By Melanie Hempe, Founder of ScreenStrong – January 15, 2019 PHOTO CREDIT: iStock Parents no longer need to rely solely on their intuition when it comes to the best solutions for balancing their kids’ screen usage. Last year brought more concrete evidence and more science to back up the reasons kids are better off when parents…
Many parents struggle over the perfect time for their child to have a smartphone, but are we making the decision harder than it should be? After all, our kids will gladly tell us when they think the time is right. But before giving into their demands and changing their world forever, start with a few…
You have been arguing with your kids again about their video game hours, and they can’t seem to put their phones down even to talk about what they want for Christmas. You dread the once-loved Christmas break because you know that the battle between you and their screens will be a hard one, and you…
“The contract experiment was a failure at our house… She has proven that she can’t manage it on her own; the contract made it worse.” —Mom of a teen girl Building strong digital citizens does not begin with a smartphone contract. You (nervously) just gave your teen his first smartphone.* Now you are…
When it comes to kids and screens, we hear the myth of the forbidden fruit a lot. Parents ask, “Well, if I don’t let my son game now, won’t he just binge on it later?” Or, “If my daughter isn’t allowed on social media now, won’t she just crave it more later?” This theory of…
Will Your Gamer Survive in College? Stop the gaming addiction before you throw away college tuition. By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of ScreenStrong Did you know that students with video game overuse habits are in one of the highest risk categories for dropping out of college their freshman year? So, while you are busy…
Take control of the latest gaming drug before it goes too far. Four moms are standing by after a recent seminar I gave nervously waiting for a magic answer from me on how to handle their kids’ new drug–Fortnite. “It’s all they talk about,” one mom said with an emotional tone in her voice.…
Five Reasons Why Screen-Free Week is Essential for Kids and Families By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of ScreenStrong “I saw my 9-year-old daughter laying on the floor, just day dreaming. I immediately thought, ‘Oh no, she is bored, maybe she could…’ then I stopped myself and just let her lay there. She wasn’t bored, just…
Rethinking Personal Laptops in the Classroom Are classroom computers making kids smarter or more distracted? By Melanie Hempe, BSN, Founder of ScreenStrong If your children had a choice, would they choose to hang out in the research section of the public library for hours a day studying, or check social media and play video…
Last week, I shared the story of how we raised our teen daughter without a smartphone. I know that seems completely counter-cultural and perhaps even impossible, but we did it, she survived and we have all lived to tell about it! Each time I share this story with others, the same sorts of questions come…