teens Archives | Cool Mom Tech

Over 10 terrific reading apps for upper elementary and middle school kids

by Christina Refford | Back to School Tech, Educational Apps For Kids

Back to School certainly feels different this year, with so much uncertainty and change to our normal school schedule. But one thing that will be certain is that our older kids will need to shake their brains out of summer mode and hit the books, be it with masked...

How to stop fighting with the kids about screen time: Tips that work | Out-Tech Your Kids Ep 6

by Cool Mom Staff | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, Tips and Tricks

Okay, so plenty of us gave up on the same screen time limits we had pre-Covid. But that’s not to say we don’t still have screen time fights with the kids. Or uh…arguments? Debates? Gentle disagreements? If you’re looking to cut back on the...

5 ways smart kids circumvent parental controls | Out-Tech Your Kids Ep 5

by Cool Mom Staff | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, Tips and Tricks

Kids are pretty darn smart, but we can be smarter, parents! On this week’s Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, we’re talking about the ways kids can circumvent parental controls so you can be prepared, thanks to the members of our Out-Tech Your Kids Facebook group...

5 benefits of kids and social media. Yes, benefits! | Out-Tech Your Kids Ep 4

by Liz Gumbinner | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

We’ve always said that all screen time is not created equal! And on this week’s Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, we’re talking about the benefits of social media for kids. Social media tends to get a bad rap — let alone specific channels like TikTok...

How do we teach our kids to make good commenting choices? | Episode 2 Out-Tech Your Kids

by Liz Gumbinner | Out-Tech Your Kids podcast, Social Media, Tips and Tricks

“Don’t read the comments” isn’t going to fly when your kids are old enough to watch YouTube videos without you around, let alone managing their own TikTok accounts. But learning how to be a responsible commenter is a skill that comes in handy...

6 unexpected rom-coms on Netflix that you can watch with the family on Valentine’s Day

by Liz Gumbinner | Entertainment

What you do after the kids are in bed on Valentine’s Day — that’s your business. What you do while the kids are still up and wanting to hang out with you though? Well, we can help with that. As the resident cinephile, I’ve put together some...

Digital parenting tip: How to teach your kids (and yourself) to spot fake photos

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

We live in an age of photoshop and photo altering, and quite frankly, our teens and tweens are pretty savvy when it comes to pointing out (and complaining about) a model’s face that’s been de-wrinkled. But photos of women — made to look skinnier and...

10 of the coolest tech gifts for teens that are all teen-approved | Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2019

by Kristen Chase | Holiday Tech Gifts

We know first hand that finding cool gifts for teens is no easy task. But in our experience, tech is always a safe choice, especially in 2019 when teens are so in tune with what’s hot on the tech scene. We’re so pleased to present this holiday tech gift...

Digital parenting question: Should I let my child on Snapchat because all of her friends are?

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

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...

Rebel Girls Boundless: A new, inspiring digital magazine that we desperately needed

by Kristen Chase | Websites Worth a Bookmark

We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again: Representation matters. That’s why we were thrilled to support Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls when it launched a few years ago on Kickstarter, along with their journal, and their podcast. Because we all...

NEW: The podcast that helps you be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week

Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz

Kristen Chase + Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks

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.