Category: Small Humans

Apps Parenting Privacy Small Humans

Custody dispute? A judge can order you to use this app to deal with your ex.

sudshr47 March 8, 2019

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2019 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

Legally mandated app usage is officially now a thing. 

Say hello to coParenter, an app designed to facilitate the often-fraught dealings of two non-married or separated individuals trying to jointly raise a kid. The app, available for download in the App Store and on Google Play, officially launched Jan. 17 with the promise to both save parents money and keep them out of court.  Read more…

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breastfeeding Maternity Leave Parenting Family pregnancy Small Humans

The Willow breast pump eases some of the worst parts of pumping, for a price

sudshr47 February 23, 2019

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2019 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

If you’re pumping breast milk, what would you pay to not feel quite so much like a literal dairy cow? With the release of a new and improved breast pump, that’s no longer a hypothetical question. 

Despite a built-in customer base thanks to insurance coverage from the Affordable Care Act and a lack of paid maternity leave pushing American mothers back in the workplace as fast as possible, meaningful improvements to the breast pump are few and far between.  Read more…

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breastfeeding Maternity Leave Parenting Family pregnancy Small Humans

The Willow breast pump eases some of the worst parts of pumping, for a price

sudshr47 February 23, 2019

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2019 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

If you’re pumping breast milk, what would you pay to not feel quite so much like a literal dairy cow? With the release of a new and improved breast pump, that’s no longer a hypothetical question. 

Despite a built-in customer base thanks to insurance coverage from the Affordable Care Act and a lack of paid maternity leave pushing American mothers back in the workplace as fast as possible, meaningful improvements to the breast pump are few and far between.  Read more…

More about Breastfeeding, Pregnancy, Maternity Leave, Parenting Family, and Small Humans

View More The Willow breast pump eases some of the worst parts of pumping, for a price
Black History Month Diversity And Inclusion Family Parenting Small Humans

5 children’s books that celebrate the spirit of Black History Month

sudshr47 February 23, 2019

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2019 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

Black History Month is often misunderstood as a time to exclusively address contributions made by Black Americans in the past. However, the potential of this month is so much richer than only revisiting historical events. It’s also a great time to evaluate (and push back against) the way Black people are portrayed in media and literature today.

One way to do that, especially for children, is through books. Exposing your children to fiction and non-fiction stories that center Black characters is an accessible method for humanizing Black Americans and highlighting the diversity of Black people’s experience. Read more…

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Family Parenting Internet of Things Small Humans Smart Toys

Reminder: Smart toys are cute, cuddly, and full of security risks

sudshr47 January 26, 2019

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Today, kids have the chance to interact with their stuffed animals, robots, or dolls in ways their parents were only able to dream of. These toys, usually referred to as “smart” or “connected,” have built-in motion sensors, speakers, and microphones that allow them to analyze what children say and respond within seconds by searching an online database or the internet at large for an appropriate response. They learn children’s preferences and interests over time, so their play can become personalized, which may improve communication skills and has been found to increase concentration for children with intellectual disabilities. Read more…

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Kids Mental Health Small Humans Wearable Tech

Wearable sensor may help screen for anxiety and depression in kids

sudshr47 January 16, 2019

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2019 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

When Ellen McGinnis started her career as a psychologist several years ago, she realized just how hard it can be to spot anxiety and depression in young children. Though they have complex inner lives and sometimes develop mental health disorders, preschoolers don’t always show the traditional symptoms you’d expect to see in older children or adults, nor do they always have the words to express their feelings. Read more…

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Family Parenting Food Delivery Services Small Humans

A subscription for baby food? It’s not as crazy at it sounds.

sudshr47 January 12, 2019

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

Internet marketed direct-to-consumer subscription services are the new black – and bonus points if they’re aimed at a person with children. Offering expecting and new parents anything and everything from smart bassinets to leather playmats, the new products extend a gleaming promise of being better, more hands-on, attentive, and nurturing parents than the previous generation (also known as “your parents”). Upwardly mobile millennials are an eager audience, welcoming the new disruptors to a growing industry, but it can be hard to tell whether they’re truly getting something better, or simply something that makes them Read more…

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Culture Parenting Family Small Humans Web Culture

When surprising your kids goes horribly awry

sudshr47 January 7, 2019

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Parents have long surprised their kids with a family vacation.

However, the practice of parents recording their kids’ reactions – and then sharing them online – is a unique phenomenon of the social media age.

In the days after Christmas, you may have seen some of these videos on your social media feeds. In fact, a YouTube search for “surprise trip for kids” yields millions of videos.

But for every excited kid, there’s one who’s crying, screaming or simply perplexed.

As a consumer sociologist, I study how technology provides new ways to meet people’s needs, and how families navigate relationships through social media. Read more…

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Small Humans Tech Web Culture Youtube Stars

Blippi is the YouTube star you need to know, because your kids already do

sudshr47 December 19, 2018

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

Despite having the best of intentions to screen what my kids, ages 4 and 2, are tapping on in YouTube, I often have to tune out the frenetic pacing and manic sounds of unboxing videos or Baby Sharks — otherwise I’d lose my sanity. Then Blippi, a YouTube channel and personality, captivated my kids … and I started paying attention.

Blippi is a young, bespectacled guy perpetually clad in a blue button-up and jeans, an orange bowtie with matching suspenders, and a blue-and-orange felt hat. He brings kid-like wonderment and about three Red Bulls’ worth of enthusiasm to topics like tractors and zoo animals. In addition to educational and entertaining videos in which Blippi takes a helicopter with the LAPD, or uses jet skis to teach colors, he’s also providing my children with a lesson on the value of SEO — whether they know it or not.  Read more…

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Miscarriage pregnancy Small Humans Tech

Pregnancy apps don’t know how to handle miscarriages

sudshr47 December 14, 2018

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

“It’s measuring small,” the sonogram technician was looking at the screen for a few minutes before she spoke. “Are you sure you’re six weeks along? I can’t really see much. Maybe you need to come back in a week or so.”

A week later, she repeated the same, only this time something in her voice changed. A slight brevity, more awkward pauses between sentences. The nurse practitioner, reviewing my results, cautioned me to be ready for no baby.  Read more…

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Body Image Body Positivity Family Parenting Small Humans

How to give kids good body image in the age of Snapchat

sudshr47 December 12, 2018

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

During a recent date night with my husband, my beloved babysitter let my 4-year-old daughter take a few (unpublished) pictures with a Snapchat filter that added blush and eyelashes while smoothing out her already blemish-free skin. My daughter was transfixed, and started referring to those pictures as “the pretty ones.” My jaw instantly dropped, as did my heart.  

“By age 4, children begin to compare themselves to others,” says Dr. Pam Roggeman, academic dean for the University of Phoenix College of Education. “There is now a new task added to the job of being a parent: teaching our kids to be critical viewers to help them develop an identity that is beyond their appearance.” Read more…

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Calendar Apps Family Parenting Small Humans Tech

Run your family life, all from one app? Cozi promises you can

sudshr47 December 8, 2018

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Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

Modern life in general can often be a logistical nightmare, but adding kids to the mix takes domestic air traffic control to a whole new level. The premise of an app built with precisely this use-case in mind may seem like a godsend for any Gcal-overloaded caregiver, but Cozi, which bills itself as an app that can “simplify” family life, also runs the risk of contributing to the problem it attempts to solve.  Read more…

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