Sleep & Screens: Navigating the Digital Jungle at Bedtime 💤 📱
Sleep is the unsung hero of healthy development – yet in homes across the country, it’s under siege from glowing screens, pinging notifications, and endless scrolling. Whether it’s a toddler transfixed by cartoons or a teen watching TikToks past midnight, devices are distracting, stimulating, and interfering with one of the most essential parts of family life: a good night’s sleep. So how do we, as parents, navigate this part of the digital jungle? Let’s start by understanding why it matters – and then move to what we can do about it. Why Sleep Matters – At Every Age From babies to teenagers, sleep plays a critical role in: How Devices Disrupt Sleep Here’s what’s going on: What Parents Can Do – Practical Tips 1. Create a Digital CurfewSet a household rule that all devices are off at least an hour before bed – ideally longer for teens and toddlers alike. 2. Make Bedrooms Screen-Free ZonesCharge phones in the kitchen. Swap tablets for real books. Make the bedroom a place for rest, not reels. 3. Establish a Calm Bedtime RoutineWind-down time could include a warm bath, a story, gentle music, or journaling. Routine helps signal the brain that sleep is coming. 4. Model It YourselfChildren of all ages notice your habits. Try not to scroll while saying goodnight or check your phone during bedtime routines. Scripts to Start the Conversation These aren’t lectures. They’re calm, confident conversations that build connection, not conflict. For Toddlers & Young Children“Let’s tuck the tablet into bed too. It needs to rest so we can have more fun tomorrow!” For Primary School Kids“Screens are fun, but sleep is superpower fuel. Let’s put the tablet away now so your brain and body can grow strong while you sleep.” For Tweens“I know it’s tempting to sneak a scroll, but your brain deserves a break. Want to come up with a bedtime playlist or read together for a few minutes instead?” For Teens“I get that your phone helps you stay connected. But the science is clear – sleep is essential for your mood, memory, and mental health. How can we make this easier – maybe a charging spot downstairs?” A Final Thought Helping your child sleep better isn’t about being strict – it’s about being smart. In this part of the digital jungle, it’s not the lion we need to worry about, but the lure of one more video, one more scroll, one more level. Navigating this together, with empathy and consistency, can transform the bedtime battle into a bedtime bond.
Too Young for Toner? ‘Sephora Kids’ And How Big Tech & Beauty Brands Are Luring Young Kids Into Skincare
Trying to be like a mum Credit: Freepik Have you heard the buzz about “Sephora Kids”? Yes, we’re talking about 8-year-old girls — still in primary school — flocking to beauty shops, clutching colourful serums, eye creams, and retinol-infused lotions. And no, they’re not shopping for mum! Now, I’m all for a bit of self-care — a warm bath, a gentle cleanser, a dab of suncream — but when children as young as eight are being swept up into a grown-up world of skincare routines and beauty marketing, it’s time to pause and reflect. So, should we be worried? I believe we should be — and here’s why. 💻 How Big Tech & Beauty Brands Are Luring Young Kids Into Skincare It’s not an accident. It’s a strategy. Big Tech platforms — especially TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram — are fertile ground for beauty marketing aimed at younger and younger audiences. Here’s how they’re doing it: 📱 1. The Algorithm Loves a Trend Once a child watches one “Get Ready With Me” (#GRWM) video or skincare haul, their feed becomes saturated with more of the same. These aren’t innocent skincare routines — they’re sophisticated advertorials in disguise, often by influencers twice the age of the child watching. 🛍️ 2. Influencers as Trusted Friends Young children don’t always know the difference between a recommendation and an ad. Big Tech and beauty brands know this. That’s why influencer deals, paid partnerships, and unboxings are so popular — they sell products wrapped in trust. 🧠 3. Fear-Based Messaging Even 8-year-olds are being exposed to ideas like “you’ll get wrinkles,” “your pores aren’t clean,” or “you’re not glowing enough.” It’s grooming a generation to feel not good enough — unless they buy something. 👀 4. #SephoraKids Is A Marketing Goldmine Big brands are watching. They see that primary school girls are fascinated by routines and rituals. So they design packaging, store displays, and products to feel like toys — colourful, scented, playful — but with grown-up price tags and ingredients their skin doesn’t need. 📊 5. Data-Driven Manipulation Big Tech knows exactly what your child is searching, watching, and liking — and serves up beauty content based on it. It’s not a coincidence your daughter is suddenly “obsessed” with serums. It’s by design. The Tenderness of Childhood Skin Children’s skin isn’t mini-adult skin. It’s thinner, more sensitive, still developing. Many of the popular skincare products found in influencer-led “routines” — like exfoliating acids, retinols, and firming creams — are not just unnecessary for young skin, they can be harmful. Think rashes, burns, allergies. Are we replacing childhood with chemicals in the name of self-care? When Skincare Becomes A Mask For some little girls, skincare isn’t really about care — it’s about fixing themselves. That’s a hard pill to swallow. I’ve worked with families for decades, and I know this: once the seeds of “not enough” are planted, they grow fast. Are we teaching our daughters that their natural skin needs fixing at eight? Are we unknowingly handing them anti-wrinkle creams instead of confidence? Whose Voice Are They Listening To? Many of these young girls are being influenced by TikTok, YouTube, and social media trends — where 20-somethings peddle 10-step nighttime routines and where the algorithm whispers, “You’ll feel better if you just buy this.” Who’s shaping your child’s self-image — you or the internet? Is that skincare haul really about caring… or comparing? The Commercialisation of Childhood Let’s call it what it is. The beauty industry sees our children as customers. That should make us deeply uncomfortable. The earlier the hook, the longer the lifetime spend. Are we okay with corporations mining childhood for profit? Should children be the next frontier of the beauty business? What Can We Do as Parents? Keep conversations open. Ask your child why they want skincare products — don’t dismiss their feelings, but explore what’s behind them. Help them build routines based on health, not image. Encourage time outdoors, creative play, and screen breaks to remind them there’s a world beyond mirrors and marketing. Be mindful of our own habits. What are we modelling in our own relationship with appearance? A Loving Reminder This isn’t about shame or blame. We’re parenting in a world that moves faster than ever — a world where childhood is being edited, filtered, and sold back to us in tiny bottles with glittery labels. Let’s slow it down. Let’s protect the innocence of childhood — not wrap it in serums. Because the truth is, the most powerful “skincare” we can offer our girls is the glow that comes from being seen, celebrated, and loved just as they are. 