Category: Parenting

Smart devices like phones, tablets, and smart home systems make life easier, but they also raise concerns about screen time. These devices give parents more control and convenience in managing daily routines. They help with everything from monitoring a baby’s sleep to keeping track of homework assignments.

However, over-reliance on technology can create problems like reduced face-to-face interaction and increased screen time.

Do you wonder how smart devices are changing the way you parent? Technology has become a big part of daily life, and raising children in a digital world comes with both advantages and challenges.

Managing Screen Time

Smart devices provide endless entertainment and learning opportunities, but excessive screen time can impact a child’s development. Spending too much time on devices can lead to sleep issues, poor concentration, and reduced physical activity.

Parents can set limits using parental controls and screen time tracking apps. These tools allow you to monitor how long your child spends on different apps and websites. Encouraging breaks from screens helps children develop healthy habits and prevents them from becoming too dependent on technology for entertainment.

Educational Support

Smart devices are powerful tools for learning. Educational apps and online resources make it easier for children to access information and develop new skills. Just as commercial security cameras help monitor and protect businesses, and also provide a secure and engaging way for children to learn at their own pace.

Parents can guide their children in choosing the right apps and websites. Encouraging the use of educational platforms helps children make better use of their screen time. However, it’s important to balance screen-based learning with hands-on activities and social interaction to promote well-rounded development.

Online Safety and Privacy

The internet provides useful learning opportunities yet creates dangers through cyberbullying events and bad actors worldwide. Children using smart devices to connect to the internet require parents to watch their online use and show them safety rules for being online.

Parental control settings for smartphones screen out inappropriate material and block dangerous web pages. Parents should show their children the reason why they should limit what they share about themselves online. When children know how to identify emails and messages that could be scams, they will protect themselves from online internet dangers.

Smart Home Safety

Smart house features improve both the safety and ease of life for family members. Smart cameras and doorbells provide parents visibility into what happens around their house while motion sensors detect changes in their space. Parents who need to supervise their children from work can benefit from this feature most.

Using smart locks enables parents to unlock the house from any location so their children can get in as soon as they return home. Parents can monitor their small children anytime using video cameras placed inside the house, including baby monitor devices.

Health and Wellness Tracking

Parents use fitness trackers worn by children to watch their health condition and physical movements. Smart gadgets help parents check how much their children move around, and record heart rate and sleeping patterns.

Smartwatches for kids include GPS tracking to show real-time locations of their children to parents. Parents should speak to their children about how these features protect their safety. By adding physical movement to digital usage, children can make healthy, smart device use work with their daily routine.

Promoting Family Connection

Using smart devices properly helps families create stronger relationships with one another. Parents and children can maintain regular contact through video calls when relatives are located at a distance. Using common apps for family calendars and shopping lists, plus meal planning, makes everyone more organized and easily connects.

Parents can also use smart technology to create shared experiences. Watching a movie together or playing an educational game as a family encourages bonding and teamwork. However, it’s important to establish device-free times, such as during meals or bedtime, to ensure that family members are present and engaged with each other.

Encouraging Responsibility

Smart devices can help children develop responsibility and independence. Calendar apps and to-do lists teach children how to manage their time and complete tasks. Smart home assistants can remind them about homework, chores, and appointments.

Location tracking and communication features allow parents to give children more independence while still ensuring their safety. Teaching children how to handle smart devices responsibly, including charging them and managing screen time, helps them develop good habits and a sense of accountability.

Supporting Special Needs

Smart devices are valuable tools for children with special needs. Communication apps, text-to-speech software, and sensory tools provide extra support for learning and communication challenges.

For example, visual schedules and reminder apps help children with autism stay on track with daily routines. Noise-cancelling headphones and calming apps provide relief for children who are sensitive to noise and stimulation. Parents can work with educators and therapists to find the right combination of smart tools to support their child’s unique needs.

Teaching Digital Literacy

In a world driven by technology, teaching children how to use smart devices responsibly is essential. Digital literacy includes understanding how to research information, evaluate online sources, and protect personal information.

Parents can encourage children to question the accuracy of online information and think critically about the content they consume. Teaching children about copyright, raising children in a digital world, and the consequences of sharing content helps them navigate the digital world safely and confidently.

