ML Interest Tag: set-limits

How to Create Calm during a Pandemic

By Alex Miller

Being cooped up at home is difficult for children and stressful for the parents. Although the idea is to slow the spread of the virus, there is another aspect of the crisis that one cannot ignore or escape—the impact of the lockdown on your family’s mental health, particularly children.

The virus has disrupted lives globally. The death toll and how rapidly the virus is spreading paints a grim picture of what is happening in the world. And these are some of the main reasons your children may feel scared, anxious, or sad. It is a natural reaction as the whole idea of not shaking hands, hugging, seeing their friends at school, and playing at the park, has burst the safe bubble they were living in. They may have tons of questions regarding the virus and disturbed by such sharp changes in their routine.

It is important how you choose to react and handle your child’s anxiety and stress. Here is how you can help keep your children calm and cope with the anxiety linked to coronavirus:

1. Address and Acknowledge Your Child’s Concerns. Parents are a child’s haven and safety net. They know that if they are suffering emotionally or physically, they can run to their parents for shelter. These are troubling times and certainly not something they or you have ever witnessed before. So, answer their questions regarding the pandemic with reassurance. Be honest with them and talk to them if they hear any distressing news. Let them know people are getting sick, but washing hands frequently and staying at home will keep them safe. They are likely to follow the rules when they understand the reasoning behind it.

2. Keep in touch with Friends and Family. You need to change your perspective of social distancing. Think of it as physical distancing. But keep in touch with your loved ones. Maintaining positive social relationships during these trying times is necessary for our well-being. Tell your children that although they cannot be with them physically, they can do video calls, phone calls, connect through social media, and even write emails. They might be worried about their grandparents who are living alone or are at risk of getting infected. Video chats could bring the anxiety down considerably. As for friends, you can set virtual playdates and set up calls if you have young children who are missing their friends. Having said that, take care of your needs as well. You need to connect with others too. Stay in touch with friends who support you and encourage you. Want to take care of your child’s needs? First, you need to take care of your own.

3. Establish Rules for Limited Screen-time. Parents are still getting used to having kids at home 24/7. With schools closed, children’s screen time has jumped considerably. Parents, apart from their work-from-home responsibilities and home chores, now have to homeschool their children too. To catch a break, they often let their kids use their phones and tablets more than the assigned time. Establish rules regarding media and screen use. Avoiding the constant stream of pandemic news can lessen stress and anxiety levels and set times to check the news and then turn it off. 

See that your child does the same. Whether you have a tween, teen, or younger child, their screen usage may have increased a great deal during the lockdown. Set limits on digital time and rather spend time doing productive activities with each other. Apart from virtual learning, see limits on their social media and internet use, in general.

Excessive electronic usage leads to anxiety. If your child is addicted to screens or showing signs of addiction, you can set limits on their screen use via websites like Xnspy and remotely monitor their digital activities and browser history. Apart from getting hooked to news constantly, with too much time available on their hands, they can get lured into inappropriate activities that make it inevitable for parents to keep an eye on their child’s digital use.

4. Creating a Routine. Children look towards their adults for reassurance and support when there are changes in their surroundings. Children flourish in predictable routines. As families all over the world are settling into new normal with new schedules and habits, you should too. Talk to your children, assure them that this is the way things are going be for a while. This way, it becomes easier for the child to accept the new routines.

Here are some tips to help you create a routine, so it reduces your child’s stress:

  • Stick To Proper Sleeping Schedule. Maintaining a regular bedtime routine for your children and yourself is essential. See that you keep your kid’s bedtime the same as it was when he was going to school. This helps them have a routine and would make it easier for them to transition when they have to go back.
  • Create a Morning Routine. Making the bed, changing clothes (rather than staying in the sleeping suit all day long), having a good breakfast along with taking care of physical hygiene helps your child’s mental health.
  • Go outside. Everything may be closed, but you can take your kids outside. You can ride bicycles in your neighborhood, take walks, engage in games in your garden/backyard, or even exercise. As long as you are keeping up with the social distancing and following rules, you are good. Also, exercising does wonders for reducing anxiety and helps in managing negative emotions. If you have to go out to run errands or go to work, reassure your children that where you are going and when you will be back and that you are following rules. 

All in all, talk to your children and try to be patient with them. Your few words of reassurance are going to go a long way in restoring their faith that things are going to be okay. 

