social media Archives | Cool Mom Picks

Birthday parties in the age of quarantine: We love these social distance birthday party ideas that make the day special no matter what

by Kate Etue | Party Ideas, Tips + Tricks

My son turned 10 this month, and I have to admit, it was a bit of a bummer birthday. He had a great attitude and enjoyed some chocolate cake, but with the current quarantine and social distancing guidelines, his party was cancelled and his friends weren’t able...

5 deschooling tips for new homeschooling parents, and how it will keep you from feeling like a total failure.

by Christina Refford | Tips + Tricks

I know a lot of parents have jumped right into homeschooling their kids (or, schooling-from-home might be more accurate) so that they won’t get too far behind in their studies. But with news that Virginia has canceled school for the rest of the academic year due...

7 outstanding, important Black History month Twitter threads to read right now.

by Liz Gumbinner | Kids

We’ve honored Black History Month in various ways here over the years, and in particular, we’ve shared lots of children’s and YA books — even the tough ones — that help us teach our kids, and inspire important conversations at home....

Web Coolness: What Kristen is reading this week

by Kristen Chase | Random Coolness

I’m excited to bring back our old school (or skool?) web coolness, and share some of the articles I’ve been reading this past week. Consider this all stuff I’d share on my own personal Facebook and Twitter feeds. And if you’re already following...

Our kids are sharing memes about WWIII. Here’s how to talk to kids about the fear of war.

by Liz Gumbinner | Thinking : Parent, Tips + Tricks

In light of this week’s rapid increase in tension between the US, Iran, and Iraq, my social feeds are packed with parents sharing similar sentiments as Asha Dornfest did on Twitter: My children and their friends are sharing WW3 memes to cope with their fear and...

How to be a tech-positive parent (and why you want to be one) | Spawned Episode 175

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast

When we started Cool Mom Tech almost 10 years ago, there wasn’t a lot of language around digital parenting. But considering we tend to be the non-alarmist type of parents, we approached parenting our own digital-native kids like other difficult parenting topics: with...

4 smart, simple tips to help kids make good media choices with their screen time.

by Cool Mom Staff | Tech CMP-Style, Tips + Tricks

We write a lot about the importance of raising good digital citizens. The way we see it, the internet isn’t going away, and the older your kids get, the harder it is to start teaching them good behavior. So we start young, so that as kids get older,...

The most creative handmade kids’ Halloween costumes on Instagram this year

by Liz Gumbinner | Kids

I’ve seen so many clever Halloween costumes this year, it’s hard to keep up! There are always the year’s super popular costumes — the astronauts, the princesses, the superheroes and a lot of VSCO girls. (Including me, ha. Hey, it was what I...

Can we please stop freaking out about kids and social media? : How to raise responsible digital kids | Spawned Ep 170

by Cool Mom Staff | Podcast, Tech CMP-Style, Tips + Tricks

After seeing so many discussions in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook community filled with parents who seem panicked — or at least very concerned — about kids and texting and social media, we thought it would be helpful to devote this week’s episode...

#SpeaktoStrangers Challenge: 30 days to a kinder world.

by Liz Gumbinner | Random Coolness, Thinking : Parent

When I woke up this morning, I caught this thread on Twitter from Asha Rangappa and was instantly taken. Her premise: Spending just a moment engaging with a stranger in a kind way can create ripples that make the world, quite literally, a better, more enjoyable place....