Mamabear

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

MamaBear’s Most Popular Posts in 2015

As digital and social media use continued to rise in 2015, MamaBear was there to explain new trends and problems to parents throughout the year. As we enter another year and look forward to even more changes to come, take a minute to recap the most important issues and posts from the MamaBear blog in 2015.

Is Instagram Safe for Kids: A Guide for Concerned Parents

In 2015, Instagram grew to be one of the most popular social media sites for teens. With more than 300 million users, the photo-sharing app became a platform that parents absolutely needed to be aware of. MamaBear published Is Instagram Safe for Kids: A Guide for Concerned Parents to help parents navigate the popular site and learn how to protect their children who use it.

The Hurtful Side of Social Media: Horrific Threats Via Instagram for One Teen

Many parents still believe that social media is not a serious issue. But in our post The Hurtful Side of Social Media: Horrific Threats Via Instagram for One Teen, we looked at the real severity of danger in the digital world. The post looked into the story of one family who got school officials and police involved when their daughter started receiving death threats through Instagram. It also included tips on how parents can prevent the same thing from happening to their children.

Parents Are Oversharing on Social Media and It May Be Impacting Their Kids

We regularly discuss dangers related to the habits of children and teens who use social media on our MamaBear blog. We flipped the coin in our post, Parents Are Oversharing on Social Media and It May Be Impacting Their Kids. In the post, we looked at why parents share on social media, how often they share, and how their over sharing can negatively affect their children.

Preparing Your Teen Driver to Hit the Road

MamaBear strives to protect teens online and on the road. In our post, Preparing Your Teen Driver to Hit the Road, we covered the most important considerations for parents with a new teen driver. From reviewing common driving mistakes and setting driving rules to creating a driver’s contract, the post gives parents a full prep lesson before they pass the keys over to their teen.

How To Use Bear2Bear – MamaBear’s Customer Referral Program

In 2015, we encouraged our users to share the benefits of our app with their friends and family. In the post, How to Use Bear2Bear — MamaBear’s Customer Referral Program, we explained how parents could use our referral program to become a premium member for free by sharing MamaBear through text, email, or social media. We want more parents and families to experience the benefit of the MamaBear, The Ultimate Parenting App™, so we made it simple for our users to spread the word.

Family Safety in 2016

As we start 2016, MamaBear would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe New Year. We hope you use these resources (along with the other helpful posts on our blog) and the MamaBear App to make 2016 the best and safest year yet.

To start this year on the right foot and protect your family while providing yourself peace of mind, get MamaBear for free on both iPhone and Android devices.

December 19, 2015December 19, 2015

Kids Can Find Violence on Social Media With Just a Click of a Button

It’s hard to turn on the news without seeing violence. Terrible tragedies on U.S. soil — mass shootings in San Bernardino, Colorado Springs, and Charleston — and terrorist attacks in Paris have made the recent news look more like an awful movie than a report on real life.

The news is full of disturbing and violent footage that you would never allow your kids to watch on television shows and movies. But because it’s the news, it’s out there for easy consumption by adults and kids alike.

Kids can walk into a room or flip through the channels and find reports on violence and terror from around the country. But what’s worse is what they can find online.

Violent Videos Aren’t Uncommon on Social Media

While footage aired on television and news broadcasts is edited and usually accompanied by warnings before graphic material, the internet is not so carefully monitored.

Videos of violent situations are frequently uploaded and then widely shared through social media. While there are safeguards from social media sites that allow users to flag offensive and violent videos, the videos don’t always come down.

Kids can come across these videos through search. But even worse, kids may see these videos without even looking for them. Many social sites utilize video playback features that automatically trigger a video to start.

Recently, when Virginia news anchor Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were shot on live television, their attacker took a first-person video of the event. He later uploaded it to social media. The video was quickly shared and spread throughout social media, where a child browsing through their newsfeed could have accidentally landed on the disturbing footage.

How to Protect Your Child from the Violence on Social Media

There is no way to fully protect your child from seeing violence on social media unless you ban its use altogether.

If you want to protect your child while still allowing them to use social media, you need to talk to them about how they can avoid violent videos and explain what to do if they see one.

It’s important to share the following tips and best practices for social media use:

Only follow users you know.
Use settings that hide explicit content.
Do not search for violent terms.
Quickly click out of any video that includes violent terms in the title or post.
Flag any video that is inappropriate.
If you see a video, don’t keep it to yourself. Talk about it with an adult. An adult can help you process what the videos means.

When kids and teens use social media, it comes with a variety of risks. From online bullying to stranger danger to posting inappropriate messages and photos, a child’s social media activity is something that parents constantly need to monitor.

But with that MamaBear app, Peace of Mind Parenting™ app, that job is a little easier. With the app, parents can easily monitor the way their children use the platforms and ensure they are using social media best practices. Kids are happy because they can use social media, and parents are happy because their children are protected. The free app is available for both iPhones and Androids.

December 18, 2015December 18, 2015

Table Talk Topic: The Gift of Giving

All of the excitement around the holidays can feel self indulgent and make it easy for kids to forget that it’s a spectacular time for giving. It’s our job as parents to show them how to express empathy and compassion for others.

The holidays are an exciting time for kids. Christmas trees, time off from school, cookies and of course, presents. All of the excitement around the holidays can feel self indulgent and make it easy for kids to forget that it’s a spectacular time for giving. It’s our job as parents to show them how to express empathy and compassion for others.