🌿 Conversation Scripts: Talking to Your Child About Skincare and Self-Worth 👩👧 1. When Your Child Asks for Skincare Products You could say:“That’s interesting — what made you want that serum/cream? Is it something you saw online or at school?”(Pause and listen)“You know, our skin at your age is still learning and growing — it doesn’t need all those ingredients just yet. What matters most is keeping it healthy and clean. How about we look at some gentle, fun things we can do together?” 🪄 Why it works: This script keeps the tone light and curious. It invites your child to reflect on the ‘why’ without making them feel silly or shut down. 📱 2. When You Notice They’re Copying a Social Media Skincare Trend You could say:“I noticed you’ve been talking about routines and products — have you seen those on TikTok or YouTube?”(Listen, don’t judge)“Some of those people are much older, and the products they use might not be safe or needed for young skin. Let’s chat about what real self-care means at your age. What do you think makes you feel good and cared for?” 🌱 Why it works: It opens the door to conversations about influence, age-appropriateness, and self-care beyond appearance. 🪞 3. When They Say They Don’t Like Their Skin or Appearance You could say:“I’m so sorry you’re feeling that
How Screen Time Affects Toddlers’ Ability to Learn to Talk
New Study Reveals Screen Time’s Impact on Toddlers’ Language Development: Fewer Words, Fewer Conversations A groundbreaking study has uncovered that for every minute of screen time toddlers are exposed to at home, they hear significantly fewer adult words, make fewer vocalizations, and engage in fewer back-and-forth conversations with their parents. These findings shed new light on the critical relationship between technology use and early language development in children. Led by Dr. Mary Brushe, Senior Research Officer at The Kids Research Institute Australia, the study tracked 220 Australian families over a two-and-a-half-year period to explore the effects of family screen use on toddlers’ language environments. This first-of-its-kind research, conducted as part of Dr. Brushe’s PhD with the University of Adelaide, provides important insights into how excessive screen time can interfere with critical developmental milestones in young children. Using cutting-edge, Fitbit-like devices, researchers monitored the amount of electronic noise and parent-child communication surrounding children aged 12 to 36 months. This included tracking sounds generated by screens being used by both parents and children, allowing researchers to gather precise data on how technology influences early speech and language development. In total, more than 7,000 hours of audio were analyzed to determine how much screen time toddlers were exposed to versus other types of electronic noise in their environment. The results were clear: the more screen time toddlers experienced, the fewer opportunities they had for meaningful interactions with their caregivers—interactions that are vital for learning to talk. “We set out to understand how screen time impacts children during the early years when language development is most critical. This study shows that screen exposure may be hindering the amount of language these toddlers hear and engage with in their homes,” said Dr. Brushe. The findings, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, highlight the concerning effects of what researchers call ‘technoference.’ Technoference refers to the way in which technology, particularly screen use, disrupts parent-child interactions, creating fewer opportunities for verbal exchanges that foster language development. The impact of screen time was most pronounced in children around 36 months of age. According to the study, just one minute of screen time led to a reduction of seven adult words, five fewer child vocalizations, and one less conversational turn. For toddlers exposed to one hour of screen time each day, this amounts to missing out on roughly 397 adult words, 294 child vocalizations, and 68 conversation turns every single day. Disturbingly, the average screen time for toddlers in the study at 36 months was 172 minutes per day—nearly three hours. This means these children could be missing out on an estimated 1,139 adult words, 843 vocalizations, and 194 conversational turns per day. The implications for their language development are profound. Dr. Brushe emphasized that these figures may actually underestimate the problem, as they do not account for silent screen activities by parents, such as texting, checking emails, or scrolling through social media. “If anything, we’ve probably underestimated how much screen usage—and the associated technoference—is happening around young children,” she added. The study underscores the importance of reducing screen time, not just for toddlers but for parents as well, to ensure that children are exposed to rich language experiences in their early years. Numerous studies, including this one, have shown that early language development is directly linked to future academic success, social skills, and cognitive abilities. What Can Parents Do? Parents can take simple but effective steps to limit screen time and foster language development in their toddlers: The study, a collaboration between the University of Adelaide, the University of Oxford, and the Menzies Health Institute at Griffith University, offers a timely reminder that screen time should be carefully managed during a child’s early years to prevent it from replacing essential opportunities for language development. You can read the full study in JAMA Pediatrics.
