It’s fair to say that screen time for kids gets a bad rep. In fact, even Silicon Valley parents like Mark Zuckerburg and Bill Gates are honest about the fact that they limit screen time for their children at home. And, if they take control of your child’s tablet, then surely we should all just chuck out the tablets right away?
However, as the last year has brought home, technology isn’t all bad. A rising trend in so-called ‘edtech’ has actually been about the only educational raft in overnight homeschooling setups, keeping kids connected and learning when it mattered the most.
So, while we should all aim to keep our kids within the two-hour expert-recommended screen time window, it might pay to work with rather than against your child’s tablet. The question is, what apps do you need to download to ensure they’re making the most of that two-hour window?
# 1 Net Nanny
Online safety comes first, hence why it pays to start with a download like Net Nanny, which ensures you can oversee everything younger kids do, with benefits including a family feed, parental controls, and screen time management. This tool is especially useful as it blocks questionable or dangerous content before your child sees it, ensuring that they never accidentally (or intentionally) stumble across anything they shouldn’t.
# 2 – ABCMouse
Voted as the best overall app for kids by GoodHousekeeping, ABCMouse, the flagship offering from Age of Learning should be your next pit stop. Available as both an app and on its own website, this fun learning platform offers everything from story-line based learning videos to educational quizzes and activities for numeracy, literacy, and more. Best of all, this app’s virtual map outlines your child’s learning path so that you can forever track their progress and tailor at-home-teaching accordingly.
# 3 – Epic!
With an e-book library containing over 35,000 kids books, Epic! Is another must-download app for fun, education-based screen learning. Make the most of this one, and you’ll be able to trick your kids into spending their precious screen time reading a book that they might fight against otherwise. What better way could there be to win the technology battle without your children even noticing?
# 4 – YouTube Kids
The dreaded ‘Momo’ myth was just one example of how problematic the YouTube platform can be for kids, but there’s no denying the benefits of on-demand access to their favourite shows, some of which are actually pretty educational. Hence why YouTube Kids is a fantastic alternative, providing all of the screen time benefits within an age-appropriate bubble. While it is still important to check parental controls, this app finally allows you to rest easy about what your kids are watching on their tablets at any given time.
Screen time can be stressful, but in 2021 it certainly wouldn’t do to remove technology altogether. Rather, you need to approach this with an ‘if you can’t beat them, join them,’ mentality, and just make sure of security and screen time value with apps like these.
*This is a collaborative post