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Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat: Strategies for Solving the Real Parenting Problems
The tech giants of silicon valley design their products to hook even the most sophisticated adults. Imagine then, the influence these devices have on the developing minds of young people. Touted as tools of the future that kids must master to ensure a job in the new economy, they are in reality the culprits, stealing our children’s attention, making them anxious, agitated, and depressed.
What’s worse, schools across the country are going digital under the assumption that a tablet with a wi-fi connection is what’s lacking in our education system. Add to that the legion of dangers invited by unregulated access to the internet, and it becomes clear that our screen-saturated culture is eroding some of the most important aspects of childhood.
In Be the Parent, Please, former New York Post and Wall Street Journal writer Naomi Schaefer Riley draws from her experience as a mother of three and delves into the latest research on the harmful effects that excessive technology usage has on a child’s intellectual, social, and moral formation. Throughout each chapter, she backs up her discussion with “tough mommy tips”—realistic advice for parents who want to take back control from tech.
With the alluring array of gadgets, apps, and utopian promises expanding by the day, engulfing more and more of our lives, Be the Parent, Please is both a wakeup call and an indispensable guide for parents who care about the healthy development of their children.
What’s worse, schools across the country are going digital under the assumption that a tablet with a wi-fi connection is what’s lacking in our education system. Add to that the legion of dangers invited by unregulated access to the internet, and it becomes clear that our screen-saturated culture is eroding some of the most important aspects of childhood.
In Be the Parent, Please, former New York Post and Wall Street Journal writer Naomi Schaefer Riley draws from her experience as a mother of three and delves into the latest research on the harmful effects that excessive technology usage has on a child’s intellectual, social, and moral formation. Throughout each chapter, she backs up her discussion with “tough mommy tips”—realistic advice for parents who want to take back control from tech.
With the alluring array of gadgets, apps, and utopian promises expanding by the day, engulfing more and more of our lives, Be the Parent, Please is both a wakeup call and an indispensable guide for parents who care about the healthy development of their children.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
15 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Schaefer Riley
14 books41 followersNaomi Schaefer Riley is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute focusing on issues regarding child welfare as well as a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. She also writes about parenting, higher education, religion, philanthropy and culture.
She is a former columnist for the New York Post and a former Wall Street Journal editor and writer, as well as the author of seven books, including, “No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives,” out this fall.
Her book, Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America (Oxford, 2013), was named an editor’s pick by the New York Times Book Review.
Ms. Riley’s writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the LA Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. She appears regularly on FoxNews and FoxBusiness and CNBC. She has also appeared on Q&A with Brian Lamb as well as the Today Show.
She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in English and Government. She lives in the suburbs of New York with her husband, Jason, and their three children.
She is a former columnist for the New York Post and a former Wall Street Journal editor and writer, as well as the author of seven books, including, “No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives,” out this fall.
Her book, Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America (Oxford, 2013), was named an editor’s pick by the New York Times Book Review.
Ms. Riley’s writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the LA Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. She appears regularly on FoxNews and FoxBusiness and CNBC. She has also appeared on Q&A with Brian Lamb as well as the Today Show.
She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in English and Government. She lives in the suburbs of New York with her husband, Jason, and their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 16, 2017
Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat: Strategies for Solving the Real Parenting Problems, is an informative book written in an engaging style with a common sense approach. The book is neither preachy nor does it take on an anti-technology attitude. The author simply aims to open up a discussion by laying relevant research, anecdotes, and experiences on the table for parent’s consideration. I personally believe this is a must-read for most parents in the twenty-first century. Certainly not everyone will agree with everything written in the book, but very few people will not glean something useful from it.
“There are so many forces pushing us to give our kids technology, including the technology companies themselves, our schools, our friends, and the culture at large. It’s all happening so fast. One day we are wondering about whether an hour of Sesame Street is a good habit for a two-year old, and the next minute it seems we have adolescents who won’t look up from their phones long enough to have a conversation with us.”
As a mother of a nearly nine-year old boy, I can relate to the premise that there are many forces pushing us to give our kids too much screen time. In the last year, my son has suddenly insisted that life without a considerable amount of screen time is unfair. I have often found myself wondering how this happened. He went from being happy with 30 minutes on pbs.kids.org games just two years ago, to a kid who whines to have more time than he can or should handle. The arguments that arise with my husband and I and our son over his screen time requests have become exhausting at times.
