If you don't think of family board games as an educational opportunity to supplement your kids' learning, well put away the Cards Against Humanity (ha) and check out these suggestions! To be clear, as a homeschooling mom, I'm a big fan o…
Q: I’m looking for good resources for talking to my 11- and 12-year-olds about the presidential election, like candidate platforms that are kid-friendly reads . - Monica, via our Spawned Podcast Community . A: Well, this certainly sent m…
I just read that nearly 30% of Americans sometimes, rarely, or never wear a mask in public and it makes me want to bang my head on something. Nothing too hard though, because our hospitals have been through enough and don't need the like…
Some of us have older teens who are really excited to vote this year. But because each state manages their own voting policies, it can be confusing as to how, when, and where to register to vote. We all know that if you're 18 on or befor…
With school districts all over the country releasing their preliminary plans for school this fall, I'm hearing so many parents trying to determine whether or not their kids are going back full-time . The requirement between states and di…
I'm trying to do a better job of raising anti-racist kids , and I believe that starts with learning more about the history of the Black experience in America. An essential part of that education is the understanding of Juneteenth , a hol…
Big news, parents! We've got a new podcast called Out-Tech Your Kids, a tech-positive podcast for the age of digital parenting. Liz and I answer parents' top burning tech questions in just 15 minutes or less each week. Hey, we know your …
We have spent more time listening than talking this difficult weekend. But I woke up this morning knowing I want to make it perfectly 100% clear where Kristen and I stand: Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. This …
Over the last few months, we've shared some informative posts to help the newbies among us succeed more with homeschooling -- or more accurately, helping us to guide our kids through the at-home learning they're getting from their school…
I don't need to share any Coronavirus charts or "the world is sucking right now" articles, that's for sure. Instead, here are the articles, stories, essays, and videos I've been bookmarking, passing along to friends, or just saving for m…
Anxiety had already been a concern for many of our kids before the Covid pandemic hit, and as we all know, the current situation isn't helping. All of us are having to navigate an entirely new way of life right now, and it can be particu…
My son turned 10 this month, and I have to admit, it was a bit of a bummer birthday. He had a great attitude and enjoyed some chocolate cake, but with the current quarantine and social distancing guidelines, his party was cancelled and h…
I know a lot of parents have jumped right into homeschooling their kids (or, schooling-from-home might be more accurate) so that they won't get too far behind in their studies. But with news that Virginia has canceled school for the rest…
Hi! Total homeschooling newbie here, and now here I am, trying to create a homeschool schedule -- or some semblance of one -- to help keep us sane. Um, it's not easy. For background, I am the parent who thought I could wing it with newbo…
As a homeschooling mom, I know how educational documentaries for kids can help fill the days, balance entertainment with education, and even give us longer breaks when we need it. I even included it in my tips for parents who are now hom…
With all the school closures right now, we know so many of you are looking for the best homeschooling resources. (Like, a lot of you!) We hear you! So first, I suggest you read my post on a homeschooling mom's tips for teaching your kids…
So, school's been cancelled for the indefinite future and you're about to become a homeschooling parent, maybe for the first time. Now that you're stuck at home with the kids for the next two, four... ten weeks, what in the world are you…
Let's be honest: We don't each need 600 rolls of toilet paper on hand right now. Not that that's stopping some people! But after a really stressful week of a COVID-19 scare involving a quarantined relative in D.C. , it did put the situat…
We're so thrilled to be entering our 14th year publishing Cool Mom Picks. We know! We can't believe it either. Every year, we share our top 10 most visited posts on Cool Mom Picks. While our gift guides are often quite popular, these rep…
In the past, teenagers have had a reputation with parents that preceded them. Does the eyeroll emoji come to mind? Well in 2019, we saw the rise of an exciting movement that empowered parents raising teens to see them in all their awesom…
Even though we started Cool Mom Tech in 2010, this past year, we saw an exciting parenting trend emerge: tech-positive parenting . But considering how powerful this movement has been, I'm pretty sure that it's a trend that's going to be …
it's time for our annual Top 10 Editors Picks of the Year ! To kick things off, I wanted to start with one of the biggest, most positive events that pops out to us as we reflect on 2019: the growing awareness of gender fluidity and gende…
Nothing gets me emotional quite like the Folger's coffee holiday commercial, with the sentimental mother-son reunion at 5:30 AM over a cup of coffee. (I'm not joking, I cry every time.) But that's not quite most people's reality when we …
We write a lot about the importance of raising good digital citizens . The way we see it, the internet isn't going away, and the older your kids get, the harder it is to start teaching them good behavior. So we start young, so that as ki…