Hi, I am Alex Miller a front-end developer for a VoIP company in Tennessee. As a part of my routine, I review the latest gadgets and applications. Currently, I am covering the best apps available in all the major categories. I love watching football when I have some extra time. 

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Greenlight Reveals How Kids Spent Their Money in 2019

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Whether they’ve earned money doing chores or gotten cash as a birthday gift, kids learn financial skills for the future when they make decisions about spending what they have saved up. Greenlight offers some insight into how kids spent their savings in the last year.

Greenlight is a smart financial resource for kids and parents that gives kids and teens a debit card that can be controlled via an app. Kids have the freedom to make their own financial decisions, but parents can set limits and ensure that spending mistakes don’t get out of control. Compiling data based on user activity from Dec. 2018 to Nov. 2019 Greenlight has created an infographic on kids spending habits in 2019.

In 2019, Greenlight users managed more than $150 million collectively. Kids saved that money for a variety of items including cars, college, computers and Christmas spending. On average, kids spent $91 per month. Of the money spent, 30 percent was used on food and groceries. The most popular places to shop among Greenlight users included Walmart, Amazon, Target and Starbucks.

Besides spending on themselves, Greenlight also gives kids the opportunity to give back. Users set aside $2.6 million to give back last year.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Matthew Henry via Burst Shopify

 

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How Being the Mom Who Worries Can Affect Your Kids

By Dr. Lara Fielding

It is natural for parents to worry. They often find themselves wondering, “Is my daughter ever going to find a job?” or “How much longer is my son going to live at home?”

While we’ve long been hearing about the difficulties suffered by the Millennial generation, Gen Z-ers are now struggling even more than their historically fragile Gen Y counterparts—this, according to the 2018 Stress in America poll (released annually since 2007) from the American Psychological Association (APA).

During what should be a happy go lucky developmental period, 27 percent of 15 to 21-year-olds report only “fair” to “poor” mental health. Mass shootings (75 percent) and rising suicide rates (62 percent) top the significant stressors contributing to the fragile mental health of our young people.

But how might parental worries and related actions, impact how well emerging adults transcend the difficulties of mastering adulthood?

The Paradox of Loving (& Worrying) Too Much

Of course you want the best for your emerging adult child as he or she embarks upon the world of grown up roles and responsibilities. You want them to be happy! But might this simple and natural desire be somehow contributing to the difficulties their experiencing?

Could there be a paradox in our best intentions to help our almost adult children find happiness? In my experience as a clinical psychologist, specializing in Gen Ys and Zs, I’ve seen three classic errors, where parents’ best intentions create barriers to their child’s ultimate emotional development.

1. Not Allowing Space for Discomfort

Having children is like having your heart walking around, outside your body! It’s easy to become consumed with worry about all the ways they might get hurt, suffer or struggle. Our love for them compels us to do anything and everything we can to protect them from difficulties and ensure their happiness.

But here’s the deal. Our emotions, all of them, serve an essential function in our drive and motivation, as well as our mood. Our emotions tell us what we care deeply about and thus inform us of what to pursue in life.

When we overprotect our children from the messages of their emotions, we risk blunting them from their own internal compass.

From the time our children are very young, about two years old, it is the role of the loving caretaker to teach them that emotions are okay. They can tolerate their emotions. Without this space to have and allow emotions, children cannot learn, from their own experience, that they can handle it! When parents worry too much, they often fail to allow a child to have and grow from this experience.

Next time your child is up against something that makes them sad or anxious or uncertain, give them a space to have those feelings. If you want to help, rather than solving the problem causing the emotion, help them to label the emotion word. Then offer them some simple words of compassion for how difficult adulting can be.

2. Assuming From Your Own Worldview

Every generation suffers through the gap between the beliefs of one generation and the next.  Yet somehow, each generation hears itself bemoan the proverbial “Kids these days!” complaints.

This happens largely due to the way our minds and thinking processes are hardwired. All those beliefs you hold about how things “should be” and assumptions about ‘the way things are’ are based on what you’ve experienced. Right?

Well, your almost adult child is living in a very very different time with very different rules. Just as you have difficulty understanding their worldview, they get frustrated with yours.

Trying to convince your adult children of your own beliefs and perspective is likely to push them further away, leaving you less able to be of support.

