Resources for families and educators staying home during COVID-19

We’ve put together some of our best resources to help you and your family manage during these uncertain times.

Withholding screens as punishment

What parents need to know about tech and sleep

While tech has become integrated in the lives of parents and teens, there are positives and negatives that come with it. One problem? When our handheld devices affect our sleep – and this is a particular issue for teens.

So, you want to become a parenting influencer

If you are a parent and you’ve been thinking of starting a blog, writing for parenting magazines, or becoming a social media influencer in the parent sphere, keep reading.

Filters, social media, our kids and ourselves

A few years ago, I mostly stopped using filters on my Instagram photos and stories. I had been using ones that weren’t intentionally changing the way I looked - or at least, I wasn’t trying too hard for that. I was selecting ones that bettered my lighting or made me look less tired.

Cyber Choices (Grades 3-5)

Cyber Choices is an interactive game designed to help students in grades 3 to 5 develop the skills and habits they need to make safe and responsible choices online. Cyber Choices lets students explore four different stories that cover key issues such as making good choices about their own and others’ personal information, dealing with cyberbullying (as both a target and a witness) and managing online conflict. 

Advertising is changing – how is it affecting us and our kids? 

Advertising has been constant for years even when it shows up in different media. But are people becoming more conscious of ads (especially with efforts to not target kids) or has the integration of ads into social media and influencer marketing made them harder to spot?

Building Better Tech Habits: A Guide to Digital Well-being

Screen time is one of parents’ top tech-related concerns, according to MediaSmarts’ research, and it’s the most common source of tech-related conflict between parents and young people in Canada. Kids are worried about their screen use too: almost half say they spend too much time on their phones.

A parent’s take on Instagram’s new Teen Accounts 

Instagram just announced that they are introducing Teen Accounts - with security features built in, parental controls and more. They tell us it’s for parental peace of mind. Will these new features make it safer for kids? And will they help this parent with their peace of mind?

Movie soundtrack albums – a lost art

Which movie soundtracks did you own when you were younger? Do you still stream them or purchase them? I remember absolutely loving Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet soundtrack (and movie, to be honest). I also had Titanic (I know I wasn’t alone) and I know there were others. I think they are still in this house somewhere too - on CD of course.