Balancing Technology with Offline Life

While smart devices offer many benefits, finding a balance between online and offline activities is important. Too much screen time can interfere with sleep, exercise, and social interaction.

Encouraging hobbies, outdoor play, and face-to-face conversations helps children develop social and emotional skills. Setting boundaries, such as no devices during meals or before bedtime, helps create a healthy balance. Smart devices should enhance family life, not replace meaningful interactions.

Conclusion

Smart devices have become essential tools in modern parenting, offering convenience, learning opportunities, and security. They help parents manage daily routines, support their child’s education, and promote independence.

However, smart devices also come with challenges like screen addiction, online safety risks, and reduced face-to-face communication. By setting boundaries, teaching digital literacy, and encouraging offline activities, parents can create a healthy balance between technology and real-world interactions.

FAQs

How can parents prevent smart devices from becoming a distraction?

Parents can set time limits, create device-free zones, and encourage breaks from screen time.

Are smart devices helpful for managing children’s schedules?

Yes, calendar apps and reminders help children stay organized and keep track of daily tasks.

What should parents consider before giving their child a smart device?

Parents should assess their child’s maturity level, set clear usage rules, and enable parental controls.

Baby sensory activities help your baby explore the world around them, improve their overall well-being, and develop their cognitive, physical, and emotional skills. For example, activities like music, tummy time, and playing with sensory toys are essential for your baby’s healthy development.

There are many different sensory activities you can try with your baby, but there is one common thread underlying them all: your baby is the doer, not the passive watcher. Your baby must be the one doing the exploring, not idly sitting by watching things happen.

For more on why this is important, read Are Montessori Toys Better for My Baby? There, we thoroughly explain sensory toys and their role in a child’s early development.

Here are some of the most popular baby sensory activities you can do at home anytime.

1. Tummy Time

Tummy time is crucial for babies because it helps them develop their neck, back, and shoulder muscles. At first, a baby will only be able to lift his or her head, but with some time and practice, he or she will begin pushing up onto their hands for a better view and even roll over.

You can make tummy time more sensory by placing different textures and toys around your baby to encourage them to reach and explore. One of the easiest ways to do this is by laying your baby on a quilt with blocks of various fabric colors and textures. Placing a sensory toy or two nearby will give your baby something to move toward and grasp.

As your baby grows and becomes more able-bodied and mobile, you can prepare an area on the floor with lots of fun things for little hands to feel.

2. Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are containers filled with materials your baby can touch and explore. You can fill these bins with rice, sand, or water and add toys to encourage exploration. Baby should be able to sit up before introducing this activity.

Be mindful that the bin should be heavier than your baby because he or she may attempt to pull up or push up on the side. Also, most babies will try to explore these little bits with their mouths. You should be right beside your little one as he or she experiences small materials.

Here are a few ideas:

• sponges in water
• measuring cups in sand
• glitter and water in a closed water bottle
• marbles in a sealed bottle
• different materials glued to a piece of cardboard
• ice cubes in a bowl
• frozen peas in a bowl

For babies not yet sitting up, you can fill bottles with marbles, bubbles, glitter, or rice, glue the lid back on the top, and let your baby roll it around. Another option is to fill a Ziploc bag with something interesting (frozen peas, colored dots, cornstarch and water, etc.) and let your little one squeeze and mash it.

3. Music and Singing

Babies love music and singing! Whether you play a song on your phone or sing to baby yourself, your little one will relish listening to melodies and watching you sing to them or dance.

You will also encourage your baby to listen and explore by listening to various types of music. Encourage even more giggles and connection by picking baby up and dancing together! It is such a joy when your little one bounces and dances to his or her favorite tunes.

4. Mirror Games

Place your baby in front of a well-secured mirror or hold a hand-held mirror in front of them so they can see their own reflection and interact with it. Some baby toys come with an unbreakable mirror for your baby to handle and giggle at.

You can go a step further by sitting behind your baby while naming and pointing at parts of your baby’s body or naming emotions as you show them with your own face in the mirror. As they get older, you can even ask them to point to their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears or make those funny faces in the mirror.

