Family

Huffington Post Launches “Screen Sense” – A Site for Parenting & Tech

by Michael Sheehan on October 25, 2012

in Family, General, Interview, Opinion, Parenting, Video

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Yesterday, the Huffington Post launched a new property called “Screen Sense” which is a new resource designed to help parents understand and learn how to work with technology in their lives as well as their children’s. As part of the launch event, I was invited to participate in discussing this exact topic on Huffington Post Live (a live video stream of current and trending topics of the world).

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Obviously, this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart as much of the content on HighTechDad.com is devoted to understanding where and how and if technology (and social media) integrates into the family lifestyle. Screen Sense looks to have a compelling set of regularly updated content from a variety of authors and perspectives. In my opinion, the more discussion and education that can take place around this subject, the better prepared our children can be for the future. As parents become more involved in understanding the impact of technology as a tool within the family, they too are armed with more information that they can use to work WITH their own children to help provide them the resources to succeed.

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As part of the launch, I was invited to participate in a great live video discussion with other parents and writers on a live video show. Hosted by HuffPostLive’s  Ahmed Shihad-Eldin, the other guests and I discussed a wide variety of topics centering around tech in the family. Joining me were: [click to continue…]

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Parents Beware: Instagram & Kik Messenger Are A Dangerous Combination & What Social Dangers to Check For

by Michael Sheehan on July 2, 2012

in Family, General, HTD Tech Tip, Opinion, Parenting, Safety, Security, Social Media, Social Networking

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Over the past few years, I have written about security and safety for the family, especially when it comes to protecting your kids from online predators and social bullies. My wife and I really try to practice what we preach. But as social networks and sharing services evolve, sometimes it is hard to keep up with the latest and greatest cool thing, or social threat.

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For example, when our oldest daughter got on Facebook, we knew that it was too early to let her just go at it on her own. So we allowed her to use it with some conditions specifically:

  • we have full access to her phone,
  • we control her Facebook login and,
  • if she has any questions, that she come to us to ask.

We work with her regularly, making sure that she understands why she can or cannot respond to posts/messages and what photos are appropriate to upload and which are not. Kids simply do not know what dangers are out there and what kind of creepy people lurk on these new social hangouts.

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Growing a Mustache in November for #Movember (Or in my case – Facial Hair) – Men’s Cancer Awareness

by Michael Sheehan on November 1, 2011

in Event, Family, General, Opinion, Parenting

Post image for Growing a Mustache in November for #Movember (Or in my case – Facial Hair) – Men’s Cancer Awareness

Facial hair has not really been my big thing. I have sported a goatee a while back and even a “soul patch” but I always ended up shaving it off to the cheers of my wife, parents and even my kids. But for the month of November, I’m getting scruffy again but this time for a cause – to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. I have joined a team over at Movember, a site that is evangelizing and organizing this growing movement, and I hope that you will contribute your support in this effort.

We start the month clean shaven. And then, let our Mo’s grow. Unfortunately, I look incredibly silly with just a mustache, so I’m going to try the goatee thing again. Here’s where I’m starting:

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And who knows where I will end up! [click to continue…]

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Waging War on Pollen, Dust, Bacteria, Mold, Germs & More with the Honeywell Air Purifier HHT-145

by Michael Sheehan on September 26, 2011

in Consumer Electronics, Family, Gadgets, General, Hardware, Review

Post image for Waging War on Pollen, Dust, Bacteria, Mold, Germs & More with the Honeywell Air Purifier HHT-145

Sneezing, coughing and runny noses as night. Itchy eyes with tears being squeezed out. My daughters have had allergies all spring and summer and it was particularly worse this year because of the longer rainy season and the larger amounts of pollen in the air. So I brought some big air defense weaponry in to battle these tiny, annoying irritants, the Honeywell Air Purifier HHT-145.

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This Purifier packs some major defenses against all of those items that can irritate the sinuses. There are 3 levels of protections in the Honeywell purifier:

  1. Ultraviolet Power – this is the best way to take out viruses, bacteria, fungi, mold spores and germs.
  2. HEPA filters – using a HEPA filter, you can effectively remove up to 99% of airborne particles including dust, pet dander, smoke and pollen.
  3. Odor filters – as the filters work, odor particles are removed as well, controlling pet, cooking and other smells.

Homes are places that are pretty laden with allergens and irritants and other pollutants, believe it or not, even more than you experience outside. Just think about all of the dust that you see coating things around the house. And one big thing that is full of dust (and even dust mites) are stuffed animals. We have enough stuffed animals in our house to open our own store and all too frequently they get shoved under the bed or in a corner somewhere just to collect more dust.

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“Mother Nature is in a Bad Mood” – Cast of Dads Episode #44

September 19, 2011
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Ok, school has started for most of us and I realize that we have some homework to do. That is, the Cast of Dads do since we seem to be sputtering along trying to get back into a regular recording groove. “The dog ate my homework” isn’t going to work for us. Maybe, “we just [...]

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10 Things Steve Jobs Has Done for Parents

August 25, 2011

With Steve Jobs announcing that he will be stepping down as CEO of Apple, I took some time to reflect on how Steve and Apple have impacted my life as a parent, specifically, a “High Tech Dad.” In my household, Apple products reign. Each of my children use Apple laptops or desktops, and each one [...]

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Sony, Ford and NYC Auto Show Videos from the Cast of Dads Roadtrip

May 11, 2011
Thumbnail image for Sony, Ford and NYC Auto Show Videos from the Cast of Dads Roadtrip

A few weeks ago, Ford and Sony invited the Cast of Dads on a really cool experience – a road trip from Boston driving a 2011 Ford Explorer down to New York International Auto Show. Unfortunately both Max and I were not able to attend, but Jeff, CC and Brad produced a ton of content [...]

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10 Ways to Use FaceTime with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPod Touch or Mac That You Might Not Have Thought Of

May 2, 2011
Thumbnail image for 10 Ways to Use FaceTime with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPod Touch or Mac That You Might Not Have Thought Of

If you have a Mac, or an iPhone or now an iPad 2, you probably have heard of FaceTime. This is Apple’s foray into video conferencing but with a heavy consumer focus. FaceTime was first launched with the iPhone 4 and the iPod Touch, and then rolled out to the Mac as a beta. Then [...]

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