4 ways to try a tech detox with your family that actually work
With resolutions and goals for 2020 in mind, we know that a lot parents are thinking about technology and screen time. Wrangling screen time is a huge concern for many of you (and us), as well as the members of our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group. Let’s just...
How to take better holiday photos: 6 fantastic online photo tutorials to make your holidays merrier and brighter. (But not too bright – just the right white balance.)
Every parent wants to know how to take better pictures, especially around Christmas. A few years ago I received the completely awesome gift of a DSLR camera, but I admit I haven’t entirely learned how to use it properly. I’ve taken thousands of pictures...
Digital parenting question: Should I let my child on Snapchat because all of her friends are?
This past week, my 11-year old daughter and I had a long conversation about Snapchat. She’s been begging me for awhile now, but lately, it’s amped up because pretty much all her friends use it exclusively to communicate. I’ve been very resistant to...
Digital parenting tips: 5 ways you can be a tech-positive parent
We know that “digital parenting” is quite the buzz phrase these days. Our approach to it has been similar to how we parent our kids around similar difficult topics (think non-alarmist, non-judgmental), except unlike the sex talk or the drug talk,...
Does Gmail have parental controls? Well, here’s the deal.
In our Out Tech Your Kids group on Facebook, we’ve had several questions about parental controls for Gmail, with so many kids needing and using email accounts. We did some research to see what parents can and can’t do when it comes to monitoring their...
Why are kids watching other people play video games? A tech expert weighs in.
So your kids are obsessed with watching other people play video games and you can’t quite wrap your mind around it. We decided to ask video gaming expert Dr. Rachel Kowert to weigh in on this phenomenon and tell us what we need to know. We’ve spoken about...
25 things kids should know before they get a smartphone
Whether your kids have had a smartphone for awhile now, or you’re considering getting them started with one, it’s important that they understand how to use it. And as we all know, when it comes to a smartphone, it’s not as simple as dialing a number...
5 ways to encourage screen-life balance in your kids (and you)
Raising kids in a digital age presents all sorts of parenting challenges. That’s one of the many reasons we started Cool Mom Tech, along with our new Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group (OTYK). And we talk about it a lot on our Spawned Parenting Podcast. While it can be...
Instagram Stories trick: Turn your Live Photos into Boomerangs!
I often like adding Boomerangs to an Instagram Story to help change things up from still photos. But then, I either have to go shoot a Boomerang in Instagram (and figure out what to shoot) or open the Boomerang app itself. Not one of life’s greatest problems,...
Parents beware: The Siri 911 prank is going around again.
My son just texted me: “Mom, Say 18 to Siri, but then watch your screen.” Sure enough, a countdown for calling 911 pops up. Thankfully, I was watching my screen like he told me to and I was able to stop it. Related: The first thing your child should say...
YouTube slated to launch new web platform for kids. But there’s a catch.
YouTube has come under major scrutiny in the last couple of years with inappropriate videos showing up on their popular YouTube Kids apps, from awful parodies to suicide how-to videos. So according to a recent report, they’ve decided to launch a new web version...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz
We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.
We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.
We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.
(Answer: It's complicated.)
We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.
Our Podcast. (It’s won awards and everything!)
Parents have questions, we have answers
NEW For 2019!
Atomic Habits by James Clear :Oct 1
No More Mean Girls, by Katie Hurley
The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
How to Break Up with Your Phone, by Christine Price
The New Childhood, by Jordan Shapiro
How to Be a Happier Parent by KJ Dell'Antonia
Raising Empowered Daughters by Mike Adamick
Radical Kindness by Angela Santomero
“We just had our first instance of one of our kids lying about a social media account. Any advice is appreciated on how to handle this in as positive a way.”
So they want to get a smartphone…
Work with us!
