11 of the best reading apps for kids in high school and middle school. Including test prep! | Back to School Tech

by Christina Refford | Back to School Tech, Best Apps, Educational Apps

Sometimes we think of reading apps as being for little kids, but reading apps for kids in high school and middle school can be extremely helpful. Whether your kids are voracious readers or a bit more reluctant to get lost in a book when there are new video game levels...

How one college professor is handling AI in the classroom: The perfect set of words for parents to borrow.

by Liz Gumbinner | Tips and Tricks, Kids

Just one year ago, AI was not the kind of thing most families talked about over dinner, but today parents are wondering how to talk to their kids about the use of artificial intelligence tools for schoolwork. Whether you’re concerned about AI like I am, excited...

5 important tech conversations to have with your kids as they head back to school

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

With back-to-school here, or just around the corner for some of us, I like to take the time to have reinforce some basic tech rules with my kids and have some important tech conversations before things get super hectic. Whether your kids have their own phones or not,...

Cool, practical tech gifts for your grads heading to college

by Cool Mom Team | Gear + Hardware

If you’re looking for a cool but practical tech gift for your favorite grad, we’ve got you covered. Better yet — all online! (Hey, we’re busy!) Whether you’re shopping for your own first-time freshman, or a lucky niece, nephew or...

Student discounts on these meditation apps can help college students find zen for a lot less.

by Christina Refford | Best Apps, Back to School Tech, Tips and Tricks

For those of us with college students (already!), we know how stressful it can be for our kids to get adjusted to a totally new schedule and, often, a new living situation. We even included meditation apps among our recommendations of apps for college freshmen to...

Help for kids with anxiety: 4 excellent mindfulness podcasts to help soothe the scaries of the world

by Caroline Siegrist | Best Apps, Fitness + Health, Kids

If you need help for kids with anxiety, I am so grateful for these terrific mindfulness podcasts for kids. We all know that unfortunately, anxiety is on the rise for lots of children, including my own. Maybe you’re trying to help a child with chronic anxiety, or...

Our guide to the best headphones for students, from kids to teens | Back to School Guide

by Liz Gumbinner | Back to School Tech, Babies, Kids

We’ve spent the past several years evaluating the best headphones for students for remote learning, and while kids are back in school, one of the residual effects has been more online learning (and social!) opportunities. Whether kids are doing virtual live...

Dell’s Black Friday in July: Take advantage of Dell’s education discount for students and parents

by Cool Mom Team | Back to School Tech, Gear + Hardware, Kids

This is a sponsored message from Dell If you’re looking for a new laptop, computer, or tech accessories, this is a great time, thanks to Dell’s Black Friday in July sale. Starting June 30, visit Dell.com/CoolMomTech for big savings off all kinds of...

10 of the best math apps for middle school that make learning fun.

by Christina Refford | Back to School Tech, Best Apps, Educational Apps

As a former homeschooling parent, I am a huge fan of math apps for middle school — and for tweens and teens whatever their grade level. I used to say that I was okay teaching math until around 3rd or 4th grade, and then I needed some help explaining certain...

Claim your cord with these brilliant personalized cord tags

by Caroline Siegrist | Gear + Hardware, Life and Home

The upside of my family existing in the Apple device ecosystem together is that we can all share cords and cables. The downside? We can all share cords and cables. So I was thrilled to come across these personalized cord tags from Delightful Luna on Etsy. They let you...