Back to School: Tech, Family, and Giving
Back to School Tech
Just as the cool air has already started to sneak back into our summers so have the ubiquitous Back to School sales and advertisements. I feel like just two weeks ago I finally fully adjusted to our family’s summer schedule and, now of course, it’s about to get all shook up once again with the return of school.
As parents, we have all sorts of things to think about for our kids with going back to school- new teachers, transportation logistics, clothes, after school programs and so on. Yes, it’s a busy time of year but also a great time, especially if you love pumpkin-spiced beverages. I, for one, am not a pumpkin spice latte fan, however I am looking forward to more hooded sweatshirt time ;)
While hopefully, your kids have been cutting down on screen time during the summer and taking advantage of the all that being outdoors has to offer a young developing brain, back to school does mean back to tech as well, so let’s look at some helpful things to think about before the true frenzy begins.
Back to School Recommended Tech
Do your kids misplace their coat or bag at least once a week or is it just us?
Apple AirTags
Maybe you are lucky and your child is great at keeping track of their personal belongings. If so, just skip this part and keep daydreaming of those Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spice lattes in that not too distant future.
If your kids were like I was, then they definitely need constant reminders to "make sure you bring your coat home” or “don’t leave your backpack on the bus again today, PLEASE.”
If that sounds like your kid, then maybe you should consider purchasing a couple Apple AirTags.
Attach one AirTag to your kid’s backpack or nice autumn coat, and, if it is lost, you’ll be able to see where it was left behind using iCloud’s Find My feature or an app like Find My Friends.
Apple also sells many AirTag accessories that allow for the device to be attached to a bag or jacket. Some third-party sites like Amazon also sell some useful AirTag accessories designed to attach to clothing.
Click here to view an AirTag holder for clothing that attaches using safety pins sold by PERFIPRO.
Click here to view flexible AirTag holders for clothing that adhere to fabric sold by Elevation Labs
Apple also offers free engravings on the AirTag which is extra helpful in case your child also happens to lose the tag itself.
AirTags only are only “discoverable” when it is within range of an iOS device. Apple has introduced new features that will help you determine if you are within range of the tag. Also the AirTag cannot be charged however it does have a lifespan of around 18-24 months but you can replace the battery.
For reference though, we haven’t found the discoverability or the battery life to be an issue as we have used the AirTag for our daughter’s backpack for over 18 months now and it still works.
Come to think of it now that I am writing this, it is probably time to see if it needs a battery replacement!
Parental Controls and Screen Time
This school year, consider taking advantage of free solutions to remotely monitor and control your children’s device usage.
You’re busy and you may not always be available to monitor your kids’ screen time. Or maybe your new afterschool sitter is slightly more gullible than the one who watched the kids last school year.
Most likely your internet service provider (ISP) app has native features to help monitor kids device usage so adding this layer of oversight doesn’t cost anything and is ready to be implemented by you at your convenience. The XFinity X1’s parental controls for example, allows you to assign devices to family members, set up a Downtime Schedule and also set Active Time Limits.
Alternatively, each device you own usually will likely have some type of parental control feature that can be set up to easily limit device usage. Below are some quick links to Amazon Fire Kids Tablet and Apple parental controls documentation for your convenience.
Click here for Amazon Fire Parental Controls info
Click here for Apple iPad and iPhone Parental Controls info
Back to School Tech Donations
If you are purchasing a new laptop or replacing any piece of technology for the upcoming school year, please consider donating the old piece of tech, assuming it still works, to a school or after-school program in your area. If you’re unsure where to start, you can always call your child’s school or afterschool program and just ask!
If the device is broken or simply too old to donate, please look to see when your next electronics recycling day is in your town. Wayland, MA just recently restarted their monthly electronics donation day on the first Saturday of each month. Bring down your old electronics to the Wayland Transfer Station and free up some space in your home.
Please note though that Wayland’s electronics recycling program is not a free service however, can you really put a price on getting rid of all of those old random charging cables?
If you’re completely at a loss though and need some help clearing out your old electronics, certainly do not hesitate to email DaveTech as we’ll gladly help you with the donation and/or recycling process!
Back to School and DaveTech Support Services
Like I said, we have all sorts of things to think about for our kids with going back to school. While tech is probably one of those things, it doesn’t have to take up any of your mental bandwidth. So this is just your friendly reminder that DaveTech of Wayland, MA is here for you and all your tech and electronics needs.
Whether it is for the upcoming back to school rush or at any point, please do not hesitate to reach out to DaveTech today and I’ll gladly set up time with you and I can sit down with your devices and get them working the way you want!