Episode 124: Digital Dilemmas: Strategies for Modern Parents with Meredith DePaolo

Send us Fan MailIn this podcast episode, TV Journalist and mother, Meredith DePaolo discusses the challenges of managing screen time for her children. Listen in as she shares her journey in creating the "Carrots and Cake" app to help parents strike a balance between learning apps and free time on devices; allowing parents to set rules and engage their children in productive discussions about screen time. And stay tuned as she and DJ discuss the importance of consistency in parenting, having regular family meetings, the significance of modeling good behavior and maintaining open lines of communication with children regarding technology use.Meredith DePaolo is a TV journalist, Yale grad, and mother of two little girls who felt like she was losing her mind during the lockdown and distance learning over her kids' screen time habits. So they teamed up with teachers, scientists, and child psychologists to create Carrots&Cake, an app focused on improving the quality of kids’ screen time. The app prioritizes educational apps and gets kids to Learn First and Play Later. It puts parents in charge of technology while still giving kids agency. Their balanced limits help combat some of the biggest negative side effects associated with screen time: tantrums, anxiety, depression, obesity, sleeplessness, lowered self confidence.TIMESTAMPS• [6:37] DJ discusses how excessive screen time is affecting children's social and cognitive development, including an increase in autism diagnoses.• [11:27] Meredith talks about setting screen time limits and promoting physical activity for kids.• [18:46] Meredith shares how today’s parents are addicted to technology and struggle to disconnect from it, impacting their relationships with their children.• [24:21] Meredith emphasizes the importance of modeling good behavior for children and setting clear rules for screen time.For more information on the Imperfect Heroes podcast, visit: https://www.imperfectheroespodcast.com/Connect with Us!DJ Stutz - Website: https://www.littleheartsacademyusa.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleheartsacademy/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleheartsacademy/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOpphCRklDJiFXdS76U0LSQDJ Stutz Booking Link: https://bookme.name/ImperfectheroespodcastRoman Is Bigger bookCICERONE MASTERS Link: https://www.littleheartsacademyusa.com/courses/cicerone-mastersONE ON ONE COACHING Link: https://www.littleheartsacademyusa.com/courses/one-on-one-coaching-bundleMeredith DePaolo - Website: https://carrotsandcake.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrotsandcake_official/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/CarrotsCake/100065133874950/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carrotsandcake/Episode mentioned is episode 134 that will go live on January 22 with Marci Melzer on virtual autism. Support the showSupport the show.If you like what you hear, we would appreciate your support.  Every little bit helps.https://www.buzzsprout.com/1779847/support