I appreciated the author’s tips peppered throughout the book, as well as the amount of relevant data and anecdotal evidence provided to help me, as a parent, make informed decisions on how to best incorporate technology into my family’s daily life. In fact, some of the information provided in this book might just surprise you. I find this is a good thing, because personally, I feel every parent should have relevant facts at their disposal and Naomi Schaefer Riley does an outstanding job of compiling a great deal of information into one comprehensive and useful book.
I would like to mention that I received a copy of this book in a Good Reads giveway, but this did not affect my rating. I have provided an unbiased and honest review.
“There are so many forces pushing us to give our kids technology, including the technology companies themselves, our schools, our friends, and the culture at large. It’s all happening so fast. One day we are wondering about whether an hour of Sesame Street is a good habit for a two-year old, and the next minute it seems we have adolescents who won’t look up from their phones long enough to have a conversation with us.”
As a mother of a nearly nine-year old boy, I can relate to the premise that there are many forces pushing us to give our kids too much screen time. In the last year, my son has suddenly insisted that life without a considerable amount of screen time is unfair. I have often found myself wondering how this happened. He went from being happy with 30 minutes on pbs.kids.org games just two years ago, to a kid who whines to have more time than he can or should handle. The arguments that arise with my husband and I and our son over his screen time requests have become exhausting at times.
I appreciated the author’s tips peppered throughout the book, as well as the amount of relevant data and anecdotal evidence provided to help me, as a parent, make informed decisions on how to best incorporate technology into my family’s daily life. In fact, some of the information provided in this book might just surprise you. I find this is a good thing, because personally, I feel every parent should have relevant facts at their disposal and Naomi Schaefer Riley does an outstanding job of compiling a great deal of information into one comprehensive and useful book.
I would like to mention that I received a copy of this book in a Good Reads giveway, but this did not affect my rating. I have provided an unbiased and honest review.
March 26, 2018
Review forthcoming. But suffice it to say that this is a must-read for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, the mailman's wife...yeah, everybody.
February 15, 2018
IMO most books are twice as long as they should be. The average 300 page book should be 150, but the publisher knows they can charge more if the book hits the magic 200 or 300 page barrier. Well this book is 225 pages and should be 75. Five star content, but one star on the length.
Good lessons and tips in here about raising children in our current screen/internet/smartphone/video game culture. Most common sense, but helpful in challenging parents to think in different ways.
Good lessons and tips in here about raising children in our current screen/internet/smartphone/video game culture. Most common sense, but helpful in challenging parents to think in different ways.
March 28, 2018
A great book for parents to help guide the children through his crazy thing we call life in a digital world. I was uncomfortable, at times, because the book was focused on why and how I need to be a better parent and be a better example. It also helped to open up conversations between my husband and I and the kids and I. It is a great book to just help look at the issue of digital media and its impact on you and your family in a non-preachy way. A must read.
April 6, 2019
Great Book! I wish I had considered more the implications of electronics when my kids were younger. Many of the books Naomi cites are ones that I have wanted to read myself. She has done her research and compiled a great argument against too much screen time and not enough one on one interaction and play. Thank you for being a voice of reason.
August 8, 2020
Worth reading.
Who, with kids, is striving to keep the screen-time down?
All of us in this modern world, I guess.
This book talks about it frankly.
It is not an easy read.
But it is necessary.
I might have to read it again.
Who, with kids, is striving to keep the screen-time down?
All of us in this modern world, I guess.
This book talks about it frankly.
It is not an easy read.
But it is necessary.
I might have to read it again.
January 14, 2019
I agree with most everything in this book, I wish I’d read this five years ago.
January 8, 2018
Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot....
Out today is a book that has been on my to-be-read list. This is a timely book, and very much a necessary read for every parent who has kids on devices. How do we handle this smart phone generation—or generations, I presume. How do parents gain control. In some ways, I am as guilty as my 5-year-old grandson. I gave him the Leap Pad he spends so much time on!
Here is the PR piece on the book.
Toddlers on tablets. Pre-teens on Tumblr. Thanks to a variety of factors—from tech companies hungry for new audiences, to school administrations bent on making education digital, to a culture that promotes everyone as the star of their own reality shows—technology is irrevocably a part of childhood, and parents are struggling to keep up.
A noted columnist and mother of three, Riley fully understands the seductive nature of screens. She draws us into her story and then walks us through the research on technology’s encroachment into each stage of childhood. Throughout, Riley offers “tough mommy tips”: realistic, practical, applicable advice for parents who recognize that unlimited technology access is a problem, but who don’t know where to start in taking back control.
