Blog
Updated Screen time Guidelines: What Parents Really Need to Know
One of the universal digital dilemmas facing modern parents today is how much screen time is healthy or harmful? This is a question nearly every parent I meet wrestles with, as we’re given such conflicting and inconsistent advice when it comes to screen time. New Australian Guidelines On 21st November 2017, the Australian Department of […]
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Safe screen ideas for kids before bed
In the Parent Seminars I deliver, I suggest that parents establish a ‘digital curfew’ so that technology doesn’t interfere with kids’ sleep. Ideally, 90 minutes before your child sleeps is recommended to be screen-free, but even 30 or 60-minutes screen-free before bed will make a difference to kids’ sleep. There are two prime reasons for […]
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Sharenting- what parents need to consider before sharing pictures of their kids
We’ve been inundated with expert opinions on young kids and adolescents using social media- when is it okay to introduce social media, how do we protect their privacy and how is it impacting on them emotionally and socially? But what many of us have failed to consider is how we as parents use social media […]
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Kids, sleep and screens- what parents need to know
Is your child’s screen-time sabotaging their sleep? Today’s kids are spending more and more time with screens and often before bed. Many of us know that this digital habit can impact both the quality and quantity of their sleep, but we often find this habit hard to change (and for some families it’s simply a matter […]
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Plugged-in parenting: are we addicted to our smartphones? (Part 2)
Why do our screens captivate us? In an earlier blog post I explained the impact of parents spending increasing amounts of time plugged into our devices. It seems that we’ve become so focused on our kids’ screen-time that we’ve completely overlooked our screen habits. After I deliver many parent seminars, parents confess that they thought […]
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Plugged-in parenting: are we addicted to our smartphones? (PART 1)
Part 1- Are we spending too much time with our devices? We closely monitor our kids’ screen-time. We fret about whether they’re spending too much time online. We worry about whether we’re introducing screens at too young an age. But have we stopped to think about our screen-time habits? Is our digital infatuation impacting our […]
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When is it okay to introduce social media to kids?
“You’re the worst Mum in the world. I’m the only person in my whole class who isn’t allowed an Instagram account. You suck! I hate you!” This is a common conversation that many parents are having with their kids. Actually, let me clarify, it’s not a conversation, it’s often a tirade of abuse from your […]
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Is it okay to use screen-time as reward?
I’m going to admit that I’m guilty of saying this from time to time, “If you get ready quickly this morning, I’ll let you watch TV.” Why do I do it? Simple, it works. And it’s quick. Rewards are often introduced to make family life easier. Kids reluctant to tidy their room? Then offer them […]
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Are screens really ‘digital heroin’?
In 2016 a New York Post blog post gained a lot of media attention. The blog post titled ‘It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies’ suggests that screens are a form of digital drug. Panicked calls crescendoed from concerned parents and educators who read the article and panicked. In case you’ve missed […]
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Digital Resolutions
Between late December to early January 2017, I had an unexpected, yet forced, ‘digital sabbatical’. And it was delightful and scary all at once. My family and I spent a week house-sitting a stunning house at stunning Whale Beach (on the gorgeous tip of the Northern Beaches of Sydney) and then went caravaning down the […]
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Updated screen-time guidelines: What parents really need to know
The number one question that I’m asked by parents, as I travel throughout the country is, “How much screen-time is okay for kids?” It’s the million dollar question that parents of ‘screenagers’ want to know. Just how much is ‘safe’? When does too much become too much? Many parents (as well as educators and health […]
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Pornography in their pockets – young kids’ access to pornography
WARNING- Content is this blog post may distress some readers. It addresses the issue of pornography. I used to be relieved that I didn’t have to discuss the topic of ‘pornography’ in the parent seminars that I deliver. It’s a topic that many of us feel uncomfortable discussing at all. Let alone having to talk to other […]
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