Have you ever noticed that when it comes to topics even remotely touching on a children's screen-time, more often than not, screen-time is viewed as a negative factor in a child's life? Television has been portrayed as an evil entity that rot's the minds of our innocent Children. It's been so deeply ingrained in the minds of society, that parent's have taken an irrational opposition between kids getting physical activity and screen-time. It appears that parents for the most part are either all or nothing—indoors and screen-time automatically get paired together or physical exercise and outdoors.

After taking sometime and really thinking about what this "dividing line" really represents (you know, the divide that constantly causes great heated debates commonly among parents and of course made popular and viral thanks to social media) I couldn't believe how ridiculous it really was. To put as simple as possible, all of these parent debates surrounding screen-time are really saying "Hey, guess what? Children aren't smart enough to play AND learn in moderate diverse ways." It's ridiculous! Seriously, take a minute and REALLY think about it. We're selling our poor children short, certainly not giving them the benefit of a doubt and that's really unfair to them.

It should come as no surprise that tablets have invaded play time for many children—in fact, did you know that everyone in three kids have their own device?Now, don't get me wrong—with technology changing so quickly, I do understand the worries many parents have. That worry ends up causing concern about the risks associated with tablets and smartphones.

As described byMerriam-Webster.com's dictionary—Parenting is the process of taking care of a child until they are old enough to take care of themselves : the things that parents do to raise a child. While it's our job as parents to protect our children, it's also our responsibility not to shelter our children to the point where it starts effecting the outcome of their learning.  Finding different unique uses for screen-time shouldn't be out of the question.

Different Uses for Screen-Time

I don't think anyone can argue the fact that there's a BIG difference between using the good ole' boob tube for extended periods of time merely for the purpose of keeping your child out of your hair and it's another to actually take the time to sit down, enjoy and discuss with your child whatever it is they may be watching. (referred to as "instructive mediation".)

Instructive Mediation

With today's technologies at our children's fingertips, storytelling has evolved into an interactive experience.  Instructive mediation allows parents to discuss the things that are being seen and heard on television, tablet, phone, etc. and gives parents the opportunity to ask questions that help spark their child's thinking. Essentially, when you use instructive mediation with your child, your turning it into a mini learning session. It helps children to become creative thinkers in a world that's filled with so much digital media.

Screen-time starts to become a problem when there's a lack of human interaction. When a child becomes so absorbed in a screen  that the screen becomes the center and main focus of their world, well of course it's obvious that this can eventually interfere with the development of social and emotional skills (like empathy).

As with anything else in this world, it's all comes down to moderation—not one extreme or the other. It's important to let your child experience different types of play. If the amount of screen-time is more than the time they spend doing other creative and physical activities, then yeah—this a big problem that can affect his development.

However, there areways to effectively manage your child's screen time to make you both happy and content.

What if finding that happy medium was as simple as an app? Guess what? It really is thanks to the Hopster TV app!

What is hopster?

hopster TV app makes screen-time smart for your child. Your child can find all their favorite shows, songs and educational learning games in one safe convenient place (see, this ideas already starting to sound attractively appealing isn't it?) hopster was built specifically for preschoolers to use on their own.

hopster is available on all devices and comes with many great features.

800+ favorite kids TV episode'sOver 100 songs and nursery rhymesCurriculum based learning gamesDoesn't contain any ads, ever (I don't know about you, but this one is a HUGE plus for me!)Gives you the ability download episodes to watch offline, anytime you want.Age-appropriateKidSafe COPPA Certified

I do want to point out that shows may vary by country. You candownload hopster now for Freeto find out what shows are available in your country!

THE hOPSTER CURRICULUM

All About MeChildren learn to become independent and express themselves in appropriate ways.

My Friends and FamilyChildren learn how to interact positively and appropriately with others.

My WorldChildren use the scientific process to explore science concepts in the world around them.

Basic AcademicsChildren learn basic foundation literacy and mathematics concepts.

Engaging activities are created from each area that is broken down into individual objectives.  Each of their featured shows consists of one of these core curriculum areas.

Everything found on hopster has been carefully chosen and created to coordinate with The hopster Curriculum which has been developed by a panel of experts in childhood development. Once hopster develops a game, they always take it a step further by having each game reviewed by two different experts in childhood development.

One thing that I really admire and that really stood out to me about hopster is that they understand that each and every child learns differently and at different rates. As hopster puts it "everything has been designed with little fingers and tiny thinkers in mind" (too cute!)

Here's a list of some of the shows they offer (most of them will be familiar to you and most likely some of your child's favorite shows!):

Peppa PigArthurBob the BuilderBackyardingansCaillouBabarThe Adventures of Paddington BearMax & RubyMonster Math SquadThomas the TrainNoddy in ToylandSuperWhy!

There are really so many great features that hopster has to offer. I really appreciate that they provide children with quality content. It's very evident that they strongly believe that learning and entertainment can go hand in hand. That's why every show, game, song and rhyme is not only always fun, but it always teaches your child something. Their focus isn't so much on about educational content, but rather the quality of the content.

As my son and I explored this wonderful app, it was obvious how much thought, planning and research went into creating this app for children. It's a fun and wholesome app that weeds out anything that even remotely resembles anything that is the TV equivalent of junk food. Technology is always evolving, so hopster's makes sure to personalize each users experience. In other words, as your child learns from hopster, hopster is also learning from them. hopster is always looking for ways to improve their app to increase children's learning outcomes. It's a never ending process, they're always striving to make great things even better!

I have to say, with all the learning apps that my son and I have tried (trust me, there's a ton), hopster by far is my favorite. They have done a fine job at creating a magical world around quality content.

Why not try hopster out yourself with theirFREE 7-day trial? If you decide to keep using hopster after the trial period, their monthly subscription is only $3.99 per month, that's it and you can cancel at anytime! hopster also offers two other different payment plans, you can check them out below:

6-Month Subscription

$19.99

$ 3.33 per Month

Includes: 180 days of unlimited usage and also includes the 7-day free trial.

Yearly Subscription-Best Offer!

$34.99

$ 2.92 per Month

365 days of unlimited streaming and download and of course includes the 7-day free trial period.

You can get your 7-day free trial of hopster by clickinghere!

Have you had the opportunity to try hopster? If so, let know how you and your child liked it. If you haven't yet and decide to try hopster our for FREE, come back and let us know what your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I always love hearing from you!

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