Any parent knows the effects of screens on their distracted, cranky, sedentary, and incessantly anxious-about-what-might-be-going-on-without-them kids. Riley brings her experience, research, and no-nonsense candor to help parents retake control over technology’s influence over their kids.
In an editorial in the LA Times, Riley equates screen time to snack time. Parents seldom go anywhere with their small children without snacks, and lately they seldom go anywhere without screens. A couple of personal examples. Last week, a 10-year-old grandson spent the night. He has not been in our family long, so he was understandably anxious. I let him watch a video on his tablet until he fell asleep. The next morning, two other grandchildren came to spend the day. We did a craft project and then went sledding on a nearby hill. Everyone was delighted with the morning. I was tired out. So after lunch, I put on a video for the kids to watch, but the 5-year-old wanted to watch You Tube videos of children playing with dinosaur toys. (These, by the way, are just insidious commercials.) So, I let him do that. Bad grandma, or just tired-out grandma. Proves the author’s point.
Naomi Schaefer Riley is a prolific author and journalist. She believes that it is important to expose children to a wide environment of exploration and challenges. “It‘s a matter of exposing them to all the other things in the world besides technology that they might enjoy and that might make them more thoughtful and even happier people.”
It is interesting to note that as I was reading Be the Parent, Please last evening, a public service announcement came on the television. Will Farrell as the father in a family that has a cell phone basket for the dinner table (a bright idea). Produced by Common Sense.org, Will can’t let go of his phone. Very pointed but delightfully funny at the same time.
Watch the video; read the book. Let’s use some common sense to help our children and grandchildren find value in a life away from the screen. But if you are a really tired-out babysitting grandma, we’ll give you some latitude.
Out today is a book that has been on my to-be-read list. This is a timely book, and very much a necessary read for every parent who has kids on devices. How do we handle this smart phone generation—or generations, I presume. How do parents gain control. In some ways, I am as guilty as my 5-year-old grandson. I gave him the Leap Pad he spends so much time on!
Here is the PR piece on the book.
Toddlers on tablets. Pre-teens on Tumblr. Thanks to a variety of factors—from tech companies hungry for new audiences, to school administrations bent on making education digital, to a culture that promotes everyone as the star of their own reality shows—technology is irrevocably a part of childhood, and parents are struggling to keep up.
A noted columnist and mother of three, Riley fully understands the seductive nature of screens. She draws us into her story and then walks us through the research on technology’s encroachment into each stage of childhood. Throughout, Riley offers “tough mommy tips”: realistic, practical, applicable advice for parents who recognize that unlimited technology access is a problem, but who don’t know where to start in taking back control.
Any parent knows the effects of screens on their distracted, cranky, sedentary, and incessantly anxious-about-what-might-be-going-on-without-them kids. Riley brings her experience, research, and no-nonsense candor to help parents retake control over technology’s influence over their kids.
In an editorial in the LA Times, Riley equates screen time to snack time. Parents seldom go anywhere with their small children without snacks, and lately they seldom go anywhere without screens. A couple of personal examples. Last week, a 10-year-old grandson spent the night. He has not been in our family long, so he was understandably anxious. I let him watch a video on his tablet until he fell asleep. The next morning, two other grandchildren came to spend the day. We did a craft project and then went sledding on a nearby hill. Everyone was delighted with the morning. I was tired out. So after lunch, I put on a video for the kids to watch, but the 5-year-old wanted to watch You Tube videos of children playing with dinosaur toys. (These, by the way, are just insidious commercials.) So, I let him do that. Bad grandma, or just tired-out grandma. Proves the author’s point.
Naomi Schaefer Riley is a prolific author and journalist. She believes that it is important to expose children to a wide environment of exploration and challenges. “It‘s a matter of exposing them to all the other things in the world besides technology that they might enjoy and that might make them more thoughtful and even happier people.”
It is interesting to note that as I was reading Be the Parent, Please last evening, a public service announcement came on the television. Will Farrell as the father in a family that has a cell phone basket for the dinner table (a bright idea). Produced by Common Sense.org, Will can’t let go of his phone. Very pointed but delightfully funny at the same time.
Watch the video; read the book. Let’s use some common sense to help our children and grandchildren find value in a life away from the screen. But if you are a really tired-out babysitting grandma, we’ll give you some latitude.
