Blog Posts by Common Sense Media

Summer camp isn't only about outdoor activities. By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media contributor

Whenever I try making summer plans with my 9-year-old daughter, she balks at the idea of camps, telling me she just wants to "laze around." But because both my husband and I work at home during the summer, I need to find something to fill at least a few hours each day. And I finally found a camp that I know she'd love.

Unfortunately -- for nature-loving me -- it's a week-long Minecraft Camp.

Are your kids also obsessed with this ultra-popular, sandbox-style video game? Minecraft involves building structures with blocks ... and blowing them up with TNT. Personally, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about, but she and her friends -- and my husband, truthfully -- can spend hours playing if I let them. And then more hours talking about the cool stuff they built and/or blew up.

To me, sitting around playing computer games in a business park doesn't sound like a summer camp -- especially because we live in Santa Cruz

Mom-ing It OnlineBy Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media editor

I admit, I've spent way too long on certain friends' Facebook pages, scrolling through their photos of birthday parties, matching holiday outfits, and luscious four-course meals, immersing myself in their apparently perfect lives.

This modern age of social networks gives us unprecedented access to other mothers' lives. It's so easy to get caught up in their poignant photos and celebratory posts about kids' accomplishments and start believing that this carefully curated online identity is actually the sum of your mom friends' lives.

Inevitably, this leads to self-judgment. Nothing like looking up from a slideshow of a friend's newly designed kitchen to see your own: dirty, disorganized ... depressing.

But what most of us know deep down is that this online life -- the one carefully crafted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. -- is only the highlight reel. The behind-the-scenes life is much grittier, filled with more tantrums

Too much multitasking? By Caroline Knorr, Common Sense Media editor

Q. My kids insist that they need their devices while they're doing their homework. But I see them watching YouTube and checking texts. How do I get them to stop multitasking?

A. You're right to be concerned. Recent studies show that multitasking is detrimental to learning and that distractions weaken brain power. Even teachers are reporting that media has hurt their students' academic performance.

At the same time, school assignments often include a screen component -- researching a topic, doing problems on a math site, viewing and commenting on a YouTube video, or just writing a paper. But once kids are online, it's tough to stop.

Lots of parents struggle with how to manage multitasking. Ultimately, you want to help your kids develop their own self-restraint and concentration abilities. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but here are some ideas to try:

• Try to help your kids understand the value of training

Must-See Summer MoviesBy Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media reviewer

Summer and movies go together like ice cream and sprinkles. But it can be hard to decide which of the big-budget sequels, superhero adventures, and eye-popping animated flicks you and your kids are most likely to love (and want to spend money on!). From the sure-to-be-blockbuster Iron Man 3 to a look at Mike and Sulley's college days in Monsters University, here's a cheat sheet to help you decide which high-profile summer movies are appropriate for your family.

MAY MOVIES

• Iron Man 3 (May 5)
  Target Age: Older Tweens and Teens
  Buzz Factor: As usual, the summer movie season kicks off with a big-budget action flick; this time it's the much-anticipated third film in the Iron Man franchise. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is back to face his toughest foe to date -- one who has the power to destroy the one thing Tony loves more than himself: his beloved Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Expect the usual mix of

Teach kids to be discerning during breaking news.By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media editor

When big news breaks, it's easy to get caught up in following the news online. But while the Internet -- from major news sites to Twitter -- can be a valuable place to find useful information, it can also be the source of misinformation. Helping kids and teens understand the news and how to separate fact from fiction is an important job for parents and educators.

Here's some advice parents can offer kids and teens who consume the news:

1. Remember, breaking news is often wrong. In the rush to cover stories, reporters make mistakes, officials don't always have correct information, and tidbits that sound plausible often get passed around before anyone can check for accuracy. One Texas TV station reported through closed captioning that Zooey Deschanel was one of the accused Boston Marathon bombers!

2. Use social media wisely. Some say Twitter is a great source of news in the first few minutes of a tragedy, but after that it

Time-Management Apps for KidsBy Betsy Bozdech, Common Sense Media editor

Gnashing my teeth the other day after yet another frustrating morning of badgering/begging my 3-year-old to get dressed/go potty/put on her shoes so we could get out the door even close to on time, I found myself thinking that there had to be a better way. What I needed was something that she found more compelling than making faces at herself in the mirror -- or the hundred other ways she finds to dawdle every day.

Enter the iPhone. My daughter loves any excuse to use my phone or tablet, and I'd heard about morning routine apps, so I started poking around. I found a few likely looking options in the App Store, but before I laid out any cash, I wanted to see whether the idea would actually work. So I used an app I already had called AnyList, which my husband and I use to share our weekly grocery shopping roster. I set up a new list just for her that includes all of her morning to-dos, like "Eat breakfast," "Wash hands and face,"

What Does Facebook Home Mean For Your Kids?By Ingrid Simone, Common Sense Media editor

If your teen has one of the handful of Android phones that support Facebook Home, you may be wondering what it's all about. For teens as into Facebook as the average teenager is, Facebook Home will primarily make communicating with Facebook friends a more engaging experience. But what does it really mean for your kids' lives?

What's the appeal?
Facebook Home integrates Facebook into your kid's smartphone, providing an "always on" social experience. The two main ways are through the "cover feed" and messaging. The cover feed will let teens see status updates, photos, and more from their Facebook news feed -- just by looking at the home screen of their phone. They don't need to open an app to see what's going on with their friends, or even to interact with them. And when their friends want to chat or send them a text message, a "chat head" will pop onto their screen, grabbing their attention -- even if they're in another app.

Is

Parents will love these YA books. By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media reviewer

I used to think that YA books were a waste of time. I mean, I didn't even read them when I was an actual teen. (OK, I did read a friend's much-dog-eared copy of Judy Blume's Forever, but that was in sixth grade, and what Gen Xer didn't read that?) There wasn't enough time in my schedule to read all of the critically acclaimed "grown-up" books I wanted to read, much less those aimed at a totally different demographic.

But a few years ago, I finally took the advice of my Common Sense pals Betsy Bozdech and Carrie Wheadon and started reading the Harry Potter books with my oldest son, who was 7 at the time. I was hooked -- I read all seven books in one week -- even though my son didn't finish reading them until he was 9. A year later, Betsy recommended I read The Hunger Games, and again, I devoured read the entire series. Voila, I was officially a YA lover. I even started a blog with my sister, an elementary school teacher,