Mirror games are excellent for helping your little one develop body awareness, see emotions, and connect with you.

5. Look at Pictures

Looking at and talking about pictures in a photo album, around the house, or in a picture book is a wonderful way to tell your little one about their family members, friends, and the world beyond the walls of your home.

Before your baby can communicate with words, facial expressions help him or her understand. Smiling, in particular, represents safety and security in a healthy family. By sharing about family and friends with your little one as you show their smiling faces in pictures, you are helping them recognize smiles and eventually foster a sense of belonging.

6. Watch Moving Objects

Watching moving objects like fan blades, leaves blowing in the breeze, or shadows on a wall is fantastic for capturing and holding your baby’s attention. Focusing on movement helps your little one develop object-tracking skills visually.

Taking your baby for a walk outside or simply sitting still in the backyard allows your baby to see movement that he or she will not see inside. At first, infants cannot see very far, but a baby’s eyesight is improving rapidly throughout the first year (source). There are several ways you can do this inside and outside–ensure you mix it up often!

7. Suck on Clean Toys

This seems like an odd one, but babies really like to explore by tasting everything. From sucking on fingers and pacifiers to chewing on everything while teething, sucking and chewing are important ways for babies to discover the world around them.

The trick is making sure your baby doesn’t get anything harmful or tiny into his or her mouth. You can do this preemptively by preparing a play area beforehand with safe toys for chewing and slobbering on. Moonkie’s silicone toys and teethers are perfect for this!

Image by freepik

Some siblings share a bedroom when living in a small home or apartment. While this arrangement promotes closeness, it can also lead to daily conflicts and a lack of privacy. Squabbling over who left their socks or toys on the floor might be typical for your kids. To establish harmony, here are three ways to give your kids their own space within a shared bedroom.

1. Use Room Dividers To Create Personal Zones  

You may not be able to give each child their own bedroom, but you can give them personal space. Dividers break up a room into zones. Let’s look at the most common types of room dividers.

Folding Screens

Folding screens are affordable, portable, and easy to install. You can also fold them up and move them aside if you need to vacuum or your kids want more space to play.

Curtains or Rods

Install ceiling-mounted curtain rods to hang curtains around each bed or study area. They’re pretty flimsy, but they interrupt the line of sight so each child can move around without lingering eyes on the opposite side of the room. Plus, your kids can open or close this private nook as they please.

Bookshelves

One of the things to consider when furnishing a kids’ room is storage. If your littles are readers, consider using bookshelves to divide the space.

Bookshelves can satisfy this requirement while also acting as a privacy barrier. You can place the shelves back-to-back or side by side, creating a little library that separates your children’s beds.

2. Include Loft Beds

Sharing a bedroom means each child has limited space to store items and play. Loft beds are a functional solution.

They open up the floor beneath them, creating the perfect space for a small desk or reading nook. This can be especially helpful when kids need to focus on homework. Left in an open room together, siblings might prefer to play rather than work. Cultivating independence through privacy helps you support your kids in school and beyond.

Each child can have their own loft bed. However, don’t forget to add privacy elements, too. For instance, you can install tension rods or clip-on hooks to hang curtains and separate their beds. This is an affordable way to make your kids feel like they have more privacy in a shared bedroom.

3. Encourage Individual Expression Through Design

Even in shared rooms, kids deserve a space that feels like it’s truly theirs. You can honor your children’s unique preferences without compromising the room’s overall aesthetic.

Choose bedding that reflects each individual child’s favorite colors or themes, whether it’s dinosaurs, unicorns, or abstract patterns. Matching is optional!

Remember, even the smallest gesture toward privacy can make a big difference in your child’s comfort and sense of self. Try out these tips and watch as your kids learn to enjoy their shared space while still celebrating their individuality.

Protecting children’s eyes from digital screens is more crucial than ever, as they spend increasing time with smartphones, tablets, and computers. Ensuring a safe viewing distance is pivotal for avoiding eye strain, dryness, and myopia. Studies show that extended near-focus tasks contribute to childhood eye fatigue.

