Mutt News

Quality Family Time Cheat Codes vs. TV, Phones & Games

September 16, 2021 By Editor

When a screen hands you a remote, sometimes quality family time requires you to just thumb your nose.

Yes, we realize that cutting off screen time can be a revolutionary act — and might result in near mutiny on the path to quality family time. But hey, isn’t that a sign that it needs to be done?

Let’s set aside other compelling reasons for doing so, like Internet addiction disorders or the amount of violence our children are exposed to in the media. Let’s just focus here on reclaiming quality family time.

And there is no easier – or harder – way to curb the exposure to media violence or reclaim family time than by killing the TV, game and phone screens.

That’s obviously not easy. So in the spirit of a really hard game, we’ve pulled together these cheat codes to help you hack your way back to undivided family time.

7 Cheat Codes to Hack Quality Family Time

Cut the cable to improve quality family time

Cheat Code No. 1: Cut the Coax Cable

Okay, maybe don’t actually cut the cable wire. But hiding it for a weekend can be quite effective! Quality family time takes effort.

Why do this? It can force everyone to find something else to do other than default to common TV shows. It can help change habits and generate time for great conversations and connection.

CAUTION: If you REALLY do cut the cable (like with scissors — that’s hard core!), for Pete’s sake DEFINITELY unplug all the wires first!

Cheat Code No. 2: Unplug the Internet Router

No, seriously, your internet router will reboot just fine later. Just unplug it–right from the wall.

Tip: Be sure to grab some ear plugs. You will need them for the next 10 minutes. Trust us, gremlins will come — yelling and running from all corners of the house! This is your chance to redirect them to something more fun! (An old fashioned Clue board game and quality family time maybe?)

Cheat Code No. 3: Set Up Parenting Controls

Most Internet and cell phone providers offer services to restrict the content and duration of time that children can spend on a device. This handy service is an easy way for parents to turn off the internet for a weekend of family time, kill the data during dinner, etc. Each service is different, so you will want to research how your service allows this. Below, there are links to some common services and information on their parenting controls.

Why do this? It gives you the master control switch! If the internet (games or TV, or surfing) has sucked in your young child and their attention is gone, use this great cheat code to regain family time.

Advice: Use this cautiously. Sometimes, games will lock kids out for hours or days if they stop playing mid-game. This is a horrible trap that the game companies use to keep kids (and adults!) glued to the games. So pulling the plug may be one of the best ways to achieve quality family time and good mental health, but just be aware of the consequences. Keep in mind that online game time is how many kids connect socially with their friends, especially in rough times, such as the COVID quarantines.

SERVICE PROVIDER	Service	LINK
AT&T Wireless	Cellular/data	Read more
AT&T/Direct TV	TV/Internet	Read more
Charter Spectrum cable	TV/Internet	Read more
Cox cable	TV/Internet	Read more
MediaCom	TV/Internet	Read more
Optimum (Altice)	TV/Internet	Read more
Sprint	Cellular/data	Read more
Suddenlink Communications	TV/Internet	Read more
T-Mobile	Cellular/data	Read more
U.S. Cellular	Cellular/data	Read more
Verizon	Cellular/data	Read more
Xfinity (Comcast)	TV/Internet	Read more

Companies often update their websites. If you discover an outdated link, please let us know.

slow internet to improve quality family time

Cheat Code No. 4: Slow Your Internet Speed, Improve Quality Family Time

It’s heresy in this age to think of SLOWER INTERNET speeds being better. But consider this: most games and videos require higher speeds, especially with multiple people streaming in a household. Slower speeds will make some content just not playable — and other content less enjoyable. (This is more likely to affect gaming than simple, that is not HD, video streaming.) Just think of it as the tortoise and the hare. When it comes to family bonding, tortoise internet speeds might win the race!

Why do this? This may be too much to give up for most, but if you want a deterrent, this is a strong (albeit frustrating) one. If you’re up for the “sacrifice,” just call up your internet provider and ask for the slowest plan they offer!

Cheat Code No. 5: Don’t Update Hardware

Yikes! Be sure you caught that this was “hardware” we’re talking about here, not software. Software needs to be updated to keep your devices as secure as possible. But if you stop updating to the latest hardware — the newest, fastest TVs, phones, and computers, things start to slow down a bit after awhile, as they can’t keep up with the latest games and video technology (less so for video, more so for games).