Next time you notice the panic rising up that your almost adult child is about to make a mistake. Or you worry they don’t understand. PAUSE! Ask them to help you understand better. Repeat back what you heard. Then balance this validation of their perspective with the alternative view you hold. You might explore how differently two people can experience the same facts.

The best thing you can do is model the ability to take another’s perspective, even when it is completely different from you’re your own.

3. Failing to Hold Your Child Accountable for Their Behavior

While memes and idealists everywhere will tell you that “true love should be unconditional.” Reality and the laws of nature work slightly differently. Now, before you recoil in horror, allow me to clarify.

If you are one of those parents that feels loving feelings for your child all the time, then congratulations! That is a rare and amazing thing! I commend you!  But most of the time, all that loving behavior (giving, doing, failing to set limits and punishments) is not due to an overflow of unconditional love.

Far too often, parents fail to effectively shape and teach desired behavior, due to their own fears and worries about alienation of the adult child’s affections. As kids are moving from teens to twenties, they are home less and less and we worry about pushing them further away!

But if you want to help your child to build the behaviors they need to successfully navigate the bumpy roads of adulting, consistently adorning them with loving actions is unlikely to be effective.

Behavioral habits are very simple. People do more of what feels good and less of what feels bad. To be an effective parent, you must follow through with rewards and punishments. If it causes you discomfort to do so, return to recommendation 1 and practice this type of compassionate allowing for yourself.

Lara Fielding, PsyD., Ed.M., is a psychologist who specializes in using mindfulness-based therapies to manage stress and strong emotions. Learn more in her recently released book, Mastering Adulthood: Go Beyond Adulting to Become an Emotional Grown-Up.

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10 Awkward Parenting Situations & How to Handle Them

by Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

One of the myriad occupational hazards of being a parent is finding yourself caught in an awkward parenting moment. Whether it happens in private or in public, these sticky situations can range from humorous to mortifying, but rest assured that it happens to all of us. Instead of finding the nearest safe space to hide your face in shame, use these cringe-worthy episodes as teaching moments for your kids—and yourself. Here are 10 common awkward parenting moments and how to handle them.

photo: 张学欢 via Unsplash

Situation 1 

That awkward moment when your kid walks in on you and your spouse enjoying some “grown-up time” together.

What to do: In the archives of awkward parenting situations, this one probably ranks among the most distressing. The impulse for most parents is to scramble to compose themselves, then scramble to compose a lie. It’s better to remain calm, tell the truth in an age-appropriate manner, and contain the situation without making the situation a bigger deal than it is.

Situation 2

That awkward moment when your kid asks you why the lady at the market is “so fat” or why the male cashier sounds “like a girl.”

What to do: There is a growing body of research that suggests some biases are innate, but that doesn’t mean it’s ever appropriate for anyone of any age to make disparaging remarks about someone simply because he or she is different from “the norm.” First, if your kid makes a hurtful, inappropriate remark to someone, it’s always appropriate to apologize on your child’s behalf and/or have your child apologize if they are old enough to understand. Second, and more importantly, teaching children to appreciate, embrace and celebrate differences in all people will help them appreciate, embrace and celebrate the differences in themselves.

photo: Rahel Daniel via Unsplash

Situation 3

That akward moment when your kid is invited to more than one birthday party scheduled at the same time on the same day.

What to do: The first rule of kiddie birthday party etiquette is always to RSVP. The second rule of kiddie birthday party etiquette is always to RSVP. That means, first-come, first-served. If your child has been double-invited, honesty isn’t the best policy, it’s the only policy.

Situation 4

That awkward moment when you dislike your kid’s friend’s parents.

What to do: Spending time with the parents of your kid’s friends is inevitable. With playdates, parties and school events, parents are often forced to become friends with each other. But sometimes, parents of other people’s kids are irritating or unfriendly or simply not the kind of people you would choose to be friends with. The most important thing to remember: it’s not about you, it’s about your kid. Be polite and set limits. Inviting your kid’s friend’s parents to brunch is not a requirement to ensure that your kid has a happy and healthy social life.

Situation 5

That awkward moment when your kid asks why you drink so much.

What to do: There’s a common gag within some parenting circles about the (excessive) drinking habits of some moms and dads. While most parents likely don’t abuse alcohol, some may, and children who are raised in homes with parents who are even moderate drinkers are less likely to view their parents as positive role models. If your kid asks why you have to have a glass of wine every single day, you might want to ask yourself the same question. 

photo: Jerry Kiesewetter via Unsplash

Situation 6

That awkward moment when your kid insists on stripping down naked in public.

