Must-Listen Podcasts to Be Back-to-School Ready
The mindsets and strategies parents need to shed toxic screens & give their kids the best school year yet.
Maybe you spent your summer guiding your family through a screen detox and now, in these last few weeks, you are really starting to see positive changes in your children and your relationship. Or maybe you spent the summer watching your kids scroll away on their phones and play hour after hour of video games and have sworn that things are going to change once school is back in session. In either case, you need some support to keep you on track, and that’s where the ScreenStrong Families podcast can help.
Back-to-school is about more than new backpacks. It’s about setting systems in place that will help your family be successful, whether that success involves getting everyone out the door on time or finally ridding your home of toxic screens and the arguments that come along with them.
For all those families headed back to school, no matter where you are in your ScreenStrong journey, I wanted to share some of my favorite podcast episodes to set you up for success.
Understanding the Problem
At ScreenStrong, we know that when parents learn and understand the brain science behind screen use, they have the ammunition they need to stand strong against pushback. These podcast episodes highlight the problem of screens in schools, from smartphones to school-issued laptops.
Dr. Adriana Stacey discusses the current research and discourse around 8th grade being the worst age to give a child a smartphone. Together, she and Melanie offer the reasons why this statement is true and encourage parents to stand firm in their screen decisions.
Hear what seasoned educator and author of Screen Schooled Matt Miles has to say about the ways “ed tech” is failing our students and how parents can communicate productively with their child’s teachers regarding screen use in the classroom.
Janine McKenna has been a school counselor and teacher in LA County for over a decade, and she has seen first-hand how technology and smartphones in schools have changed the way students learn and interact with one another. She shares her insights both as a professional and as a mother.
Dr. Stacey discusses the issue of screens in school, both from a learning and a mental health perspective, and offers concrete tips parents can use today to take charge of their children’s technology and learning habits.
Dory Suttmiller, an experienced educator and ScreenStrong Ambassador, shares insights into fostering better student-teacher interactions and offers practical tips for creating a healthy learning environment amidst digital distractions. Whether you are a parent or a teacher, this episode provides valuable advice for navigating technology's impact on education.
Making A Change
There is some truth to Maya Angelou's saying, “When you know better, you do better.” When most parents learn the science behind how screens are affecting their kids in school, they want to do better. The question becomes how. That’s where these podcast episodes can help.
For those who are newer to or looking to start their ScreenStrong journey, this podcast is filled with practical tips for how you can get your resistant or sensitive kids on board with this big lifestyle change and a template letter you can use to inform your child’s teacher about the changes you are making.
Teralea Moore is an educator with 20+ years of experience working in high schools, community colleges, and private college settings. In this episode, she shares the top 10 things she believes students can do to set themselves up for academic success, both inside and outside the classroom.
“How do I explain this science to my kids?” It’s one of the top questions we get asked at ScreenStrong, and this podcast will tell you exactly how you do that using the Kids Brains & Screens curriculum.
Olivia Kernekin—a member of our staff and ScreenStrong Ambassador—joins Melanie to discuss back-to-school tips regarding personal screens in the classroom and how to establish healthy habits to start the school year right.
Even if you have been following the ScreenStrong Families podcast for a while, these episodes are worth another listen to get you in the back-to-school mindset. And if you are looking for support from other ScreenStrong families, our Connect group is free to join and is a great place to ask questions and get advice from likeminded parents.
Visit ScreenStrong for more information about how to delay the age teens get phones. Listen to our Podcast here with my daughter’s story in her own words now that she has graduated from college. Need help immediately? Get our course.
Melanie Hempe, BSN, is the founder of ScreenStrong, a nonprofit organization, and the author of the Kid’s Brains and Screens course series for students and parents. She is dedicated to preventing and reversing childhood screen addictions by providing scientific evidence and community for families around the globe. Her educational material is filled with everything she wished she had known before her oldest child suffered from a screen addiction. ScreenStrong has created what every family needs—education and the community—to skip toxic screens through adolescence so that teens can reach their full potential. Visit ScreenStrongSolutions.com for educational material and ScreenStrong.org to learn more and join the community that is saving childhood.