Why do this? This is a long-game approach, but it can be a strategic way to slow down and frustrate the obsession with game and video speeds. And the annoyance — of extra seconds waiting for downloads — might lead to extra hours of quality family time. And it might save some money!

Cheat Code No. 6: Flip Is Back!

Oh yeah, you remember the old flip phones! Those stylish little bricks. Well, you don’t have to go that far back, but consider “upgrading” your kiddos to non-smart phones that just dial and do basic texting. They can still text (with qwerty numerical keypads) and make emergency calls, but the internet will be seriously slowed down, or even gone. These new phones will not likely be of enough interest to disrupt dinner, board game night, faith services, or school. But they will do the basics just fine.

Why do this? Well, it might be a tough sell to your teen that it’s smart to not use smart phones, but the upside will be less internet time, fewer carpal tunnel motions, and maybe (if you’re concerned about the effects of electromagnetic radiation frequencies, or EMF) less radiation against the body, depending on the model. Oh, and more quality family time!

Cheat Code No. 7: Get Away from it All

Go camping where there is no internet. Find a hotel in the mountains or swamps or canyons. Go where the internet signal can’t follow. If you need some ideas, there is a list of suggestions in the articles linked below. Those come with a price tag (and require being able to travel), but to stay on a budget, research some areas near you that have no cost.

Why do this? Not only will you unplug, but you will change the scenery to the great outdoors and create opportunities for some exciting quality family time.

Source	Details	Link
Esquire	11 Phone-Free Vacation Destinations to Visit	Explore
Family Vacations blog	13 Best Digital Detox Family Vacations	Explore
Huffington Post	The World’s Prettiest Places Without Internet Access	Explore
Travel & Leisure	Best Vacation Spots to Unplug	Explore

Publishers often update their websites. If you discover an outdated link, please let us know.

Editorial disclaimer: Umm, it’s okay not to mention the source of this one to your kids. We won’t be offended. Disrupting their favorite pastimes requires some diplomacy and clear explanations as to why you’re taking these steps, in other words, good communication. As parents, we also realize that sometimes you just have to cut the cord to TV, games, and phones to be able to have that communication!

Why is TV a Risk to Children? If you are interested, you might find this blog post on media violence helpful.

Now Presenting … Hungry Mutt Productions

September 15, 2021 By Editor

It’s been said that children are our most endangered species.

And a big reason is media violence. A landmark University of Michigan study showed children are subjected to 200,000 acts of violence before age 18.

Hungry Mutt, a newly launched children’s book publisher, seeks to make a difference by producing works that are not only fun and engaging, but don’t use violence as entertainment or as a way to resolve conflicts.

Its debut publication, I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do!, depicts a day in the life of a young boy, conveying a timeless truth that children often find hard to grasp: that they sometimes have to do what they don’t like before they can do what they do like.

In a soon to be released book, Cootie Custard, Ana doesn’t want to go to school after kids start making fun of her. Her mother, having been ridiculed herself, helps Ana come up with a tasty solution to her problem, using a humorous approach her grandmother had used to solve her mother’s dilemma.

In another upcoming title, The Rock That Was a Bully, an inner struggle leads to the freedom of a rock trapped by its impulses. The rock’s dilemma begins when a beautiful red flower grows up beside it. The rock’s jealousy lands it at the bottom of a pond where it stays until learning that bullying won’t get it what it wants most.

Hungry Mutt invites parents and all those who share its concerns to become watchdogs and advocates for kids, in an effort to make their world a little more kind and a little less violent.

Hungry Mutt production for children's books and media

Children’s Picture Book Author On Helping Kids During COVID-19

September 15, 2021 By Editor

A rhythmic three-line story pattern could help children cope in the time of the coronavirus, said Linda Cooper, author of the children’s picture book, I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do!

I Don't. I Don't. I Do! Children's Picture Book

The picture book aims to teach children a timeless truth: That often you first have to do what you don’t want to do so that you can then do what you do want to do.

This approach can be easily adapted by parents, teachers and homeschool instructors to help children deal with safety measures designed to protect them from Covid-19, Cooper said.

For example, if your children are getting frustrated about social distancing, she said, you could compose a three-line I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! not only to affirm their feelings, but to underscore how the measures benefit them:

image of girl quarantining to stay safe from covid

I don’t want to stay inside anymore.
I don’t want to wear a face mask.
But I do want to stay safe from the coronavirus!