As you’re sitting down for dinner this week, talk about the importance of generosity and giving and the impact your family can make on others this season. Below are some ideas to consider. Then as a family, pick out an activity or two you all like and can do together.

Buy gifts for children in need. Toys for Tots is a national campaign to provide families in need with gifts for children. Their website includes a list of drop-offs around the country. You can also look for locations with an angel gift tree (many churches and retail stores have them during the holiday), where you select an angel with the age and gender of a child and purchase a gift for them.
Sponsor a child. A gift that will last all year, sponsoring a child is a great way to keep the spirit of giving throughout the year. With most programs, you will receive letters, photos and cards throughout the year, and you are encouraged to do the same. This is a great way to continually show your child the impact of their decision to give.
Send holiday cards or gifts to serving military men and woman. You don’t have to spend money on this one. You can simply create holiday cards for military men and women serving overseas. If you have a budget for gifts, Military.com has a list of organizations that collect books, commissary gift certificates and more for serving members of the military.
Ring Bells for the Salvation Army. If you want to get out and serve your community, ringing bells for Salvation Army is one of the most festive ways to experience the holidays from the serving side and fill the red kettle.
Serve in a soup kitchen. Another way to psychically get out into the community is to visit a local soup kitchen or homeless facility that serves meals around the holidays.
Grocery shop for a local food pantry. Let your kid pick out some of their favorite foods so they can feel like they are a part of the process. (Make sure to give your kids guidelines, such as selecting only non-perishable, healthier options.)
Clean out closets and toy boxes and donate. Remind your child how much they have by taking an inventory of their toys and clothes. Donate what they don’t need anymore to a local shelter or second-hand store that donates the proceeds to charity.
Make dinner for a family or elderly person in need. Have a little fun in the kitchen and allow your child to help prepare a meal that can be easily portioned out and delivered to a family or person in need.
Deliver a dessert or tray of cookies to public or civil servants on Christmas. Show your kids that not everybody is able to spend the holidays with their family. Take them to see the hard-working people who commit to serving the public over the holidays, and drop off holiday treats to police officers, firefighters, or hospital workers.
If you are traveling, volunteer in the local community. If you happen to be traveling during the holidays, you can still participate and volunteer in the local community teaching your children that where doesn’t matter.

Related: Table Talk Topic: Expressing Gratitude

By teaching your children selfless giving, you are giving them a gift far more powerful than presents under the Christmas tree. For more ideas on dinner discussion ideas that can help your family connect, learn and grow, check out our series at Table Talk Topics.

December 16, 2015

2015 Teen Gift Guide: Holiday Presents Your Teenager Will Love

Few family members are harder to buy for than a fickle teenager. With tastes that constantly change and opinions that are strong, it can be difficult to find the perfect gift for your teen. But with this teen gift guide, you can take the stress out of shopping and find the perfect present that any teenager will love.

One-of-a-Kind Personalized Gifts

Create an extra special gift by personalizing it to match your child’s unique personality and tastes. With online shops and tools, personalizing gifts has never been easier or cheaper.

Jewelry — Engrave a necklace, bracelet, or charm with your child’s initials or personalized message. Or take it up a notch and get a full cut-out charm of their name from a site like PB Teen.com.

Decor for Their Room — Help your teen decorate their favorite space in the house — their room, with custom art. Sites like Minted.com can turn your teen’s silhouette, drawings, photos, or names into a beautiful, unique works of art.

Photo Books — Capture your teen’s memories in a custom photo book. Blurb, a website and app, allows you easily upload Instagram photos and turn them into a high-quality hardback book. (You will need the username of your child’s Instagram account which you should have anyway.)

A Special Day (& Night) Away

For many parents, it’s difficult to get one-on-one, quality time with their teens. Between the parent’s and the teen’s busy schedule, it’s unusual to spend an entire day together. So, plan one.

A Ticket or Pass — Give your teen a ticket to an event or experience they would love to try. From a sporting event to spa day or concert, find an event that matches your teen’s interests. Then plan a day around the event.

Luggage — Make the trip extra special by planning an overnight stay and gift your teen their first set of travel tools so they can use the gift right away.

An Experience They’ll Never Forget — The best part of this gift is that you end up with memories that are more important than presents.

Fun and Practical Smartphone Stuff

Many teens are already attached to their smartphones, so give them a gift that upgrades their phone’s capabilities. Uncommongoods.com has a variety of fun smartphone tools and add-ons.

DIY Smartphone Projector — Turn your teen’s phone into a mini movie projector with this kit that displays videos and photos on the wall.

Smartphone Instant Photo Lab — Go retro with a printer that takes photos from your teen’s phone and turns them into classic-styled instant photos.

Bluetooth Tracking Tap — If you have a teen who is always misplacing their smartphone, gift them this Bluetooth tracking device that will help them keep track of their phone during their busy life.

If your teen doesn’t already have a smartphone, maybe this is the year to upgrade and give them one of their own. Your teen will love you for it, and you will be able to install and use MamaBear, The Ultimate Parenting App™. The app which is available for iPhone and Android devices features GPS location services and social media monitoring so you can easily stay connected with your active teen, making both of your lives easier.

As the holidays approach, we’d like to wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday and wonderful new year!