According to Common Sense Media, kids today spend 50 hours in front of a screen each week. Today, technology is present in our lives more than it has ever been before. However, the influx of tech in our daily lives is not necessarily a bad thing. It all comes down to how the technology is used and how the media is consumed. Digital savvy parents can use today’s technology, educational apps and online resources to help teach their children responsibility, time management and even how to drive. Here are just three examples of how digital age parents can teach their tech-loving kids essential life skills with the help of some cool tech tools.
Smart Pet Feeders
One of the first responsibilities that children have during childhood is caring for the family pet. Oftentimes children will talk their parents into getting that new puppy or kitten and promise to always feed and care for the new family member. Make sure your kids never forget a pet feeding with the help of a smartphone app and smart pet feeder. In today’s digital world, apps rule, and there’s an app for virtually everything you could imagine, including pet feeding reminder apps, like Petnet. Petnet is a smart pet feeder that can help you kids manage feeding times and kibble portion sizes. The feeder is compatible with most smartphones. Additionally, Petnet monitors how much dog chow is left and automatically ships more if you’re running low. In today’s digitized world, Petnet takes the guesswork out of feeding the family dog, making it a great tool to teach your kids responsibility.
Learning to Drive in the Digital Age
Self-driving cars aren’t here yet, so kids today will still need to learn the necessary skills of driving. However, teaching kids how to drive has changed since the time you first got behind the wheel. Instead of flipping through pages and pages of driving test books before the big test, kids today are studying and taking practice tests online. Online resources like TopTests offer free mock driving theory tests that quiz kids on questions similar to those that will be on their final driving exam.
Time Management Tools
When it comes time to do homework, most children’s attention often drifts to other activities, like playing with the iPad, going online or turning on the TV. Keep your kiddo on track by making homework just a little more fun. Consider using a productivity app like the Time Timer app. This app can help teach your child time management skills while also helping them stay on task while the app timer is running.
Simply set a time and encourage your child to finish his homework, or any task, like chores or cleaning his room, for example. When the time runs out he should be finished with his task, then he can play on the iPad or turn on the TV. Time Timer is recommended by Common Sense Media, a resource that helps parents and teachers make smart, informed media choices when it comes to games, apps, media and more. The Time Timer app is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