What to do: Unless you live in a community of nudists, there will be an awkward phase when your toddler insists on being naked pretty much all of the time—no matter the circumstance. Experts agree that this is common and reflects a developmental phase when toddlers are starting to master dressing and undressing. Rather than making a fuss or overreacting, teach your kiddo when and where you believe it’s the appropriate time and place to go au naturel.

Situation 7

That awkward moment when your kid discovers your stash of “adult” stuff.

What to do: Whether it’s a box of “medicinal herbs” or an “adult massager,” unless you keep your adult stuff under lock and key, it’s inevitable that your curious kid will one day discover it. The key to preventing an episode like this from escalating into a full-blown crisis is to remain calm, explain briefly (if somewhat vaguely) what’s what, then redirect your kid’s attention to something less controversial.

photo: Hunter Johnson via Unsplash

Situation 8 

That awkward moment when your kid tells your neighbors what you really think about them.

What to do: We’ve all had experience with annoying or nosey neighbors, but things can get awkward really fast if your kid innocently blabs to your neighbor that “my dad thinks you’re a jerk.” While good fences make for good neighbors, it’s unavoidable to see your jerky neighbor from time to time. If your kid has let the cat out of the bag about your true feelings, you should gently remind your kid there are some things that we keep to ourselves, so that we don’t hurt other people’s feelings. Or better yet, don’t talk about the jerky neighbors in front of your children. As for the terrible neighbors, there are plenty of helpful tips that can help to resolve the neighborly conflict.

Situation 9 

That awkward moment when your kid asks grandma and grandpa who they voted for president.

What to do: Few things can bring an otherwise pleasant family gathering to a screeching halt than raising the topic of politics in mixed company, especially when the extended family may have very different political points of view. Our kids often will parrot the social and political beliefs we espouse at home, which can lead to awkwardness if grandma and grandpa don’t feel the same way. While it’s best to avoid political talk, if the topic comes up, politeness and courtesy are the rules of thumb.

Situation 10

That awkward moment when your kid has an epic meltdown at the store/on a plane/at a restaurant/anywhere.

What to do: Parents often have one of two responses whenever our kids are in full-tantrum-slash-meltdown mode: we either choose to ignore it or we escalate the situation by freaking out ourselves. Children who are melting down often aren’t doing so to embarrass themselves or their parents. Experts suggest assessing the root cause of the tantrum and try to work through the issue to help calm down the kid. Assessing the triggers and modeling good behavior are the keys to ensuring that meltdowns are effectively managed.

—Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

 

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Feature photo: Abigail Keenan on Unsplash

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5 Reasons to Love the Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets’ Easy Parental Controls

by writerredtri
Partner Content

In Partnership with Amazon Fire Kids Edition

If you’ve been thinking about making the leap to tablet tech for your eager kiddo, there’s really no better pick than one of the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets, where a world of learning, imagination and even engaged family time is right at your child’s fingertips. Best of all, parents don’t need to be some kind of software engineer to set up parental controls: Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets are ready to go right out of the box, with no setup, no software to install and no computer required to download content.

Geeky mom Keiko had no problem setting up parental controls on the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet for her four-year-old son, Judah. Read on for Keiko’s tips on how you can set up parental controls for your very own Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet in a jiffy, too.

Why Should You Use Parental Controls?

Keiko Zoll

Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets come with a one-year subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited allowing kids to dive into more than 15,000 kid-friendly books, videos, educational apps and games with nothing more than just a few taps on their screen. 

Keiko says: "Even though our son is almost 5 and fully reading at his age, we have to remember not all books or videos are appropriate for preschoolers, so that’s one of the reasons why parental controls are a must for us. We also like to stay in the loop about what he's watching and learning too because he loves to talk about the apps he's played or videos he's watched."

And what does Judah think? “I’ll watch scary movies when I’m 10, Mama. It’s okay.”  (Yes, he actually said that.)

Create Personalized Child Profiles

Keiko Zoll

In the Amazon FreeTime app, you can turn on Parental Controls to give your child their very own personalized profile. If you have more than one kid, you can create a profile for each of them.