January 8, 2018
Naomi Schafer Riley, Author
Be The Parent, Please
Templeton Press, ISBN 978-1-59947-482
Non-Fiction-self help, personal development, emotional intelligence, emotional education, parenting, technology
240 pages
December 2017 Review for Bookpleasures
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Are your children addicted to their phones, tablets, computers, or television? In today’s world that appears to be a common dilemma. As parents, is there anything you can do to change those dynamics? Let me show you what author, Naomi Schafer Riley, has to say about that in her books titled Be The Parent, Please.
Schafer Riley opens chapter one with a conversation she was having with a friend over screen time and their children. She makes reference to a study conducted in 2015 by Common Sense Media where it was found that tweens, according to their study those are children aged 8 to 12, were spending as much as twelve hours each day on their computers, phones, or tablets and those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen spent eight hours and twenty minutes per day doing the same on average. (2017, paraphrase, p.7) Naomi states that many parents find these statistics uncomfortable and perhaps misconstrued. However, another study conducted in 2010 by the Kaiser Family Foundation stated findings that were extremely close to these. So what does this mean?
The single upside to this excessive time spent on digital media is that infants and toddlers who swiped screens had better motor coordination that those that did not. (2017, p.17) In over 217 studies on this topic conducted by Northwestern University and Temple University “people of all ages can improve all types of spatial skills through training, period,”. However, notes Schafer Riley those skills did not translate into anything meaningful in the real world. And according to Tim Smith, in the Tablet Project, “Students who got the console decreased academic performance and had more behavioral problems”.
Schafer Riley cites a 2015 article that states “…even educational electronic toys may hinder children’s interactions with real people.” (2017, p.37) This was a comparative study that found that traditional toys paved the way for better quality conversations with more vocabulary and descriptive content. “…educational programs are positively associated with overall measures of achievement and potentially long lasting effects, while purely entertainment content, particularly violent content is negatively associated with academic achievement.” (p,42) Can the uptick in school shootings and violence have anything to do with the vast amount of violence that is depicted on television, in music videos, and in video games?
Schafer Riley says that “When we hand over phones and tablets to children we are likely changing not only the information they can access but also their habits, personalities and their tastes.” (2017, p.91) Never before has information been so readily accessible. Smart phones and tablets have changed the way that children are educated and how they interact with others. Technology is truly a double edged sword and one that all parents ought to vigilant about dolling out to their children in proper doses.
Naomi Schafer Riley makes a compelling argument in this book about excessive use of digital media for children. Can you as parents afford to look the other way? And if you do, at what peril?
Be The Parent, Please
Templeton Press, ISBN 978-1-59947-482
Non-Fiction-self help, personal development, emotional intelligence, emotional education, parenting, technology
240 pages
December 2017 Review for Bookpleasures
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Are your children addicted to their phones, tablets, computers, or television? In today’s world that appears to be a common dilemma. As parents, is there anything you can do to change those dynamics? Let me show you what author, Naomi Schafer Riley, has to say about that in her books titled Be The Parent, Please.
Schafer Riley opens chapter one with a conversation she was having with a friend over screen time and their children. She makes reference to a study conducted in 2015 by Common Sense Media where it was found that tweens, according to their study those are children aged 8 to 12, were spending as much as twelve hours each day on their computers, phones, or tablets and those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen spent eight hours and twenty minutes per day doing the same on average. (2017, paraphrase, p.7) Naomi states that many parents find these statistics uncomfortable and perhaps misconstrued. However, another study conducted in 2010 by the Kaiser Family Foundation stated findings that were extremely close to these. So what does this mean?
The single upside to this excessive time spent on digital media is that infants and toddlers who swiped screens had better motor coordination that those that did not. (2017, p.17) In over 217 studies on this topic conducted by Northwestern University and Temple University “people of all ages can improve all types of spatial skills through training, period,”. However, notes Schafer Riley those skills did not translate into anything meaningful in the real world. And according to Tim Smith, in the Tablet Project, “Students who got the console decreased academic performance and had more behavioral problems”.
Schafer Riley cites a 2015 article that states “…even educational electronic toys may hinder children’s interactions with real people.” (2017, p.37) This was a comparative study that found that traditional toys paved the way for better quality conversations with more vocabulary and descriptive content. “…educational programs are positively associated with overall measures of achievement and potentially long lasting effects, while purely entertainment content, particularly violent content is negatively associated with academic achievement.” (p,42) Can the uptick in school shootings and violence have anything to do with the vast amount of violence that is depicted on television, in music videos, and in video games?
