality visual effects, and the use of Augmented Reality.

Welcome to the Levana Ovia Baby Video Monitor Giveaway!

Hosted By: Nanny to Mommy

I recently had the opportunity to review the Levana Ovia™ PTZ Baby Video Monitor in Giftbox. And now I am so excited to share the opportunity to give one away to one very lucky reader. Check out all the details, then enter the giveaway below!
 

Ovia™ (O-via)

Meaning: Egg

Seize the day and do more while keeping a close eye on baby with Levana Ovia PTZ Baby Monitor. Intuitive touch panel controls and silent pan/tilt/zoom camera mean that a full view of every nook & cranny of your baby’s nursery is just a touch away. Save photos and video to the included micro SD card and upload them to your computer, or view them directly on Ovia’s large 4.3” LCD screen. With Talk to Baby™ two-way communication, 8-hour battery life and invisible night vision LEDs, both you and baby will find a lot to love while getting more done with Ovia.

I am a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador and receive complimentary products as such. All opinions are my own.

We LOVE our LeapFrog LeapTV! LeapTV is an educational gaming system that combines body-motion, traditional gaming, and educational content for a good-for-them gaming experience that gets kids up and active while they learn core skills across reading, mathematics, science, and problem solving. My daughter has learned SO MUCH since we first received it to review.

The LeapTV makes an awesome holiday gift for kids, especially at the new low price point of only $59.99! PLUS there are TONS of new games this year that you will want to check out:

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

If you read my blog regularly, then you know that I have two young kiddos. And I think that anyone who has little children needs to protect their phone with a good case and screen protector.


My phone is my livelihood, so I can't have it be broken. I recently put a glass screen protector on my phone and I think they are the greatest thing ever invented. I received the opportunity to review one from intelliARMOR and I knew I wanted my sister-in-law to test it out because she has the WORST luck with cracking her screen.

I am a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador. I receive complimentary products as such. All opinions are my own. #LeapFrogMomSquad

As a LeapFrog Mom, we get to try out so many exciting products, including the new Andriod™ based tablet...the LeapFrog Epic™! The full-featured LeapFrog Epic™ tablet captivates kids with a world they create in the first-of-its-kind playable home screen. Children can bring a town to life, using various art styles that reflect their age and mod. They can watch their world turn from day to night, change the weather, add animated characters and discover a new surprise every day.

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Amazon Studios. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and promotional item to thank me for participating.

I personally believe television can be used as a great educational tool. I believe it isn't used properly that is why there is a negative stigma about it. Your child's television time should be limited and monitored. Let them watch educational shows were they learn something, whether it be the alphabet or sharing. You should talk to your children afterwards about what they've just seen and make sure they are taking what they should away from it. I understand this isn't always practical, but if you can't be there with your child, like if you are making dinner or breastfeeding a baby, you can put on something you know has a goal of developing creative thinking in children.