Keiko says: "We made Judah his very own profile with daily time limits and certain content restrictions. His profile image is a T-rex, because dinosaurs are the obvious personal mascot of preschoolers everywhere. My husband and I are the sole keepers of the Parental Controls password, so if Judah ever tries to do something outside of his pre-set limits, he first has to come to Mama or Dad to unlock it."

Judah says: “Will you please tell me the password?”

Set Daily Daily Goals & Time Limits

Keiko Zoll

On the Parent Settings screen, tap “Daily Goals & Time Limits” if you want your child to only use their tablet for certain amounts of time or only during certain hours of the day. Here's a handy travel hack: set up different time limits for weekdays versus weekends. If you do most of your travel on the weekends such as long road trips, you can set up longer time limits just for the weekends.

Keiko says: "This is my favorite feature of our Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet by far. We can break down Judah's time limits based on what kind of content he’s interacting with. We allow our son to watch up to 1 hour of videos per day and play up to 30 minutes of games or apps on his tablet. Once Judah hits those time limits, no more videos, and no more apps—but he we’ve set his Books to “unlimited” so he can pick up his tablet and read whenever he wants to, for as long as he likes."

Judah says: “Mom, I’m out of game time. I’m going to go read now, okay?”

Totally Customized Content Just for Your Kiddo

Keiko Zoll

On the Parent Settings screen, you can tap “Manage Content & Subscription” to really tailor your child’s experience by adding and removing specific content, from books and videos to apps and even specific characters. You can also use Smart Filters to filter content by appropriate age groups.

Keiko says: "Even though Judah is already reading and psyched about starting kindergarten in the fall, there are definitely some things we don’t necessarily want him reading, watching or interacting with on his Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet because it’s just out of his age range. We especially love that we can filter content by age range, (so no R.L. Stine or Hunger Games for Judah—yet). What’s also awesome is that we can filter out certain characters from shows and games who shall remain nameless (think big purple dinosaur or that bald kid from Canada) that as parents, might not be our favorite characters for our son to interact with."

Judah says: “Hey mom, why are there no games from [this popular show that drives us nuts] on my tablet?”

Get Savvy with the Amazon Parent Dashboard

Amazon; composite by Keiko Zoll

Parents can access the Amazon Parent Dashboard via their desktop or mobile browser by visiting https://parents.amazon.com. There, you’ll see not only what apps, videos, books and other content your child has most recently accessed, you can get a visual breakdown of what kind of content your child uses the most.

Keiko says: "Judah has a penchant for apps and games and what’s so neat about the Amazon Parent Dashboard is that I can click on any app, video, game or piece of content he’s used and see a whole set of discussion cards to talk about what he’s interacting with. One of his favorite apps right now is a simple game of checkers. With unique discussion cards for every Amazon FreeTime app, I’ve talked to Judah about his game strategy and how he tries to think a step ahead."

Judah says: “Hey Mama, how did you know I was watching that?”

Starting at $99.99 on Amazon.com, check out both the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablets to see which one fits your family’s budget.

What’s your favorite feature of the Amazon Fire? 

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Are You a Helicopter Parent? Here’s How to Come in for a Landing

By Michelle Gale

Helicopter parenting: That’s something other people do, right? No one wakes up in the morning and says, “Today, I’m going to be a parenting stereotype!” Quite the opposite: parents open their too-often under-rested eyes in the morning and jump right into the role of ultimate caretaker—super man or super woman, ready to save their child’s day and make the world a safer place for her or him to live, play and learn.

This “helicopter parent” catch phrase comes from the idea of an ever-watchful parent who is there at every turn trying to protect and guide their child. That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? It sounds like someone who is dedicated and loving and supportive to the infinite power! Take a moment to acknowledge all that is wonderful about that effort and intention and see if that feels like you. Now, imagine a way forward that brings your parenting into balance, helps you feel more at peace and helps your child grow and thrive more than ever before. Here’s how it works…

Letting Go of Fear

In looking more deeply at so-called helicopter parenting—beyond the doubtless truth that it’s about loving, guiding and protecting kids—there is an element of fear present that is the driving force behind this above and beyond “super” parenting st‌yle. In other words, in loving, guiding and protecting, there is an emphasis on the protecting.

The latest research shows that overprotecting children can actually lead them to become adults who are unsure of themselves and feel unprepared to be in the world. So, what is the proper balance between infinite love and just enough guidance and protection? And how can parents find that place for themselves when battling feelings of fear about how safe the world is and wanting to protect children from harm?

