The Husband has a saying that I find so spot on, I use it often. He says he was a much better parent before he had kids. Ain’t that the truth? I can remember teaching kids before I had my own and marveling at their use of technology or television viewing habits and thinking, “I’ll be so much more on top of what my kids are taking in than these parents.”
Ha.
Oh, I tried. I mean I used to record and watch all the shows first and my kids weren’t allowed any games that were meant for anyone older than themselves.
That lasted about six seconds. Then they outgrew me and outpaced me and there was no way I could stay one step ahead of any of it and still sleep, eat and feed them.
That’s when I discovered Common Sense Media. Anytime my kids ask if they can download, watch or buy something, I am on either the CSM website or the app on my phone searching for information. You can find out anything you want to know about almost everything your kids want to watch or play from CSM. What I love is that the information is synthesized for busy parents so you can just get the gist and the overall age range for what each app or game or show contains.
While it’s quick and easy, the information is anything but sparse. These aren’t just rated items, they are broken down into what kids can learn, what they will see as far as sex, violence, drinking and drugs etc, and what parents need to know about their kids’ interaction with the piece of entertainment.
You can browse by title, types of learning or age for just about anything on the app, which comes in quite handy in the game aisle at the store!
On the website, you have all this information as well as a blog and some incredible lessons and ideas for classrooms (or home) that I have utilized for my work with kids more than once.
I could go on and on about Common Sense Media but I’ll stop so you can go check it out for yourself. Trust me, if you have children with opposable thumbs, you need to know more about Common Sense Media. Unless you are as good a parent as I was before I had kids.
Disclosure: I am proud to be a LearnOn Common Sense Media Blogger Ambassador. Look for more posts with tips and tricks for navigating the parenting world with techy kids.
P.S. Looking for more parenting guidance and tips for self-care? Check out From Chaos to Calm a guided training to help you feel better in this tough season.
