New study says screen time during the day is affecting your toddler’s sleep at night

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

If you’ve got toddlers on screens during the day, a new study out of England suggests it could be cutting into their sleep at night. And as we parents know, sleep is a precious commodity. Looking at data from about 700 British families, researchers discovered...

10 questions parents should ask when writing a cell phone contract for kids

by Kate Etue | Tips and Tricks

Last year my husband and I gifted our two older kids with their own iPod and Kindle, and along with the devices came a contract that outlined our expectations for using them. As my friends have started getting wifi-connected tablets or phones for their kids, these...

The one Instagram feature you might not be using, but totally should.

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

Instagram is one of my favorite places for all sorts of inspiration, whether it’s a pair of shoes I’m coveting, or a great recipe from Cool Mom Eats I want to try in my own kitchen. But if you’re like me, you snap a screen shot and then end up with a...

Parents beware: These YouTube video parodies are not safe for kids!

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

Just recently, mom and journalist Laura June discovered her 3-year old daughter had stumbled upon some pretty scary Peppa Pig YouTube videos. As it turns out, there are tons and tons of kid video parodies, most of which are aimed at adults, but all still pretty easy...

Stridepost: A free chores and calendar app for the whole family. Yep, even the kids.

by Kate Etue | Best Apps

I’m always a little more motivated to get to my chores when there’s a little reward involved, like watching a guilty pleasure TV show while I fold laundry. It’s the same for my kids, and the Stridepost app (iOS and Android) helps them see how doing...

The first thing your kids should say when they call 911 from a cell phone

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

With so many families ditching land lines and moving strictly to mobile phones, the biggest issue has been what to do when you need to call 911. In fact, it’s such a big deal that I know lots of parents who have decided to keep their land line just for that...

Put screen time management in your kids’ hands with the free unGlue app.

by Kate Etue | Best Apps

My kids are master negotiators when it comes to screen time, which is why we’ve never been successful with cookie-cutter methods to manage it. Sorry, Marble Jar. So that’s why I’m excited about the free unGlue app (iOS and Android), which actually...

The one awesome iPhone feature you might not be using. But should!

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

Back when iOS 10 hit and the iPhone 7 launched, we mentioned the Favorites widget which you will find on your iPhone when you swipe right from your home page or locked screen. Found it yet? Okay, good. Turns out, it’s one of our most favorite iPhone features,...

A handy guide to the Instant Pot buttons. It’s okay, we need it too.

by Cool Mom Team | Life and Home

Like so many other folks out there, we’re obsessed with The Instant Pot, a hot, new kitchen gadget you might have discovered here on Cool Mom Tech. (And if not, hey, it’s okay, we forgive you. Ha). Recently, our food editor Stacie Billis put together a...

3 simple questions to ask before you purchase a WIFI-connected smart toy for your kids

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks, Internet Safety

With the recent CloudPets hack, and others like it (remember Hello Barbie?), it’s becoming clearer that smart toys, particularly the stuffed animal kind, could pose a privacy risk that parents should know about. Don’t get us wrong, we love smart toys and...