Modern technology for parents
Well it’s been another incredibly busy week at Fancy Kids since our last blog update, and believe it or not somewhere in between speaking with designers and sourcing more fantastic products, we even found time time to discuss when we should put the Christmas decorations up in the office.
Our focus for this week’s blog relates to the importance of parents engaging with modern technology, ironically very fitting for this time of year as there will undoubtedly be many new gadgets on your offspring’s Christmas wish list. It is though a very important subject, as children are growing up at an alarming rate these days, and the constant progression of modern technology can prove hard for parents of a different generation to stay in touch with what their kids are up to. Let’s face it, competing with Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter in the modern day is nigh on impossible! That’s why there has been a far greater push in recent times to engage parents with social media and modern technology in general, as there is no way of stopping the constant growth of this industry, thus the old adage of “if you can’t beat them, join them” seems very apt. This stronger desire for parents to jump on board and play an active role in the modern world has gained great ground, particularly with events like the Vodafone sponsored “Digital Parenting Guide” and hosted by The Guardian, which promotes the positive influence modern technology actually has on family life. When esteemed companies like Vodafone and The Guardian are showing support then we know this is a worthwhile cause to get behind, however it’s smaller creative businesses that can arguably make an even bigger difference, as they often have a personal understanding of the need to make shared experiences between parent and child even stronger than they already are.
One of our favorite examples at Fancy Kids of entrepreneurship and creativity in this area is the exciting new app Bubele, founded by the inspirational Vivien de Tusch-lec. Bubele, as Vivien herself describes was created “to enable parents to easily and quickly find out what’s going on nearby, so if for example it’s raining on a Saturday morning then it’s no problem to find a Plan B.”
“What a fantastic idea!” were the exact words said in the Fancy Kids office when we first became aware of Bubele, and we were just as impressed with Vivien’s honesty when we spoke with her personally. As we all know, parenthood is wonderful but can also be an emotional struggle at some points, particularly for those first-time parents with small children. It was Vivien’s own personal experience that proved the initial inspiration for Bubele, describing how “When I had my first child we were living in Soho and it was quite difficult to find nearby activities to go to. I ended up feeling quite isolated and lonely. Those activities that I did find were lifelines and enabled me to meet other new parents.” Times like this in our life are not easy, as on the one hand we have a beautiful child to look after, and on the other the life we once knew has changed forever and we need to adapt. The best way for this to happen is to come into contact with other young mums and dads, and with Bubele’s objective of being “mum’s best friend” as Vivien puts it, an app like this really is a perfect reason for adults with young children to engage more with modern technology, for it really can prove a big help.
Above all else, as our children grow and naturally become active in using modern technology, our own knowledge and desire to share experiences with them should inspire us to learn more about the social media world they will only ever know as completely normal. Our positive attitude in doing this will mean we can engage with our children in a much more interactive and enjoyable manner. Not to mention there’s a good chance your child will think you’re cool because you’re on Snapchat, and that’s no easy task for a parent!