Each parent has to find the balance point that works for them and their family, and that includes consciously stepping back to allow kids to make their own mistakes and face their own consequences. To make space for this without drowning in fear and anxiety, though, parents can give themselves the gift of mindfulness.

A Mindful Place to Land

Mindfulness in its most simple definition is a map for understanding the human experience. The core practice is resting in presence, allowing yourself to simply know and observe what is. It is a compassionate and non-judgmental awareness of your inner and outer moment-to-moment experience.

Being mindful doesn’t mean you are calm all the time. You can just as easily be aware of your anxiety, anger or fear as you can be all Zen and relaxed. It’s great when it accomplishes the latter, but it’s also okay when mindfulness simply provides a step back from the intensity of otherwise unpleasant emotional states.

When it comes to mindfulness and parenting, regular practice can help give you just enough of a pause from your normal reaction that you are able to choose your response instead. For example, it’s always a good idea to stop your son or daughter from running into the road when a car is coming, but it might be worth thinking twice before stopping them from making other non-life-threatening decisions that could result in a meaningful learning experience. Here are a few mindfulness practices to try while you work to find your own parenting balance.

  1. Start with Your Breath: Whenever you feel fear or anxiety, pause for a few moments and focus on your breath. Feel your breath coming in through your nose and going out through your mouth. To be able to access the breath as a tool during these moments more easily, it’s important to practice intentional breathing in non-stressful moments, too. Leave yourself a sticky note somewhere that you’ll see it every day and pause to breathe. Or you could set a timer on your phone to prompt you a couple times each day to just breathe and focus on your breath. It doesn’t have to be long, but practice and repetition go a long way. The more you practice, the easier it will be to take an intentional breath or three when you need it most during anxious or upset moments.
  2. Know What Sets You Off: What are your biggest triggers? Maybe it’s watching the news or listening to a certain friend or family member rant about the state of the world. It could be traffic or toys on the floor. Everyone has things that press their buttons. Identify what ticks you off the most and write these things down in a journal or notebook. As you do this, it becomes a mindfulness practice when you do so without judging yourself for whatever—or whomever—has you feeling most upset. You are simply observing what upsets you without either justifying it or allowing yourself to feel guilty for it. It simply is what it is and you are acknowledging each thing with mindfulness.
  3. Relearning to Listen: Our brains are fine-tuned machines operating in a world that often demands multitasking, so it’s no wonder that we are usually planning what to say next while people are speaking. As you work to establish a new balance in your parenting, experiment with listening mindfully to your children. Notice if you start thinking of how to respond while they are talking, then let that go and refocus on listening. What more can you discover about your child when you focus on really hearing what he or she is saying?

Parenting is a journey in which parents and kids grow and learn together. It is the parents’ role to set limits and hold kids to appropriate expectations, to be sure. However, this can only be done with authenticity if parents are also focusing on their own growth. Mindfulness opens a door to finding that elusive sense of balance and peace all people crave, and it gives parents a place to land. Through mindfulness, you can move away from fear and toward empowering your children to come up with their own answers and gain the skills to find solutions in their own lives.

Featured Photo Courtesy: klimkin/Pixabay

Mindful Parenting Educator Michelle Gale, MA, is a former head of learning and leadership development for Twitter who teaches parents to better connect with their kids by first connecting with themselves. She is the author of the new book “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World.” 

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Sanity Savers: 12 Best Apps for Babies

by Julie Seguss

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated their screen time guidelines, no longer banning it for the under 2 set. Instead, they’re encouraging parents to set limits and be smart about tech use. While we’re not condoning apps instead of playing with, reading to and interacting with your baby, we also know that a few minutes with your phone or tablet can make or break your first longhaul flight, help tame squirmy diaper changes around the 10-month mark and calm a fussy 1-year-old while waiting for the doctor. In these moments, we say embrace technology and let your little one try swiping his tiny fingers through these simple and engaging apps.

Peekaboo Barn

Beloved by many babies, Peekaboo Barn (along with it's counterparts Peekaboo Fridge and Peekaboo Farm) wins kids over with vibrant graphics and simple play. Babies can touch and open barn doors to discover animals and here their names and the sounds they make.

Available at nightanddaystudios.com, $1.99.

 

What app is your sanity saver? Tell us in a Comment.

–Julie Seguss

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