Now more than ever, I want to teach my kids compassion, acceptance, and empathy, which is why our family has adopted the new app Me by Tinybop. This dynamic personal journal app for kids is an excellent way to start them on the deep dive into understanding who they are, and who other people are too.
In the Me app, your child will start by creating their own avatar, with so many diverse options here, from skin tones to hair styles and colors, even accessories like bows, glasses, and headscarves. (Yay, inclusion!)
From there, they can start adding journal entries — a combination of text, drawings, and clip art — that answer different introspective, self-reflecting questions. Kids can even record audio or video journal entries, all of which are stored on a “map” of who you are, with GPS-style pinpoints that group them by concepts like happy, sad, scared, angry, you get the idea.
Related: More awesome educational apps for kids from Tinybop
Related: How to talk to your kids about prejudice, with help from 12 of our favorite books
My kids and I loved the family tree section (mine is above), where you can add avatars for all the members of your family and answer questions about what you believe it means to be family.
With our country so divided after the election, and our kids coming home from school with reports of bullying and exclusion, not to mention our own Facebook feeds, I’m so thankful for this app that’s so focused on helping our kids become more thoughtful about themselves, and then, how they relate to others.
And, hey, if there’s an app that teaches my kids to empathize, include, and appreciate others, that’s screen time I can feel good about.
You can find Me by Tinybop at the iTunes store.