Schafer Riley says that “When we hand over phones and tablets to children we are likely changing not only the information they can access but also their habits, personalities and their tastes.” (2017, p.91) Never before has information been so readily accessible. Smart phones and tablets have changed the way that children are educated and how they interact with others. Technology is truly a double edged sword and one that all parents ought to vigilant about dolling out to their children in proper doses.
Naomi Schafer Riley makes a compelling argument in this book about excessive use of digital media for children. Can you as parents afford to look the other way? And if you do, at what peril?
February 8, 2018
Using technology on multiple devices has become such a ubiquitous part of our lives that it’s hard for parents to know how to set limits on programs and screen time for their children. They may also wonder if educational programs are okay even when games are not. In her book, Be the Parent, Please; Strategis for Solving the Real Parenting Problems, Naomi Schaefer Riley looks at the latest research and offers advice and support for parents who want to do things differently.
Each chapter tackles a different stage of childhood development and looks at ways babies and kids are using technology. One problem, Riley says, is that parents portray maturity on their children even when they are not ready for increased control over what they see and do with technology.
Riley offers strategies for parents to make a plan for how much and what kinds of devices and technology they allow at what age and then offers advice on how to stick to their rules. Each chapter has pull-out tips with ideas for taking control and cutting back. Riley says that while the research on the use of technology is still evolving, she encourages parents not to let their children be lab rats in the experiment.
Be The Parent, Please is sure to be welcome by parents who want to take back control of the technology use in their households.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Each chapter tackles a different stage of childhood development and looks at ways babies and kids are using technology. One problem, Riley says, is that parents portray maturity on their children even when they are not ready for increased control over what they see and do with technology.
Riley offers strategies for parents to make a plan for how much and what kinds of devices and technology they allow at what age and then offers advice on how to stick to their rules. Each chapter has pull-out tips with ideas for taking control and cutting back. Riley says that while the research on the use of technology is still evolving, she encourages parents not to let their children be lab rats in the experiment.
Be The Parent, Please is sure to be welcome by parents who want to take back control of the technology use in their households.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 18, 2018
There are more than 100 citations in this book’s 264 pages. Countless studies were referenced but none of them were explained well, even though they would help do a deeper dive into the author’s point. Since the studies differed from each other I didn’t feel like I actually learned anything about a particular topic—- I feel like I read lots of big fancy names of the menu but was never told what was in each one, so I still don’t know what I want to order.
Additionally, for a book with so many references, it often failed to address the flip side of an issue. For example, the author frequently notes that parents don’t let their kids play outside any more and roam the neighborhood like they would have in the 70s, “even though” the streets are statistically safer than they were in the 1970s and then just moves on as if that’s the gospel truth. However..... isn’t it possible the streets are statistically safer BECAUSE parents don’t let their children roam the neighborhood like it’s 1970?
Additionally, for a book with so many references, it often failed to address the flip side of an issue. For example, the author frequently notes that parents don’t let their kids play outside any more and roam the neighborhood like they would have in the 70s, “even though” the streets are statistically safer than they were in the 1970s and then just moves on as if that’s the gospel truth. However..... isn’t it possible the streets are statistically safer BECAUSE parents don’t let their children roam the neighborhood like it’s 1970?
September 6, 2021
Like the title suggests, this book puts the onus on parents to step up to the challenge and demand more from their kids, communities and even the culture regarding screen time. While it was a welcome and motivating read to finally develop those house rules about screen time that I keep meaning to get to, I wish that Riley would have offered more methods, or real life examples of families who have been successfully navigating the pressure of screens around their kids. At least she acknowledges that parents are standing at the bottom of a waterfall with a tiny bucket. But still-more than a rant would have been helpful. For instance, when discussing how parents need to connect with other like minded families to keep from feeling like outcasts, there was no practical advice other than perhaps move. Or “they are out there, you just have to find them!” Not terribly helpful, though probably true.
January 28, 2019
Be the Parent, Please reads more like one parent's thoughts on screen time, which I actually loved. Riley writes about the challenges of parenting in today's world with candor -- how many of us have given our children screen time because it's simply easier than hearing "I'm bored" or doing something with our kids. Riley releases us from that pressure, however, by reminding parents that it's perfectly fine for kids to be bored and even advantageous. (If you haven't read Bored and Brilliant by @manoushz yet, do it!!). Setting our kids loose on the internet can have serious consequences, but according to her, not giving kids screens has no known negative consequences. Well, except that they can't talk to their friends or talk about the latest video game. Occasional "tips for cutting back" throughout the book are realistic and useful.
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October 5, 2020The best parenting book that I've read this year, and one of the best books I've read this year.
