Blog Posts by Common Sense Media

Which TV Shows Are Taking Aim at Your Teen This Fall?

Every fall, TV networks debut a handful of new shows, and execs cross their fingers that something will stick. Many shows are rehashes of previous hits or follow a formula that's worked in the past. And occasionally something original hits the airwaves. But whether your teen is a fan of the tried-and-true or only tunes in for something really special, chances are he or she will hear about -- and maybe even want to watch -- these new network shows with strong teen appeal.

Suburgatory (ABC)

City kid moves to the 'burbs in edgy comedy.

This clever fish-out-of-water comedy features a top-notch cast and plenty of edgy humor. Jane Levy (Shameless) stars as Tessa, a cool city kid who's whisked off to the supposedly safe suburbs when her dad (Jeremy Sisto) finds a package of condoms in her dresser drawer. She and her dad arrive to find a cast of wacky suburban characters (like the potroast-weilding Sheila Shay,

Getting your family back on a school-year routine after a summer of staying up late, playing on the computer, and watching TV all day (and perhaps all night, if you caught the SpongeBob marathon) isn't easy.

If you loosened your screen-time rules this summer, you're in good company. According to a Harris Interactive poll, about half of all parents say their kids watch more TV, play more video games, surf the Web more, and watch more movies during the summer months.

But since a good night's sleep and limited media are key contributors to school achievement, somebody has to get things back on track. These five strategies can help you get a jump on things.

Have a last blast. Plan one final session of media indulgence. Have a family movie night, a video game day, an iTunes party -- something that says "so long, summer." A media send-off gets everyone ready for the restrictions to come.

Prepare your kids.A week before school starts, start enforcing bedtime, and turn

Learn to Read Apps

With these learn-to-read apps, parents on the go can help their kids enter the world of independent reading.


1. Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic
Parents need to know that Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic is an educational experience that will gently teach your young children early phonics by teaching the sounds that letters make and how to combine them to make short words. Your children will drag the letters for the given word to the proper place below the picture, while the app sounds out the letters and reads the word aloud. Children's efforts will be rewarded when the black and white screen transforms to color and the drawings become animated. There are twelve pages and each one has four levels. You can customize the settings to suit your child's current phonics knowledge and reading level.

2. Kids Learn to Read
Parents need to know that Kids Learn to Read is the third in a series of pre-reading and reading apps created by Intellijoy. Cute character Tommy Turtle

Kids are returning to school this year more saturated in media than ever. From the TV to the computer to the cell phone, balancing your kids' media consumption with homework, after school activities, and play dates is no small feat.

How do you set limits? When should you supervise online activities? How do you reward responsible kids (or give consequences for missteps)? In the tips below, our readers provide practical, do-able, tried-and-true advice you can put into practice right away.

See How Parents Make it All Work

Cell Phone Rules

Say 'nighty night. "At night before bed or at 8:30, we have them turn their phones off and charge them in a certain place that's near our bedroom. They can get their phone in the morning before school."

Don't believe the hype. "They want to know when they can get their own cell phones and iPods (even though they weren't totally sure what it was). So we've had discussions on what's neat and fun to have and what's necessary."

Little kids love apps -- and so do most parents. The ability to tap, touch, and swipe can lead to hours of fun, especially for tiny fingers. And sometimes, handing over your smartphone makes a tantrum magically disappear.

Apps can teach great things -- at low or no cost. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you should always hand over your device when your little one is bored. Each swipe on a tablet or smartphone means less time spent doing all of the other activities that are good for preschool-aged development and more time spent in front of a screen. And if your kid is already watching TV or playing on your computer, it all starts to add up.

Too much screen time can impact everything from kids' health to their school readiness. Here's how to manage your kid's app habit.

Tips to manage your preschooler's app habit

There are better teething devices than electronics. If your kids start to put your phone in their mouth, they're too young to use it. Find

Fight High-Tech Cheating (Before It Starts)

A friend of mine was helping her daughter with her homework when they got to some challenging word problems that neither of them could solve. My friend's Facebook page was open, so she posted the questions to her friends -- and immediately received the answers. Problem solved? Hardly. When the results came through, it occurred to my friend: Am I cheating?

The ease and immediacy of digital devices -- cell phones, smart phones, Internet access, and social networks -- allow us to get answers quickly and efficiently without having to do a lot of work. And if it's a gray area for parents, it's really shady for kids.

A 2009 Common Sense Media poll revealed that lots of kids are doing exactly what my friend did. Plus, they're texting each other answers during tests, using notes and information stored on their cell phones during tests, and downloading papers from the Internet to turn in as their own work. And, while my friend felt

Every back-to-school season, kids just seem to know what's "in" and what's definitely "out." They pick it up from marketing, of course (which seems more aggressive every year). But they also get it from friends, whose opinions carry more weight than parents' -- especially when it comes to what's cool.

This year, in an attempt to stay just a baby step ahead of our kids, we did some snooping. What we discovered is that more and more, kids are sharing and comparing notes of a digital nature: the must-have tech, the must-see viral videos, and the must-join websites.

What's the next Facebook? Is YouTube passé? Read on to discover what's big for back to school -- and how to handle it all.

Dora the Explorer, Ben 10, Barbie, and Angry Birds. It's not a new phenomenon that kindergarten cubbies fill up fast with backpacks and lunchboxes promoting kids' favorite characters. But while the characters may not be new (well, except for the Angry Birds, who suddenly seem to be

Whether your kids are heading off to school for the very first time or are old pros at navigating lockers and homework assignments, the books on this list are bound to entertain (and maybe even reassure) them. Need help managing first-day-of-school jitters? No problem. Need entertaining back-to-school books? Check out our reviews of books featuring spy schools and other imaginative institutions. Happy reading!

The New Bear at School This cuddly bear tale explores fitting in at a new school.
Boris is a very big, very furry, very scary-looking grizzly bear and so he has a tough time making friends. Things are made worse when he makes several blunders on his first day of school -- breaking a chair, tearing a book, and accidentally scaring his classmates. Will they be able to see past his appearance to the lovable bear who lies underneath? When the school bullies arrive on the playground, Boris gets the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of his classmates.

Off to First Grade Kids