Let's face it: There's an app for anything and everything these days! Sometimes it can be a challenge to find an app that provides a solution to your problem, but I am here to help you narrow it down today. The point of this blogpost is not to encourage increased screen time for your child, as I know how challenging it already is to keep kids away from screens, but to rather share with you which apps you could use (along with your child) to support their emotional wellbeing.
MouseTimer
This very simplistic, fun app has a mouse that eats a certain amount of apples until it finally reaches a piece of cheese. Once it has devoured the piece of cheese, a timer goes off! You can choose different time durations that will increase or decrease the amount of apples the sweet little mouse will eat.
Benefits of this app:
Helping younger children understand how much time they have to complete a task or to set expectations of how long they may engage in a specific activity (especially something that involves screen time) can be challenging. Young children's concept of time is often not that well developed just yet, so visually displaying to them how much time they have left is a great way to manage expectations but to also foster cooperation.
How to use this app:
Download it on your phone and, when asking or allowing your child to do a certain task or activity, agree with them beforehand how much time they will need. Once you have come to agreement, start the mouse timer, put it somewhere your child can keep an eye on it and allow it to run its course! Be sure to praise your child if, when the timer goes off, they stop with their activity. This will make things easier the next time you set that timer for a particular activity.
2. Insight Timer
This is an amazing app that has thousands of bedtime stories and mindfulness exercises for children (and adults) to benefit from. It has a lot of free content but also has a paid subscription that gives you access to even more amazing content.
Benefits of this app:
As already mentioned, it has loads of free content, but the ultimate bonus is that it offers a variety of ways to expose your child to mindfulness exercises. Think of breathing exercises, meditations and visualisation exercises as a few examples. There are wonderful creators on the app who have found creative, fun and innovative ways to give children access to the amazing world of mindfulness and all the benefits it brings.
How to use this app:
I always encourage parents to make mindfulness a part of their children's daily routines. So why not wind down at the end of the evening with your child by listening to a bedtime story with them? Or start your day with your tween by doing a breathing exercise on the app with them. If your child is perhaps having a moment in which they are feeling overwhelmed by a particular emotion and you are close by, pick a meditation exercise to complete with them in an attempt to support them in that particular moment.
3. Calm Harm
This free app was created for tweens and teens who might experience stress or anxiety and, simultaneously, want to engage in some form of self-harm. It is a colourful, simple and easy to use app that gives your tween or teen access to different kinds of activities that they could engage in should they feel the urge to self-harm. It also has a self-monitoring functioning that your teen can use to journal their feelings and thoughts, but also jot down ways in which they can help themselves in moments of distress.
Benefits of this app:
The biggest benefit of this app is the fact that it teaches your tween or teen how to self-regulate and cope with moments of distress and the urge to self-harm. It has been created and set up in such a manner that it is user friendly and non-judgmental, while respecting the fact that, when a tween or teen uses it, they are most likely in a moment of distress and need guidance.
How to use this app:
In the case of this app, it would mostly be used by your tween or teen. You could also download it to get familiarised with it. Should your teen be open to discuss their feelings with you in moments of distress, then you could both look at the app together. Ask your teen if you can join them in doing whatever calming activity they choose to do in the app. If your teen or tween is not that open to share these moments with you, then encouraging them to make use of the app as a great tool, can be helpful as well.
There are definitely more helpful apps out there, but these are the ones that I have tried and tested and have gotten positive feedback on from parents and teens/ kids. If you know of any other really great Wellness apps for teens & kids, why not share them in the comments section!
Best wishes,
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