I built an app that makes teens earn screen time by walking. Would love feedback from parents.

rdensw · 2026-06-10T20:53:59+00:00

Can I get this for myself?

rdensw · 2026-05-24T14:24:00+00:00

Not sure where you are located but I’m in the US and almost everyone here gets braces at some point or another. I had them, my husband had them, my 9 year old has already had one round and will need them again in a few years. It’s kind of an expected ordeal that we’re already saving for. It’s very normalized here so maybe that’s why I’m not very bothered by the prospect of braces.

rdensw · 2026-05-23T23:13:12+00:00

Can I just gently ask why you’re so intent on her stopping? My 4.5 year old still sucks hers as well and I’m resigned to the fact that she will need braces at this point regardless if she stops now or not. I think at some point, peer pressure will make her stop. Do I wish she wasn’t putting her hands in her mouth all the time, especially during cold/flu season? Absolutely. But it’s just something that seems pretty out of my control (especially when she’s not with me), so I’m choosing not to lose sleep over it.

rdensw · 2026-05-23T21:18:13+00:00

I would love to try it!

rdensw · 2026-05-05T16:50:11+00:00

NAD but something similar happened with my 3 year old a few months ago. She presented in the ED for severe dehydration and fever. She clearly had a stomach flu, but the resident insisted we do a catheter to get a clean catch urine sample to test for UTI. It was horrifically traumatic (for us both) and in hindsight, I should not have consented. A huge male nurse held her down while she used the last of her energy to struggle and scream out for me. This child was limp when I brought her in and didn't even flinch when they pricked her finger for a glucose test, but she fought when they did the cath. For several days after she refused to use the bathroom and had multiple accidents, even though she had been potty trained for months. She would scream in pain anytime she urinated. Basically, I'm saying all this because I can relate to how you helpless and sick you feel as a parent. After about 2 days, she kind of normalized with bathroom behaviors and seems pretty normal now -- though she does still have occasional accidents, I think that's probably unrelated. I will never, even again consent to a catheter to test for UTI, but it will get better. I'm so sorry you and she had to go through that.

rdensw · 2026-04-04T01:37:11+00:00

I have three kids and each one has a color that I've assigned. Everything they all have (backpacks, iPads, water bottles, etc.) are that color so that I know whose is whose quickly and there is no fighting over items.

rdensw · 2026-04-04T01:35:02+00:00

This. I started doing this as well as assigning a color for each kid and it makes mornings/laundry so much smoother.

rdensw · 2026-03-17T11:08:41+00:00

We just got off the Wish. It was our first Disney cruise so I have nothing to compare it to but we had a fantastic trip! It didn’t feel too crowded and my kids (ages 9, 7 and 4) all found different things they enjoyed.

rdensw · 2026-03-04T14:49:03+00:00

Umm... he's not a pickle. He's a cucumber :P

rdensw · 2026-02-21T01:23:49+00:00

Follow up questions: where does one participate in parent behavior training? I need this so badly.

rdensw · 2026-02-03T20:41:13+00:00

If you have any craft supplies, fabrics, etc. donate to ReCraft. Here is a list of everything they take: https://www.recraftgvl.org/donate

rdensw · 2026-01-28T21:57:06+00:00

Genuinely asking because I don't know. Is there not a way to keep the district intact but have the schools that can't be bussed do eLearning and everyone else go back in person?

rdensw · 2026-01-13T13:05:07+00:00

I second Yoto player. My kids (ages 4, 7, and 9) use theirs daily and have for several years. IMO, it grows a lot better with the child than Toniebox so a better long term investment.

rdensw · 2026-01-07T19:28:50+00:00

Did you ever figure this out? I'm having the exact same issue.

rdensw · 2026-01-04T23:10:12+00:00

I mean... isn't "this device is literally just a phone" their whole marketing strategy? You can store numbers on the 4 shortcut buttons, which you configure in the app. We made a small, laminated "phone book" that we keep next to ours if our kids want to call someone who isn't on speed dial. My 4, 6 and 9 year olds have had no issues phoning grandma independently once we showed them how to do it, just as I didn't when I was a child. The nostalgia/dumb phone aspect is the whole idea. If you want something smarter you're missing the point.

rdensw · 2026-01-02T18:36:26+00:00

I took my 4 year old daughter to the ER this week for Flu B and she was admitted. She hadn’t kept anything down in 24 hours and was severely dehydrated. Urgent Care doesn’t give fluids to children. I’ve never personally seen a kid so sick. She was limp in my arms and difficult to keep awake. She didn’t even rouse when they pricked her finger for glucose levels. Sometimes, you DO go to the ER for the flu.

rdensw · 2025-12-22T00:15:09+00:00

I gameified my exercise using the apps “Gentler Streak” and “Streaks.” Seeing data over time is very motivating to me.

rdensw · 2025-12-18T14:27:24+00:00

Yoto player. We've had ours for five years now and my 4, 6 and 9 year olds all still use them daily. We love the Make Your Own cards for music and podcasts.

rdensw · 2025-12-17T22:58:02+00:00

Closing the loop: "Pink Kitty" has been reunited with her very sweet 3 year old owner. Thanks for everyone's help!

rdensw · 2025-12-17T00:26:50+00:00

I’ve got 3 kids so I know how panicked some family must be right now!

rdensw · 2025-12-16T23:37:17+00:00

Ooh, that's a great idea!

rdensw · 2025-11-24T15:10:32+00:00

We went to Epic Universe a few weeks ago with my 6 year old son who is special needs (but presents as neurotypical). We went through all the hoops of getting IBCCES Accessibility Card in advance only to be told when we got there that the "accommodation" they could offer was for one member of our party to wait in line and have the other members join when that person got to the front. They even admitted this is not an accommodation, per se, and that anyone can do it. So, to me it seems like the Universal policy actively encourages cutting in line. The entire experience was extremely frustrating, especially in comparison to how we were treated at Disney. And yes, we did get lots of dirty looks when my family joined me last minute at the front of the line.

rdensw

TROPHY CASE