Acknowledging and affirming a child’s feelings can go a long way to helping them cope, Cooper said, particularly if it is followed by possible solutions to their dilemma. Another example is:

image of girl in children's picture book washing hands to stay safe from covid

I don’t want to wash my hands.
I don’t want to wash my hands for 20 seconds.
But I do want to help Mommy bake chocolate chip cookies!

What’s more, I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! can be turned into a game, using its simple three-line template to give voice to children’s feelings and to tap their creativity, said Cooper, a former English teacher and mother of five.

It also gives parents and teachers an opportunity to share their feelings, so children realize that they too sometimes have to do things they don’t want to do to achieve a goal.

Parents might share how they struggle to eke up the motivation to make dinner every night. Consider the following three liner, she said:

I don’t want to wash and cut all the vegetables.
I don’t want to stand in the hot kitchen.
But I do want us to have a yummy, healthy dinner!

Teachers might share how hard it is to prepare lesson plans, but do so to make learning fun or more interesting.

After reading or hearing a few I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! examples, kids quickly catch on to this children’s picture book’s repetitive structure, which can turn even a brewing temper tantrum into a game.

If a child doesn’t want to put on shoes and a jacket, Cooper said, parents might playfully ask, “But you do want to go outside, right?” This can be turned into their own personal I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! that acknowledges their feelings and identifies what they need to do to obtain a desired result.

The dilemmas and impasses are countless. Perhaps children don’t want to play with a younger sibling or share their things, but they do want to be a good big sister or brother. Or they don’t want to pick up their toys, but they do want a hug or to hear a favorite children’s picture book.

Another approach to creating an I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! is to shift the focus from a problem to problem solving, by focusing on what kids want, or want to do, and how they might get there.

Perhaps children want a favorite dessert. Constructing an I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! around that desire could involve a discussion about how they would first have to eat their broccoli or spinach. Or wanting an allowance could lead to the recognition that they first need to do some chores. Just as wanting to watch TV might require them to first finish schoolwork.

image of girl in children's picture book wearing a mask to stay safe from covid

In short, using the I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! children’s picture book story pattern can acknowledge children’s feelings, help them solve their own conundrums and realize that to get what their hearts desire, they may have to make compromises or do things they don’t really feel like doing. Truly a life lesson.

Onscreen Media Violence in the Battle for Children’s Minds

September 15, 2021 By Editor

Raising kids in a violent world is difficult. Raising them in a high tech world where virtual violence is pandemic is not only difficult, but increasingly complicated.

Just what are parents up against, and what can they do about it?

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says that a growing body of research shows a strong association between the perpetration of violence and the exposure to media violence.

Twenty years ago, when television had a virtual monopoly on virtual violence, a landmark study showed that the typical child saw 100,000 acts of violence before they reached middle school. And 200,000 by the time they turned 18.

With the dawn of technologies like tablets and gaming platforms, children and adolescents are increasingly exposed to onscreen violence that is “ever more intense and realistic,” according to the policy statement on virtual violence by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

What’s more, cell phone cameras can transmit videos of raw violence almost instantaneously on social media.

More disturbingly, interactive first person shooter games can turn players into “virtual perpetrators,” as they assume “the roles of aggressors and soldiers,” the AAFP said. Players win points or games for engaging in violent behavior.

Studies on the effects of media violence on children and adolescents have shown “increases in aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, bullying, fear, depression, nightmares and sleep disturbances,” the AAFP said. And the strength of that connection is almost as strong as that between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.

With youths in the U.S. averaging more than seven hours a day on various screen devices, and billion-dollar media industries spending millions to target them, parents are literally in a battle for the minds of their children against onscreen media violence.

What’s at stake is how much these industries will influence children’s character and choices, who they want to be, who they will become, what values they hold, what they believe, how they resolve conflict and treat others.

Television has an enormous potential to be educational and entertaining. However, empirical evidence shows how destructive it can be if children’s viewing habits go unchecked.

Children’s shows are particularly violent, with almost 50 percent of television violence occurring in cartoons, according to the AAFP. Cartoon violence has been shown to increase the likelihood of aggressive, antisocial behavior in youth.

Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan found that “Most violent acts go unpunished on TV and are often accompanied by humor. The consequences of human suffering and loss are rarely depicted. Many shows glamorize violence. TV often promotes violent acts as a fun and effective way to get what you want, without consequences.” (“Television and Children,” University of Michigan)

Children imitate the violence they see on TV, it said, and those under age eight cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Aside from violence, studies have shown that media exposure can contribute to poor grades, risky behavior, sleep problems, fear of being harmed, obesity, diminished interest in reading, less time with family and friends, even having less empathy with others, not to mention exposure to higher levels of radiation.

