Media Savvy Moms

2020 has brought numerous changes to our households. During the lockdown, our normal typically structured daily routine loosened, and many of us (parents and kids alike) became more involved with gaming. Even though our daily schedule has changed again, many kids are staying up later and even gaming all night. You may be wondering what to do, especially as the Holidays approach. 

On your list of tricky topics to bring up with your kids, how high is sexting? Top 3? Top 10? Is it even there? If it's not, keep reading, and it’ll soon be number one. The combination of digital cameras, instant messaging, and the adolescent brain puts our kids at huge risk. The bullying begins. An intimate photo is blasted. The police are called in. Kids today need to know they have better options. They need to know that they can stand up to sexting.

How do we choose the perfect gift for kids today? And what does that even mean? Do we simply get them whatever they ask for? We could go with the latest tech device, right? But then that means coming up with digital safety solutions. Maybe it’s better to choose a more thoughtful and creative gift? It’s possible that there are just too many choices! Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware.

We talk about how connecting with our kids can help protect them against addiction and the harms of pornography. But how exactly do we build those healthy connections? Ever considered the benefits of adventuring with your kids? They go well beyond exercise and a healthy dose of fresh air. Adventuring together builds connections in unimaginable ways. Plus it's fun!

Pornography is easily accessible and is permeating our lives. And while we, as parents, are becoming more aware of its effects and recognize the need to talk with our children about pornography, many wonder when, where, and how to start the conversation. It’s a scary task, oftentimes more so for parents than for the kids! So, where do we start? 

Child sexual abuse. It’s a serious topic with no easy answers. It can hurt just thinking about it—no matter whose child it affects. So what are we to do? Do we close our eyes, try to think of happier thoughts, and wish for it to all go away? No! We do what we can do. We control what we can control. We teach children about body safety. We give them the best protective information we can. For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast.

Do you have a child who is obsessed with anime? Are you freaking out? Or maybe you just want to know what all the hype is about. What is anime? Is it dangerous? If so, how can I protect my kids? Is there any way to safely enjoy anime? For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast.

Kids will explore their bodies. It’s natural. Should we talk about masturbation with them? If so, when? Most parents just don’t know how to begin. But ignoring the topic won’t help our children. As parents, it’s our job to help our kids make sense of even the trickiest topics, including masturbation and the danger of pairing it with pornography. For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info

Are the porn talk and the sex talk related? They should be! It’s time to consider how media and porn culture are affecting our kids’ sexual development. But first we have to see our kids as sexual beings. Say what? How in the world do we get there? For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast. *WARNING: This episode contains brief descriptions of sexually graphic content.*

Parents everywhere are mourning the loss of “the most wonderful time of the year”—that sweet spot when our lives return to a predictable routine. (Or so we like to tell ourselves!) With COVID-19, the return to school looks different. Thousands of families have started out the year in virtual school—at home. As the weeks go on, they’re discovering that it’s anything but normal. For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast.

Can you believe it? We’re back to school and STILL stuck in this crazy pandemic. And like it or not, many kids are doing virtual school, at least part time. Some are 100% virtual. Are you panicking? Are you wondering … Is virtual school a safe environment for my kids? For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast.

Does it feel like you need a degree in computer science just to keep up with your kids online? Do you hyperventilate everytime you think about their digital safety and what you might be missing? Well, what if there was an EASY way to make sense of routers, filters and parental controls? Would you want that? … Absolutely! For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info

How much screen time is healthy? Ask extended family, friends, or the people next door, and chances are, recommendations will be all over the place. But what do the experts say? And what about COVID-19 and social isolation—when all our best-laid plans are falling to pieces?! Let’s talk about it! For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast.

We have a porn problem. To fix it we need to get it out in the open. Yes, we’re getting better at acknowledging that porn targets kids. But we still talk in generalities. Like it’s something that's out there. When in reality it’s in here. It’s in our homes. It’s part of our kids’ lives. And to help them we need to start talking to other parents about our real worries and concerns. For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info and click on Podcast.

Kids are curious. And that’s important. They learn and grow by exploring the world around them. But it can terrify us too. What if their curiosity leads to danger? So we give warnings and have protective conversations. We guide and direct them toward safe, healthy choices. And in our media-saturated world, that also means talking about porn and why it’s harmful. For complete show notes, visit ParentsAware.info