Sometimes Free Costs Too Much

Posted on October 11, 2018October 11, 2018 by Bob Waliszewski

I get a lot of emails that make me scratch my head. I’m guessing you can relate. For instance, I regularly get one from a female gynecologist wanting me to interview her. I also get frequent emails from some “cannabis-something-or-other” business excited about their various products infused with THC. (I’m not sure what the official […]

Culture Clips: Want to Help Keep Kids Mentally Healthy? Go to Church

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Paul Asay

I was never much of a church lover when I was a youngster. Such long sermons. So much standing and sitting and standing again. And, ugh, my parents talked to so many people afterward that we hardly ever got home in time to watch the early football game. But did all that church make me […]

Speaking of Speaking …

Posted on August 28, 2018August 28, 2018 by Bob Waliszewski

In my 2011 book, Plugged-In Parenting, I included a chapter titled, “Ten Things You Can Do to End Fights Over Family Entertainment.” One of those suggestions was to get your pastors involved. Here’s what I said: When your kids hear other people—pastors, parents, teachers—echoing your advice on media, they may be more willing to listen. […]

‘Eighth Grade,’ Like Eighth Graders, Needs Parents

Posted on August 9, 2018August 10, 2018 by Paul Asay

Eighth Grade, the movie, is rated R, and for some pretty obvious reasons. Our intrepid reviewer Kristin Smith noted lots of profanity (including about 10 f-words) and saw plenty of references to various types of sexual activity when she screened the film. “It left me wondering why so much of it had to be there,” […]

Vodcast: How Does Parenthood Change Our View of the Media?

Posted on July 19, 2018July 23, 2018 by Adam Holz

Parenthood is full of surprises, no matter how much we try to prepare for everything before the arrival of our firstborn. One of those surprises may be the ways becoming a parent changes how we see the world. And that includes entertainment and media. In this week’s Plugged In Vodcast, Kristin Smith, Bob Hoose and […]

What’s New and Streaming for Families This July

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Paul Asay

You’ve eaten your hot dogs, doused your sparklers and gobbled down a slice or two of apple pie. Now, what are you going to do for the rest of the month, hmmm? Well, streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu have some ideas about that. And while they certainly have plenty of offerings […]

Vodcast: Incredibles 2 and Everyday Supers

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Adam Holz

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom might be poised to take a big bite out of the box office this weekend. But we’re guessing that plenty of families who didn’t see Pixar’s Incredibles 2 on opening night might well be making plans to do so this weekend. I took my three kiddos earlier this week. In some […]

The Importance of Pops in Pixar

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Paul Asay

Incredibles 2 is officially out now, and just in time for Father’s Day. Great timing, really. Like a lot of Pixar movies, this one has a whole lot to say about fatherhood. Indeed, I think it’s film’s emotional core. It’s a bit ironic, given that the Incredibles 2 storyline focuses on Mama Incredible, aka Helen […]

Presenting Plugged In’s Family Movie Nights Discussion Guide

Posted on June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 by Adam Holz

My kids got out of school yesterday. They’re thrilled! Mom and Dad? We’re, um … thrilled? Summer is obviously a fantastic season for families to spend more time together. But sometimes, if we’re honest as parents, we can run low on activity ideas. So we have one for you: Our Summer 2018 Family Movie Nights […]

You, Your Children and the Forcefield App

Posted on January 18, 2018January 31, 2018 by Kristin Smith

The internet is everywhere. It wasn’t always so, believe it or not. I remember the days when the centralized home computer was all you had available when logging your Solitaire and Minesweeper hours. Now all you have to do is reach into your pocket, pull out your mini-computer, and browse the world with your fingertips. […]

You’re Taking Your Kid to That Horror Movie? Really?

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Bob Hoose

As a movie critic, I’m encouraged to be judgmental. But when it comes to other people’s personal lives or the choices I see somebody make day-to-day, well, I tend to pull out my imaginary fishing rod and just reel that opinionated, faultfinding side of my psyche back in. Really, I do. Hey, I’ve made more […]

What Parents Need to Know About Facebook’s Messenger Kids App

Posted on December 6, 2017December 6, 2017 by Jake Roberson

kid with phone (possibly using the Facebook Messenger Kids app)

Facebook is coming for your children. On December 4, 2017, Facebook announced a new app targeted at 6-to-12-year-olds called Messenger Kids. The world will never be the same again… …but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe it is or, maybe, it isn’t. There are myriad opinions as to whether Facebook’s Messenger Kids app is […]

Culture Clips: Time’s Person of the Year Is a Hashtag Movement

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Adam Holz

Each December, speculation builds about who Time magazine will select as its Person of the Year. That tradition that dates back to 1927, when Charles Lindbergh was selected as the inaugural honoree (according to Wikipedia’s entry on the subject.) Past recipients include almost every U.S. president since then (with the notable absence of Gerald Ford), […]

When Tech Becomes Mom

Posted on August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 by Bob Hoose

So who’s in charge here guys? Who, or what, is really making the decisions for your kids? The answer—in this day of burgeoning technology—may not be as cut and dried as you think. OK, first of all, I’m not simply talking about the current trend of parents letting techy doodads do their babysitting. We all […]

Tell Me About Amazon FreeTime

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Bob Hoose

Kids and their devices. Keeping track of it all sorta feels like trying to grab a tiger by the tail doesn’t it? Especially since today’s techy tykes might know more about the ins and outs of your tablets and phones than you do. Well, in our never-ending quest to help parents feel like they have […]

plugged In

Plugged In Articles

Plugged In Reviews

Search Plugged In

Parenting