What’s more, children are bombarded by commercials targeting them. On average, Michigan Medicine said, children annually see tens of thousands of TV commercials, including “about 2,000 beer and wine ads on TV each year. Kids see favorite characters smoking, drinking, and involved in sexual situations and other risky behaviors in the shows and movies they watch on TV.”

Finally, there is the growing risk of children developing online addictions, known as screen dependency disorders.

Dr. Kimberly Young, the founder of the Center for Internet Addiction, has identified key signs that indicate a possible online addiction. (See Internet Addiction Test and Internet Addiction Test for gaming.)

Among those are:

Become defensive, deceptive or secretive when asked about what they are doing online or how long they’ve been online.
Get annoyed or agitated if someone bothers them while online.
Are tired or lose sleep due to being online.
Neglect homework or chores to spend more time online.
Choose to spend more time online rather than going out with friends.
Feel depressed or irritable when they are off-line, but recover once back online.
Claim they are “bored” when not online.
Withdraw from activities that he or she previously enjoyed, to pursue activities only on digital devices.

So what can parents do?

Three key things:

First, limit your children’s screen time to minimize their media exposure. Young has developed Screen Smart Parenting Guidelines based on children’s developmental stages.

Second, just as you wouldn’t leave your kids alone with a stranger, don’t leave them with unknown forces on the Internet. Know what programs your kids watch and how they are being influenced.

And third, and perhaps most importantly, help them develop the analytical skills to deal with whatever they encounter.

The AAP says studies have shown that children who were educated about the media exhibited less violent behavior after watching violent programs.

With video games, parents should ask their children what games they play and how players get points, and how they win. Is it through violence as in first person shooter games?

By viewing programs and films with their children and then having discussions, parents can not only help their children analyze what they encounter, but strengthen the bonds between them.

The following are questions you may use to explore violence and other destructive themes in programs, books, films.

What is the program or story really about? What message is it sending? What values is it conveying?
What are the main conflicts, or complications? How are they resolved? Is violence used to solve the problems? If so, was it used as the last resort? Are they justified even if used by the “good guys?” How else could the conflicts have been resolved? Thinking of alternative endings is a creative, problem-solving exercise, one that will serve children for a lifetime.
What purpose, if any, do the acts of violence serve? Are they gratuitous, glamorized, made exciting or fun, sheer entertainment? Or is it simply used as a way to get what a character wants?
Are the acts of violence accompanied by humor? Are the effects or suffering they cause shown? Are the acts punished, or rewarded?
Are the characters good role models? What motivates them? Do they stand for things you believe in? Are the consequences depicted if they engage in destructive behavior?
In stories about bullies, is the pain of the victims depicted? If not, explore how they must have felt.

I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! Offers Kids A Bedtime Story Wrapped In A Timeless Truth

September 14, 2021 By Editor

What children often have difficulty grasping is that they sometimes have to do what they don’t like — before they can do what they do like. This little secret is illuminated in I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do!, the first illustrated children’s ebook from Hungry Mutt productions.

The picture book, available on Amazon Kindle and Apple Books, was written by former Tulane University Instructor Linda Cooper. She uses a classically repetitive rhythm to portray a day in the life of a young boy, showing the compromises he must make to get his heart’s desires.

The colorful illustrations by Jonathan R. Hodge, a graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design, capture how sharing snacks, taking naps and taking turns are often prerequisites for going out to play, making friends and having fun.

The ebook, which makes a delightful bedtime story, enables children to see how their own little dilemmas might be solved.

Cooper, a former high school teacher who taught English as a Second Language at Tulane University, said she woke one morning with the title and idea for I Don’t. I Don’t. I Do! swirling in her head. Having raised five children, she expected kids to relate to the book, but was amused that many adults told her they could identify with its theme. Typical comments were “I don’t want to go to work, but I do want a paycheck” and “I don’t want to diet, but I do want to lose weight.” Poet Dorothy Parker, Cooper said, put it another way: “I hate writing; I love having written.”

Hodge, a graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Aristides Atelier in Seattle, has also done medical illustrations for Stanford University and was a featured speaker at the 2012 Seventh International Conference on the Arts in Society in Liverpool. His portfolio includes commissioned portraits on copper plates, and a large history painting entitled Wrath of Katrina, depicting flood victims in the 2005 hurricane that devastated his hometown of New Orleans.