Dependence of Visual Health on the Distance to the Screen: Statistics

Research highlights how proximity to screens affects eye health. The American Optometric Association [1] warns that sitting too close can trigger digital eye strain, manifesting as headaches and blurred vision, and raising the risk of progressive myopia. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) [2] reports a global rise in myopia among children, linking it partly to prolonged close-up screen use. In certain regions, such as parts of Asia, over 70% of young adults are nearsighted, indicating a strong correlation between lifestyle changes and vision decline.

When children hold devices inches from their faces, the eyes overwork to accommodate near vision. Chronic stress on the ciliary muscles can lead to elongation of the eyeball, raising the likelihood of myopia. Multiple studies [3] confirm that steady near tasks, like reading or gaming on phones, increase nearsightedness in children. These findings underscore the need for parents and kids to learn good viewing habits.

Maintain the Proper Distance from Your Eyes to the Screen

Experts often recommend a 50–70 cm (20–28 inches) gap for desktops or laptops and 30–40 cm (12–16 inches) when holding smartphones or tablets. While everyone’s comfort may differ, these ranges can drastically reduce visual strain. Keep the screen at eye level and adjust brightness to match surrounding light, preventing glare and pupil fatigue.

Children should use stands or holders to maintain a stable distance. Encourage them to enlarge text or images instead of bringing the device closer. Emphasizing that proper distance is key to comfort can help shape healthy screen habits early on.

The Impact of Gadgets on the Vision of School-Age and Preschool Children

Children’s eyes are still developing, making them more vulnerable to near work. A review in Ophthalmology [4] indicates a higher risk of myopia among kids who engage heavily in close-up tasks, versus those who combine screen time with outdoor play. Younger preschool children may not communicate discomfort well, so watch for signs like squinting or rubbing eyes.

Excessive device use can also disturb sleep by exposing children to blue light. The American Academy of Pediatrics [5] advises limiting screen time before bed and encouraging physical activity breaks. Poor posture, such as holding gadgets just inches away, can lead to muscle strain and headaches, worsening overall well-being.

One easy method is the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something around 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This lets the eyes shift focus and rest. Time outdoors provides further benefits, as natural light and varied focal distances may slow myopia progression [6]. Adequate indoor lighting, glare reduction, and increased font sizes also help preserve comfort.

Establishing routines around device use is vital. Set time limits and plan screen-free periods for reading or outdoor activities. When children understand that these guidelines protect their eyesight, they tend to follow them consistently, building strong habits that deter future vision problems.

What Tools Are Available to Control the Distance from the Screen to the Eyes?

Various technologies now help parents manage viewing distances. Some devices contain built-in alerts when users lean in too close, while others offer blue light filters or adjustable brightness. This active monitoring fosters healthier posture and promotes safe viewing practices.

A notable example is the Eye Protection feature in the Parental Control Kroha app, which detects when a child’s face is too close to the screen and issues a friendly reminder to move back. This real-time feedback eases parental supervision by ensuring kids stay within recommended limits. Ultimately, success hinges on combining these tools with consistent education about proper screen usage.

Conclusion

Children’s eye health depends significantly on how they engage with digital devices. Maintaining a reasonable distance, taking breaks, and using specialized apps can ward off common issues like eye strain and myopia. With informed strategies, dedicated routines, and supportive technology, parents can preserve their children’s vision even in a screen-saturated world. Encouraging simple yet powerful habits now will yield lasting rewards for a lifetime of healthy eyesight.

References:

[1] American Optometric Association. (n.d.). Computer Vision Syndrome.
[2] World Health Organization (WHO). Blindness and Vision Impairment.
[3] He, M., Xiang, F., Zeng, Y., Mai, J., Chen, Q., Zhang, J. et al. (2015). Effect of Time Spent Outdoors at School on the Development of Myopia Among Children in China. JAMA.
[4] Huang, H.M., Chang, D.S., Wu, P.C. (2015). The Association between Near Work Activities and Myopia in Children – A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ophthalmology.
[5] American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Media and Young Minds.
[6] Wu, P.C., Chen, C.T., Lin, K.K., et al. (2020). Myopia Prevention and Outdoor Activities. Ophthalmology.