As summer break ends to make way for the return of the school year, parents are scrambling to get their young ones ready. For parents in the digital age, back-to-school prep goes beyond filling out medical forms and buying school supplies. Families need to also get their tech lives in order in anticipation of the new school year. Here’s our checklist on how to digitally prepare for back to school. About a week or two before the first day of school, start getting your kids to bed early. If thei

The internet is practically a way of life for children, many of whom have been exposed to a digital device almost their whole lives. However, as familiar as today’s kids are with being online, many are unaware of the potential dangers and of general etiquette in digital life. A monster task for today’s parents is teaching children how to safely and responsibly navigate digital space. We’ve provided a quick guide below with the top three tips highlighted in the above graphic. Owning a smartphon

July 12th is National Summer Learning Day, created by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) to raise awareness of summer learning loss (AKA “summer slide”). This is a phenomenon in which school children forget some (ok, maybe a lot) of what they’d learned throughout the school year during summer break. Recently expanded by the NSLA to cover the whole week of July 8-13, National Summer Learning Day invites families, education leaders, and child experts to work together and ensure kids a

June is National Internet Safety Month. Passed by Congress in 2005, Internet Safety Month raises awareness of online safety, particularly for children. It’s notable that it takes place at the start of summer vacation, a time when parents should arguably be the most vigilant when it comes to managing their kids’ online activity. In previous decades, children spent their summer days hopping between grassy yards, local swimming holes, hanging out at the mall and at times, watching too much TV. Now

Many children across the country are excitedly counting the days until summer break. They’ll be bidding adieu to homework and classes for the next 8-12 weeks as they travel, lounge around the house, or attend summer camp. However, for some kids the last few weeks of school can be extremely stressful due to a number of factors that range from final class projects to concerns in leaving a beloved teacher. This can be a lot to handle for young minds and bodies, so it’s important for children to le

It may be hard to accept for some people, but we can’t be everywhere at once. Sometimes multiple events will happen at the same time, and we’d have to choose which one to attend. Other times we won’t be invited to certain gatherings or outings. While many people accept this and move on, others may become consumed by this knowledge and develop FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out. FOMO refers to the anxiety and discomfort someone feels when they think they’re missing out on fun experiences. It’s normal to f

In honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, we asked our moms in the office to share their experiences and thoughts about being a mother, and the challenges of raising children in the tech era. How has working at Securly changed your outlook on internet safety at home? Becky: I see tremendous value in having good digital citizenship conversations with your children starting in elementary school, and with clear guidelines on internet use at home while they are young. Add in their school’s use of Filt

April 29 – May 5 is Screen-Free Week, a chance for families to temporarily unplug from screens and find non-tech ways to have fun. Surprisingly, Screen-Free Week actually began 25 years ago. It was called “TV TurnOff Week”, during an era when the internet was in its infancy and parents were only concerned about TV rotting their children’s brains.

Teenagers are notorious for engaging in reckless behavior, and probably have been doing so since humans first walked the earth. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn of prehistoric teens taunting wooly mammoths. However, the rise of social media has inadvertently elevated risk-taking, in the form of viral challenges. Participating in these dangerous viral challenges have led some teens to hospitalization, disfigurement, and even death. Let’s explore why teens often get involved in these viral chal

In last week’s article, we discussed how to properly introduce your child to technology, and touched upon the topic of responsibility. This week we’re expanding on that subject, with a focus on tweens.

In our modern, tech-infused society, it seems like children are practically born with a smartphone in their hands. How many of us have seen toddlers sitting in their strollers casually tapping and swiping on their parents’ digital devices like pros? How many tweens are walking around with their own smartphones? Let’s face it: tech is here to stay, and parents are responsible for deciding how and when to introduce their children to it.

Just when you thought the holidays are a distant memory here comes spring break, another long stretch in which you’ll have to find a way to keep your kids busy while they’re home from school. Although some people travel during spring break, many families opt to stay close to home for various reasons. If you are planning on such a “staycation” with your kids, be careful. It can be very easy to waste the day away by turning on the TV or handing over your tablet for several hours.

It’s inevitable that as people age, they also become more isolated. A 2016 Merck Manual study found that about 30% of 46 million seniors not living in a nursing home live alone. The consequences of isolation on senior mental health can be tragic, ranging from extreme loneliness to a further decline of health. It’s crucial then, for seniors to seek out companionship.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day presents chocolate reigns supreme, according to a 2017 Statista article. Instead of buying yet another heart-shaped box for your beloved, this year why not do something special and make him/her the sweet treats from scratch? Maybe some Valentine’s chocolate bites? Trust us it’ll be more meaningful that way, and you can customize the goodies with their favorite types of chocolate and fillings.

The effects of aging are the most visible on your face. Wrinkles, age spots, and sagginess appear. Sun damage and acne scars may also emerge. The result is that you look older, more tired, and less vibrant than you really feel. Fortunately, while aging is inevitable, you can do something to slow it down. This article will discuss two methods of skin repair—IPL photofacial and fractional laser treatments. Ultimately, the right treatment for you depends on what issues need to be addressed.

With the warm glow of the holidays over, we are left to wait out and withstand the harshness of winter. Activities in the snow are fun – but the toll it takes on our skin is harsh. With very little moisture and warmth in the air, our skin tends to get dry, chapped, and cracked during this time of year. But with these tips, you can reduce these issues and maintain your skin’s moisture and suppleness.

If your elderly loved one requires personal and medical assistance due to injury, illness, disability, or declining health, you may want to consider a home health care agency. Home health care agencies employ caregivers and specialists such as occupational therapists, companions, home health aides, and registered nurses. They tend to the patient at his or her own home.

If you are a family caregiver to an elderly loved one, it can be very stressful and exhausting at times. You love your relative and are willing to do anything for him or her, but you are only human and have limitations. Perhaps your job is suffering, or you’re starting to neglect your own family. It may also be that the workload is physically or mentally too much.

Christmas is a time to think about others. Buying presents, sending greeting cards, traveling to see family—those are heartwarming activities we do for our loved ones. However, New Year’s Eve is a different story. New Year’s Eve is a time to CELEBRATE! It’s not too early to start prepping for the biggest party of the year. In between your Christmas shopping, squeeze some time in to get yourself a cute outfit, killer shoes, and sexy ‘do. But none of that matters if you don’t have healthy, glowing skin.

Caring for an elderly family member can be very difficult and overwhelming. Not only do you have to attend to that family member’s personal and medical needs, but you need to tend to your own life. How will you be able to work a full-time job if you have to spend most of your time caring for say, your parent? And what if you have children and a spouse? They need you too. Luckily, family caregivers can find assistance and much-needed respite in the form of adult daycares.