Stop, Think, Tell: Helping Autistic Children Make Safer Choices Online
Credit: ClipArtMax When we think about online safety, the first advice that usually comes to mind is “Don’t talk to strangers” or “Don’t share personal details.” But there’s another side of digital safety that’s just as important, and often overlooked: the content children are choosing to watch. More and more young people are stumbling across […]
Talking to Kids About AI: Age-by-Age Scripts for Parents
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—whether it’s Alexa answering a question, YouTube suggesting the next video, or ChatGPT helping with homework. For parents, it can feel overwhelming to know how to explain this new technology to children of different ages. But one message is important to keep at the centre of every conversation: AI is a tool, […]
Smart Glasses: The Next Parenting and School Dilemma?
We’ve only just got our heads around smartphones in our children’s lives — now another piece of technology is on the horizon: smart glasses. They look stylish, even fashionable. Unlike clunky headsets or obvious screens, these glasses are discreet. They can take photos, record video, stream live, translate languages, or call up information — all […]
Are We Giving Young Children Too Much Tech, Too Soon?
🔍 New Research from Ofcom Raises Urgent Questions for Parents As a parent, it can be hard to keep up with the pace of technology. Every day seems to bring a new app, platform, or gadget that our children want to use — and often, we don’t want them to feel left out. But the […]
“Dear Sue, My PE Teacher Was Right…”
When a School Newsletter Letter Hit a Nerve – And Sparked a Parenting Pause By Sue Atkins – Navigating the Digital Jungle Dear Sue,I just wanted to comment on something my child’s PE teacher wrote in the school newsletter. It’s been playing on my mind ever since.She gently (but firmly!) called out the number of […]
Why Turning Your Phone to Grayscale Helps with Screen Addiction (Especially for Kids)
Bright colours. Red notification bubbles. Eye-catching apps. They’re all carefully designed to keep us hooked—and for kids, this can mean hours of mindless scrolling or bouncing from app to app without purpose. But there’s a surprisingly simple trick that can start to break that spell:Turning your phone to grayscale. Why It Works 📱 Colour = […]
Talking or Tapping? How Technology Can Boost — or Block — Your Child’s Language Growth
Children learn to speak by hearing speech — not swipes. But the right tech, used wisely, can support language, not silence it. A child’s brain is wired for words. From birth, they’re tuning into the rhythm, tone and melody of language. And by the time they reach Reception, their vocabulary size is one of the […]
Log Off, Tune In: Raising Emotionally Ready Kids Before Reception
Emotional literacy is a bigger predictor of school success than knowing letters or numbers – and it starts long before the classroom. When we talk about school readiness, we often focus on academic basics – counting to 10, recognising letters, writing their name But the quiet superpower that often gets overlooked?Emotional regulation. A child’s ability […]
Before children are ready for school, they need time to splash, squish, dig, dance and imagine. Not swipe.
Building Brains Through Play – Why Messy, Hands-On Learning Beats Apps In a world filled with educational apps and digital flashcards, it’s easy to believe that technology holds the key to early learning. But research — and centuries of childhood wisdom — tell a different story: Before children are ready for school, they must first […]
Switching Off – The Power of Digital Detox in the Early Years
Giving young minds the breathing space they need to grow, create, and connect. We live in a switched-on world. Notifications ping, videos autoplay, and information scrolls endlessly. For adults, this constant connectivity is exhausting.For young children, it’s not just exhausting — it’s developmentally disruptive. In the crucial early years, children need time and space to […]