The title is a little misleading, this book is pretty much exclusively focused on screen time and it's impact on children, a little more narrow than I was expecting. However this is a topic that I was really looking for more information on, and it delivers well. It talks about screen time and it's impact on children. My take after reading the book is that the biggest negative opportunity cost of screen time is all the other things that children don't do or do less of as a result of the hours spent in front of a screen.
The best thing about this book is that it is well researched. There are continuous references to specific studies, and a chapter at the end of notes referring to various books and studies.
The title is a little misleading, this book is pretty much exclusively focused on screen time and it's impact on children, a little more narrow than I was expecting. However this is a topic that I was really looking for more information on, and it delivers well. It talks about screen time and it's impact on children. My take after reading the book is that the biggest negative opportunity cost of screen time is all the other things that children don't do or do less of as a result of the hours spent in front of a screen.
The best thing about this book is that it is well researched. There are continuous references to specific studies, and a chapter at the end of notes referring to various books and studies.
December 10, 2017
In full disclosure, I am not a parent. When I was offered this book I picked it up because I am an Aunt. I have family members who are trying to make sense of what is too much screen time and what does that mean for their kids. I thought maybe their would be some insights in this book that helped to enlighten that.
This book was certainly full of information. It talked about the challenge of dealing with kids sometimes and the desire to passify them (of sorts) with technology. I cannot speak to that experience directly, but I can see where that can be the case.
I found the book informative. Thank you for the opportunity.
Disclaimer: I was awarded this book. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.
This book was certainly full of information. It talked about the challenge of dealing with kids sometimes and the desire to passify them (of sorts) with technology. I cannot speak to that experience directly, but I can see where that can be the case.
I found the book informative. Thank you for the opportunity.
Disclaimer: I was awarded this book. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.
February 24, 2019
This book should be read by ALL parents and teachers. With many many examples, Riley illustrates the negative effects that screens are having on our children. I learned that so many of my perceptions about the value of computers/screens in some situations are just plain wrong. She is extremely realistic and honest in explaining the reasons to and how to cut down screen time with your children - while understanding the social
Implications. Early childhood professionals have known this for years- simple is better.... back to the basics....less is more .Riley puts it in words that people will understand and relate to .... and hopefully act upon. I can’t stop thinking/talking about this book! READ IT!!!
Implications. Early childhood professionals have known this for years- simple is better.... back to the basics....less is more .Riley puts it in words that people will understand and relate to .... and hopefully act upon. I can’t stop thinking/talking about this book! READ IT!!!
November 3, 2024
This book does not just touch on the role of the screen we modern parents with, it also includes the challenges parents go through, the changes in the kids' ages, suggestions for better including the dinner chats into our lives, and our kids' perspective when we do parent. it is the best thing.
It is a good recommendation for every parent struggling and not to have meaningful interaction with our children.
It is a good recommendation for every parent struggling and not to have meaningful interaction with our children.
June 20, 2019
This book had so many great ideas, but I felt like it jumped around, and the author went off on tangents. And the typos! There were so many that it got distracting. Even so, I think it’s worth the read, because there really were a lot of things to think about.
October 12, 2021
This book is a great resource for any parent wondering about the effects of screens on children. She doesn’t bash tech. She doesn’t make you feel like a bad parent. She just presents a lot of research and practical solutions. She is also a very writer.
March 11, 2025
This book makes a strong case for balancing tech use with real-life experiences. It’s true—kids need more unstructured play, not just screens Snapchat. Curious to hear what strategies have worked for other parents in setting digital boundaries.
March 29, 2018
Amazingly well balanced perspective on raising children in and around our technological world.
June 8, 2018
I might even say a must-read for parents, and yet like all books in the self-help book umbrella it's drawn out, longer than necessary. But awesome content, and crucial food for thought.
July 30, 2018
Interesting, provocative and thought provoking. A little dense at times with all the research and studies cited but an interesting perspective on what is going on with children and technology.
January 7, 2019
Well researched and well written. While many ideas seem so obvious, often they're not in practice.
June 6, 2019
A very good read. Well written and very matter of fact.
September 7, 2020
File under: “More Evidence Why I’ll Never Give My Kids Cell Phones”
But seriously, I’ve read a handful of “tech parenting” books and this is best one in my opinion. I’ll probably be recommending this to everyone I see for the foreseeable future.
But seriously, I’ve read a handful of “tech parenting” books and this is best one in my opinion. I’ll probably be recommending this to everyone I see for the foreseeable future.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews