Drinking Wine and Talking Shit - S1E10: Prosecco & Parental Panic: Kids, YouTube, and the Algorithm Abyss

Episode Date: March 8, 2025

Join us, Amy and Sadie, on this week's episode of "Drinking Wine and Talking Shit" as they dive headfirst into the chaotic world of kids, YouTube, and the internet! 🤯 We're uncorking a crisp Prosecco and eating goats cheese and mango bruschetta while tackling the serious topic of online safety for our little ones. 👶💻In this episode, we're exploring:The Digital Playground Dilemma: How kids today are digital natives, but are they safe?Parental Controls & The Algorithm: Navigating the wild west of YouTube and understanding how algorithms shape what our kids see.The Weird and the Worrying: From creepy animations to distorted children's songs, the bizarre content lurking in the shadows.Listener Stories: Real-life experiences from parents dealing with the challenges of online content.Pop Culture References: "The Social Dilemma" (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224 - How algorithms manipulate us all. "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772341/ - The internet as a fun but glitchy arcade. "Stranger Things" (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281 - Navigating the "Upside Down" of the internet. "Black Mirror" (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/70266117 - The dark side of technology.The Responsibility and the Real World: Balancing screen time with meaningful real-world experiences.Plus, we're wrapping up with some hilarious and thought-provoking "Would You Rather" questions that will have you thinking twice about your child's online habits! 🤔If you're a parent struggling with managing your child's online exposure, you're not alone. We'll include resources in our show notes, and remember, Sensi Walters, our resident counsellor, is available to our listeners.Don't forget to like, subscribe, and drop us a comment! Cheers to keeping our kids safe and sane in this digital age! 🥂#Parenting #YouTubeKids #Algorithm #InternetSafety #Podcast #WinePodcast #DigitalAge #TheSocialDilemma #WreckItRalph #StrangerThings #BlackMirrorExtra resources: Sensi Walters - Therapist and Coache CEO at Melia May Therapy Leicester, England, LE1 6RL07878285115 Find us on Instagram and Tiktok @DWTS_Shit. And you can follow @only_aamy & sadie.cubitt on Instagram too. Let's laugh with wine together!

Music Aren't we ready? Are you ready today Scythe? I'm ready. What a day, what a day it's been. I've been smashing it actually. I thought I drank all week, really looking forward to the time for seco today so I thought I was gonna smash it and I did. Yeah same I've been really really good trying to save myself for next weekend but Sunday dear having a wine it is the last week of February everybody and we are here to do a cracking episode one that actually I feel like will resonate with plenty of our listeners slash followers for years to come so hey everyone welcome back to drinking wine and talking shit the podcast where we uncork the real deal. No filters. Maybe a few edits.

Today we're tackling a topic that hits close to home for many parents, kids and the internet. Specifically YouTube and the often scary world of online content. Not just YouTube, TikTok and the lot. Yes, we're diving into the digital playground and looking at how easily it can turn into a minefield for your eyes. We're talking about parental controls, the algorithm and those bizarre videos that slip through the cracks. But before we get started, a quick reminder, we know this is a sensitive topic, we're here to shed light, not to judge. If you're struggling with managing your child's online

exposure, you're not alone. We'll include resources in our show notes and as always, Sensie Walters, our resident counsellor, is available to our listeners. So let's get into it. Let's face it, kids today are digital natives. They know how to swipe and tap before they can tie their shoes. They really, really do. We have seen this. But that doesn't mean they understand the dangers lurking online. Exactly. YouTube can be a fantastic educational tool and I completely agree with that. But it's also a rabbit hole of bizarre content, inappropriate ads and those creepy algorithm generated videos. Absolutely.

Remember when we were kids and the biggest worry was Saturday morning cartoons? Can you remember Live and Kickin'? Was it Saturday TV Live with Kat Dillian? Yeah, it was. Don't think it was CITV? It was. Anyway, oh it was CITV Live or something like that. Anyway, with Kat Dillian everyone. Yeah, I just love it.

Chums. Yeah. I love chums. I don't know if you're watching now. It probably is. Now it's about what algorithms are feeding our kids when we're not looking and it is a little bit scary if I'm honest. And those surprising egg videos don't even get me started, they're like candy for the algorithm but they're often filled with ads and questionable content and I've seen so

many random things since I've had children so we will get right into the nitty-gritty right after this. Alright so as we do in every episode it is now time for the wine and the why. Sadie what are we sipping on today? So today I figured, do you know what, it's been a lovely day today. I don't know if it's going to be a lovely day when you actually watch this but today has been a lovely day. The sun has been shining, I took the kids to the park, had a lovely walk around where we live and it just gave me a bit of inspiration. So I thought today I would do a goat's cheese

and peach bruschetta with a balsamic glaze and I thought to go with that a nice glass of sparkling prosecco. Obviously it's sparkling but you know what I mean. And I just felt really, when I saw this in the shop I thought ooh yeah, prosecco. Feeling it, feeling it. So David, prosecco, forget the wine. Bubbly wine. Bit of nice fizz with a beautiful summery, or should I say springtime, peach and goat's cheese bruschetta. And I just, I think this is a banging combination. So we're going to break right there, Amy's going to taste my goat's cheese and peach bruschetta along with the Prosecco as a pair and let us know

what she thinks. Right well back in the room we are and I have tasted Zadie's Goats Cheese and Mango. It's Peach. Peach what is it? Just explain again for the viewers what exactly I've just eaten. A Goats Cheese and peach caramelised peach bruschetta with a balsamic glaze. And I, right, so for me personally I love goat's cheese, I love bruschetta, love peach, not mango. I also like mango. I'm just not one of those people who put sweet things in savoury. However, saying that, Sadie Cooking actually makes me try new things that I wouldn't necessarily normally eat and it is nice. It was actually really nice I didn't dislike it. I wouldn't necessarily go. Oh, I can't wait to have some peach on some bruschetta with some ghost cheese

I then tried it without the third peach and just had the goat's cheese, balsamic and the bruschetta and it was absolutely lovely And it was really nice. Who doesn't like goat's cheese and bruschetta on a toast with some balsamic glaze on it? Some people don't like cheese Anyway point being is it was absolutely lovely, really really nice, the peach was really soft, the peach was really tasty actually and the caramelised peach was really nice although I wouldn't always have them together, personally I thought they were absolutely lovely, I just wouldn't have them together myself. However, really really nice, how easy was this to make Sadie? Very easy, put the toast in the toaster, add the goat's cheese which I'd kind of mashed up a little bit and then you cook your peaches on a pan whilst the bread's toasting and by the time that's all done, pop it all together, pop a bit of balsamic

glaze on there. Pop it in. You're all... Pop it in you gob. Bob's your uncle. And the only reason I pulled that funny face is because I drank the Prosecco at the same time and it made me kind of squint. It wasn't the fact that I didn't like the taste. It was like a... It was like a... It was like a summary combo. It is a very summary combo.

It was lovely out of 10. Okay, go on then, out of 10. I'm giving you an eight. Again, nice and easy, lovely drink, lovely food combo. Do you know what you've got to do? I'm just not the peach with the savory fat. Do you know what you've got to do to get a 10 out of 10 for Amy? Just give her a lasagna.

That won't be easy though, would it? So I wouldn't give you a 10 because it's not an easy, easy creation. Remember what we're, remember what we're. Hello, do you know what I said? It is when you're doing this local like me, can you remember? I did my, yes, again, okay. That was a very good.

Well maybe next time we can have a lasagne with a shut on earth de pape because you keep saying I'm gonna try one with some meaty. What I am going to start doing instead of a snack because I feel like it's not really something you can easily have for dinner for everybody. Exactly so what I'm going to start doing is when I cook my meals for my family because I think I do some banging meals for my family today by the way which I probably just should have served you, was, but I didn't make it from scratch. It smelled amazing as well so I really wanted it. Was a caramelised onion and cheese quiche with green beans and like crispy potato slices that I used my new mandolin bowl. Did

I mean air fryer? Although, yes you might not have done that yourself, the potatoes look banging. I mean mean me and the word banging really. I've got to stop saying it. But it's still a meal at the end of the day. It's still easy isn't it? It was still an easy meal. So even if you didn't make it, we can do things like that sometimes and like you know maybe you can just share you know I've got this family here's something dead quick and easy and sometimes what Sadie does she'll probably buy something that goes with everything like the meat or the protein or whatever herself but then she'll make the extra bits that goes with it so like you've done the potatoes like

you've done these other things and the way she makes things taste and she's pretty fantastic she's making me a cake for Friday for me engagement party. I don't know why I can't help it I can't help it. There's some accents you can do it's not offensive but then other accents you can do it's very offensive but regardless I just like an accent it doesn't matter who the accent it is. Yeah same. just enjoy saying something that isn't mine or Australian like if I'm watching bluey I can't stop myself but trying to copy the Australian accent I'm not very good try it now do it do it now thank you Mike the other day if I start doing it can you cut it if I'm shit I'll try to do

it myself then I'm rubbish yeah I'll cut it doing it. Can you cut it if I'm shit? I would try to do it myself then I'm rubbish. Yeah, I'll cut it if it's rubbish. I'm trying. Bluey, why don't you go and get the swimming trunks? That's alright. Get in the pool, love. Rude day at the end. But it was alright.

Better than I did. Bluey's dad doesn't say that. Bluey, what's his sister's name? I don't know, I've not got children. I don't watch it. Bluey and, Oh bloody hell. Kai's salad, no. Anyways, swiftly moving on...

Okay, now it's time to talk some shit, as always. So, parental controls and the algorithm. Let's go for it. So, how do we navigate, first off, parental controls are... So how,. So how do we navigate first off parental controls are so how sorry how do we navigate this so obviously as we all know parental controls are a must and they're not perfect but they're a start. Absolutely and obviously talk to your kids explain that not everything online is safe or true and open communication is always key and be aware of the algorithm of

course it learns from what your kids watch so monitor their watch history and and open communication is always key. And be aware of the algorithm, of course. It learns from what your kids watch, so monitor their watch history, and a great tip is to clear it quite often, like regularly, so obviously the algorithm doesn't keep picking that up. Yeah, I've not done that, I need to do that, actually. Yeah, great tip, great tip.

However, we have kind of banned YouTube, so we're kind of, we're going on the lines of, you can watch YouTube as long as you're only watching Crash Bandicoot gameplays, because that's what he likes to play. He's only three. But at the end of the day his dad plays games, his older brother plays games, he is going to just be into it regardless. There was nothing I could do to stop this and I feel like Crash Bandicoot is a really nice one to start with at that age. So that's all he's

allowed to watch on YouTube now and other than that it's Netflix and he's got his own kids account. So don't be afraid to use YouTube like we do use it and I do use it myself especially like for learning I use it all the time for like you know oh it's time to do your alphabet or your letters and your sounds and then we put it on and actually we came up with the idea today of putting bingo on so we've got the bingo tickets but they can do it we can watch a bingo video and it reads it out for you so you haven't got to use those little balls with the little ones and that's something you're doing

that's something you're doing together yeah and I'm monitoring that so that's fine I mean there was a time where so we always thought YouTube kids was fine and then a couple of times I've seen things and actually I've said to I said to you didn't I yeah actually YouTube kids is worse than normal YouTube because you can make a video and as long as you tick that box that says yes it's made for kids it can have anything on it. It does not check, it's not monitored. So you know it's really quite dangerous. I saw one where Kaiser was watching something and I could hear Peppa Pig and I thought oh he's just watching Peppa Pig and then I heard the dad go shut up and I was like what? And I

was like let me see that and basically the Peppa Pig, well it wasn't even the voices so when I actually watched it closely it was obviously a completely different voices than to the normal Peppa Pig and she's going Minecraft, Minecraft, Minecraft and he throws this Minecraft axe at her and goes shut up and I was like uh no, right that's it. Oh my god that is really bad. And I said to you uh, no, right, that's it. Oh my god, that is really bad. And I said to you, didn't I, YouTube Kids is worse. And then I actually saw a woman on Instagram saying the same thing, and I was like, yeah.

Like, I thought that, it's worse. Normal YouTube, obviously there's crap on there as well, but these people that want your kids to watch something quite damaging will take that that's made for kids. And then it's on there, isn't it? Like, what are you gonna do? There was a video, wasn't there, not long ago. I think this was on YouTube.

Kids, I don't know the exact facts behind it, but a video going around trying to convince children to kill themselves. Like, it was something they'd end up watching on finding with on YouTube. It looked like a normal cartoon at first, and then it'd go into this person telling these children to do these horrible things.

I mean, what person has created that video and like, what is wrong with the world if someone is creating something like that and telling children to do that and what's happened to that person for them to become that way? I just find that shocking. When I was working as a supply teacher,

we had a meeting in one of the schools I was in talking about this one particular YouTube video that was doing kind of similar things. And it was this girl with like long black hair Yeah, who's that? Really drawn out. Yeah Video and yeah, we had to have a whole meeting on it because kids were watching this and yeah YouTube can be a scary place Don't get me wrong YouTube can be fantastic. I use it

I've got my own channel with like all loads of like maths videos and English videos and things on there and We've got our own podcast channel. Yeah obviously. It's also not suitable for children, we tick that box and we mean it. We don't tick that box to say the least. Sorry, sorry, it's not suitable for children yet, it's got explicit content sorry I'll tick that box. Yeah, you tick that box, yeah. And we mean that, you know, we don't want children to see what we're talking about, it's all very adult things and their minds aren't ready for that. Absolutely. It can be very quick to damage a child's mind and again I know I've repeated this I've said this before but we again at work we've been learning about this ACEs

and I always knew what it was but I didn't realize there was a term for it and it's adverse childhood experiences and apparently you can have six adverse childhood experiences before it really starts to affect you in adult life. Wow. And obviously there are people... What about how many we had? Yeah, I mean but ours probably weren't like... No, I was joking. Yeah, like really, really serious. There were some things but you know... And especially in childhood, I think most of the things that we spoke about on the last episode it happened to us at an older age with relationships and partners. This is when you're growing, you are young,

your mind is impressionable, and everything you see and hear you will take in a bit like a sponge, and you remember it. And they can have devastating effects on your mental stability as you get older, as you grow through that emotional stage in life, from six, seven, eight, nine, 10, to especially in teenage years if something happens to you between those ages that can really

have a damaging effect. Like you know like abuse in the home you know if there's somebody in the home who is abusive to your other parent or to the child or whatever both obviously that's a very big one just neglect in general or you know I'm very much aware of trying to show my children as much love as possible and I think that's what I think that's very important that's what's gonna make them good human beings and that going off tangent a little bit we were talking the other day about co-sleeping and this Indian psychologist says that you should let your children sleep with you until they're seven and I know a lot of my Indian friends will co-sleep with their children

and have them for years and it's just natural, it's just something that you do. And eventually... And to me I can't help co-sleeping, I'm still doing it now, I can't help it. I cannot let those children stay in their own room. But there's well-said, they'll get to an age where they're like, oh I want to sleep on my own. They want to, yeah. Apparently from seven they will naturally have already learned and felt you enough to feel comfortable. You know if they're sleeping in their own room.

Strong relationship and bond that they feel safe enough. Yes they don't feel safe in their own room at a young age and there's another woman I'll follow on Instagram as well and I'll tag her and she makes these really funny videos. I'm not going to let my baby cry. I'm just not going to do it it I'm sorry. You sent me one yesterday. It's not self soothing it's they're that tired from screaming for hours. She's like self soothing self soothing I know as an adult I don't self soothe when I'm sad I go get a hug yeah so I'm gonna get give my baby a hug and they're only babies so what's wrong with that if I'm sad and upset and crying do I want to sit at home on my own in bed without any of my family members friends or

someone who can go don't worry it's fine exactly no and you can teach them to self soothe in the daytime whilst they're maybe moaning for nothing and they just want to be picked up you can teach them to self soothe then if you want but you don't need to do it at bedtime when they're just on their own in the dark in Like, no. They want to be lying on your chest and you're gonna heart beat me. Yeah. And I think like going back to the topics sort of thing, like the things you do see online,

like we've got these pair of parental controls, but you don't, like you say, we're not ticking that button and ticking that box or whatever. These parental controls actually don't work anymore and there are ways around them. So it's just being really vigilant as well, I think, you know, with making sure your children are like just spending time with them as well. So for example, say if you let your child on that

tablet all the time because you're busy and we understand obviously everybody's busy, but if they're on it so much to the point where you're not interacting with them, when you do interact with them you might notice that they're saying or they've experienced weird things that you're not aware of. Whereas if you're interacting with them daily on a daily hourly basis, making sure they're not having complete time on their, making sure they've got breaks, making sure they're doing something educational and fun, something with you, even if it's playing bingo on YouTube with your mum or with your child, that's better because you're doing it, you're interacting with each other, you're spending time.

Whereas I think them being there on their own, it's so easy for them to kind of watch something over, like a lot, over and over again, and it can really have an effect. So I just always make sure we're really, really careful. And monitor it. Another thing that Kaisal's been doing is going on YouTube Shorts, and I'll say,

Shorts, you know, you're not allowed on them. Like I say, it's Crash Bandicoot or it's maybe Mario. Yeah. That's what you can watch. And then he was on it today and he went, I'm on YouTube TikTok. Now he's obviously learned TikTok because he doesn't know what TikTok is.

He's never seen TikTok. I don't even have TikTok. Well I do, but for a drink of wine, talk of shit, I never go on it, never. Never on TikTok. So anyway, so he's like, I'm on YouTube TikTok. I went, I don't think so, we don't watch the shorts. And he goes like this, I can't get off there

Clever sod I know I was like get off there now anyway, and then I just tell him it's Netflix or nothing now Yeah, you know you're not sitting there thinking you can take him on there's so much good stuff Although can I just say you recommended super pets and yes, it is good But I just said to watch it and say show it to your three year old. Oh it was on YouTube Netflix kids is on his profile so I was like oh yeah but ten year old kids and then he's alright for a ten year old. Yeah okay but I was like halfway through I was like oh that's a bit much actually. I didn't notice any of these any of this this. When I was watching it, didn't notice that, didn't notice any innuendos. And then the bloody guinea pig

gets to this massive thing, she's killing everybody. I'm like, bloody hell, we'll turn this off. Turned it off. I says, we'll turn this off. He went, yeah, it's not good for my brain. No, it's not. That's what I said. It's not good for your brain.

He's probably bored because he didn't get the storyline, to be honest, because I think it had been boring for a kid. It was a very adult cartoon. He was really enjoying it himself. I did sit in there. Me and Chris watched it on our own. We didn't watch it with anyone. It was just me and him. So I don't think I picked up on it because if a child was there, if Chris' son was there, I would have known more because I think he would have been like, oh, there's a child. I just noticed. When Chris swears, I'm like, language, don't swear.

I swear all the time. When Theo's there, I try not to. I do struggle. And when Sadie, your children are there, I do struggle. I do struggle to not do it. Because we're trying not to at all and then you'll come out and they're like, we're trying not to swear and you're like, I'm sorry. I'll go effing this.

I actually say the word effing, not. It's the same. But I'm like, it's the same. I should just say flippin'ck or sugar. Yeah sugar. Shitaki mushrooms. Yeah I do say shitaki mushrooms all the time. Shitaki mushrooms. Ah fun times isn't it. Yeah you want to say shitaki mushrooms? Mushrooms. But yeah, I think, you know, take away really, initially from that is just really monitor them and watch them, do stuff with them if you're going to use YouTube. And you know, and you know, just really be conscious and cautious of letting them go on TikTok and things like that. There are some awful things on TikTok I just don't even get. And if you've

got a five year old watching things that even you would think are weird, what are they gonna think? They're gonna think that's normal and it's not. Mm-hmm, 100%. Oh, and then obviously these loads of ads, obviously on YouTube, so guys I was constantly going,

mommy, I want one of them. Mommy, I want one of them. I'm like, okay, we'll see about your birthday, we'll see about Christmas. And the kid gets everything he wants. And I say this to Erin all the time, like, our kids are just so lucky, they're going on a flipping jet two holiday this year,

which Kaisel also saw on YouTube, by the way. And he kept saying to my mom, he kept saying, Nanny, I want to go on a jet two holiday. And he didn't know this, but I've obviously only been looking at holidays, and it just happens to be a jet two holiday. So now I'm like, Kaisel, we I go on a Jet 2 holiday? So excited. The fact that he knows the references as well.

They do those adverts, they're like, Jet 2 holidays! Jump into fun with Jet 2! And then jump into the sea. I don't know. Something like that. Probably. So yeah, obviously the holiday fine. We didn't get, oops, shall I?

We didn't get that many holidays when we were kids and I want them to have the life that I, don't get me wrong, we were dead lucky as kids as well. We were, we were. We had everything, my mum worked so hard and we really appreciate that now. We're adults and we have to pay for it. Yeah, give them well and all, yeah. annoying. My mum lenders a tenner. Jokes. But no she was always amazing

weren't she? Yeah. But I do want them to have a family holiday every year and honestly this holiday cost me a pretty big penny. I'm sure I'll go in. But obviously I've just wanted to treat everyone, mum's come in so excited, excited Mom's part is coming by I did have to say he had to pay for himself because I'm not paying 800 pound per person Yeah, yeah, bless him and he was fine with that money. Like it's gonna be really nice and And obviously you're treating mom and I'm so nice. I can't wait till I come on a little family holiday Sadie wishes I were coming anyway, so I can help with kids I do, I do. Because I said to him, you don't have to do anything But can you? Fingers crossed behind the back I mean anyway, so I can help with kids. I know, I know. Because I said to them, you don't have to do anything.

But can you? Fingers crossed I'll do that. Yeah. But not only that, like honestly it's like toy after toy after toy. And I refuse to buy expensive toys throughout the year. They get everything they want for Christmas, birthdays. Even Easter, Auntie Sally does a whole Easter egg hunt

and gifts, she's mental. Like, don't get me wrong, it's lovely and I love that kids enjoy it, but it's just a lot. And it's spoiled. Yeah, yeah, she really goes out of her way, doesn't she, bless her, and she does an amazing job. Yeah, so what I do now, and Mum is the same, we'll go to town and every charity shop we go in,

he can have something because it's a pound. Or 20p. Or 20p, yeah, or even five pound. He had this whole Hot Wheels track for a five hour bargain and then when you're done with it you just take it back and buy something else like it's great. And then you don't know at that age that it's not run new you know. My 18 year old stepson is a different story he wants 150 pound for him and his friends to go to airsoft then he wants to go to dinner with all his

friends so that's probably another £150 because there's six of them. And then he wants birthday money. So we're spending all sorts of stuff. I'd be like you can get £150 for Airsoft and birthday money or you get £150 for Airsoft and your meal. You deny, yeah. I mean that's fair. It's fine, I've got a kid account that says he can have some money out of that and then we did say we can pay for the airsoft and then Aaron's gonna take them all out for pizza. Very nice and he'll have a lovely time getting very grown up years. But coming back to what we were talking about before and like the ads and stuff like that I think again you just gotta be careful because it's not even about the fact that the ads are showing anything inappropriate they're just making you spend more money than you need to and sometimes I think, again, you've just got to be careful because it's not even about the fact that the ads are showing anything inappropriate, they're just making you spend more money than

you need to. And sometimes, I think what kids will do is they'll click on those ads because they're looking at it and then it will show them more. So then they're constantly literally going, oh I want that, I want that, I want that. So, I just think that the world of the internet has gone crazy and if you go back like 20 years because I was watching a documentary the other day and I was thinking about myself actually is I remembered coming home from school and I'd talked to my friend on the phone on the house phone, home phone, for ages and there was something else I thought about as well I can't remember what it was. I saw a reel the other day and this guy was like, this kid was like, sorry this woman

was going, I've got such a good idea, this younger woman, she wasn't quite young, I've got such a good idea we should have one phone that just stays at the house and then if anyone needs to get a hold of you they could just ring that phone and then this guy like did like a state or whatever it's called and then was like a house phone. She's talking about a house phone. She obviously meant a mobile phone but it's just one phone that stays in the house and if anyone wants to get a hold of you and you're not answering your normal phone just ring that phone and it stays on loud and he was like it's a house phone. You talking about a house phone? It's a landline, it's a landline is what he says in the reel. It's a landline.

And he's laughing so much. It's a landline then. Because, no but what she doesn't know is that used to exist, that's the whole point, is that he's laughing because she's on about something that already existed and we got rid of it because nobody really used it because you've all got your personal phone. Somebody here asked me, have you got a landline?

No, who uses a landline? I've got a landline but I only got it set up years and years ago when you needed a landline? No, who uses a landline? I've got a landline, but I only got it set up years and years ago when you needed a landline to have internet, right? And I just kept it as I kept moving house. And I've never given the phone number out to anyone, but it rings all the time. The only person who rings it is salespeople.

Yeah, but I've never given my phone number out to anybody. It's never been used anywhere. So it's been sold by my internet, my phone number provider to databases and yeah, they ring it like once, probably three times a week, twice a week sorry. So it's crazy. But the thing I'd remembered was, is one of my first ever jobs was working in Morrisons. No it's not on my CV. I was going to say, when did you work in Morrisons?

Can you not remember? No. I worked there with someone from school, I'll tell you who she is in a bit, because I don't know her name proper. Anyway, I remembered when I first put that, I was 16 and there was a smoking room. Oh my god.

And I used to go on my break and go into the cafe bit, where the cafe was, there are cafes now, and you'd walk in and there was a whole, oh no, it was a staff room, sorry, not where the cafe is now, big staff room upstairs, and you'd have the staff room, then next to it you had, oh no, it was a staff room, sorry, not where the cafe's now. Big staff room upstairs and you'd have the staff room and then next week you had another room and it was your smoking room and you could go and just sit in there and smoke a fag.

How weird is that? And then I remember like smoking in pumps, I remember then smoking getting banned when I was in a nightclub on a certain night out, I remember then it getting stopped in certain night, in public areas and all that. Like don't get me wrong, that's absolutely fine but I just, how times have changed,

how social media has changed. I think I had a Nokia 3210 that was black and white and a complete snake. I loved a Nokia 3210 with snake. Yeah, loved it. And I was playing on snake in the day with guys, oh, with my son. And he was like, I'm gonna eat all the other snakes

and then get bigger. I went, yeah, don't get, let the other snakes eat you because then you'll die. And I just, it gave me a flashback and how simple things were without mobile phones and without the internet. And God, to be fair, part of me, love the podcast, love the pod, love Instagram, love sharing our lives,

love the fun. And we are very fun people in that sense, but God wasn't life so much easier because you didn't have all this stuff online and you didn't have all this stuff telling you how to be or how you should have been. You were at the house, you were doing something, seeing your friends.

You were getting dirty. Yeah, you were down the woods, falling on rope swings. You were making dens, yeah, making dens, making camping out. Getting scars on your face. Yeah, getting scars on my face. Falling off from rope swings, yeah.

That's all, I've got scars everywhere. And it's just, I just think it's very surprising the way the world has changed, and what we have to be careful of now as parents as well because I feel like especially for parents nowadays compared to back then I think horrible things happened that they just weren't as obvious because we didn't have the internet to share them all but also I think the internet makes people worse and I think having this whole access to different types of media even porn, even bad porn, even, you know,

all sorts of stuff can really affect people. And if young lads, and let's go kind of a little tangent, but let's do it. We should do an episode on porn, actually. Let's definitely do that. Because there's something I've been doing recently. But young boys watching porn who are like 14 years old and then have sex with their girlfriends for the first time

and they think that this is how it's meant to be. And girls are there on pornos. And I'll even get annoyed sometimes with my boyfriend because I'm like change it. I'm like no she looks like she's in pain. She looks about ten. She looks like she's getting fucked in the arse and is not enjoying it. Blah blah blah. And I'm like just no I don't want that. I'm not here. To be fair I've not watched porn for a long time. I don't know if that's because we've had kids and we're just taking our time. And I used to love it and I used to love it by myself but I think when I used to I used to love it, and I used to love it by myself. But I think when I used to, I used to be very picky,

and it used to take me a very long time to find something that I wanted to watch, especially if I was alone. And sometimes when I've said to Aaron, I'm like, oh, put a bit of porn on. He's like, oh. You don't have to whisper it, you've already told the story. All right.

Put a bit of porn on. Good mention Aaron, though, don't you know? Yeah, I've got to put a bit of porn on.. And he's like, oh, alright, yeah, cool. And I do enjoy it, but it has to be women that look like they're actually enjoying it. No anal, god no. Women that are actually of maybe a decent age, like 30. Like I can't watch someone that looks like they're dead young. Oh shit, yep.

Sorry, totally agree. There's so much out there with people. And I will say. They probably are of age, but they don't look it. There's so much out there with people. And I will say. They probably are of age but they don't look it and I can't stand that. But folks don't see it. Folks don't see that. I'm sure they fucking do see it. No, no, no, I think so. That's why they fucking watch it. Yeah, no, no, no, no, sorry. Let me re-explain that. Yes, people who want to look for it, of course. I think though, when girls get past a certain age, like past the little young phase where you know they're not. You know

when they're an adult. You know they're past 20 but they're still dead young looking. I still can't watch that. Whereas I think if my partner for example was looking for it he wouldn't notice that. He'd think oh it's a woman. He wouldn't go that's a child. However to me I still think this girl looks dead young so it puts me off. But even dead skinny girls I can't watch that because they look dead young. Yeah because they look dead young. Yeah yeah cuz they look dead young. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah Absolutely. So there's lots of things on that. We'll do an episode on that actually. I think I think it's a really good episode Next episode got loads of talk to say about this Right, brilliant

And a new thing that's come out recently that I saw so that'll be a really good topic to talk about Yeah, so hey, yes, we can do that one next time. So yeah, anyway lots of shit out there Lots of crap on the social media on YouTube, TikTok, TikTok. Like, it was banned recently. In America. In America, yeah. And it came back. It's fine for people in America. But it's just insane. I mean, I'm surprised Americans, the Americans banned it. I'm surprised America banned it. Because they allow everything else. It's been banned for very long though, isn't it? It's like a day. Oh, everyone's complaining, quick, give it, I'm back. Everyone's complaining, everyone can't get their fill, or.

If only they did that about paid healthcare. I know, right, or racism. Yes. That's tragic, what will that first do? I saw a reel the other day, and this woman was cooking dinner for her kids, and it looked like a heart attack waiting to happen, and someone actually commented, I'm so glad I don't live in America.

Americans eat, like, they have free healthcare. They do. They really do. It isn't free. If you have a heart attack, you have to pay for it. A lot of money, so you have to have insurance in America. It's very different than in England. It costs like 40 grand to have a baby. Yeah, I know, I've been seeing those reels as well. Those reels, they've been all over social. But yeah, absolutely, incredibly insane what's out there. Okay, so now it is time for the listener's stories. So thank you so much for writing in. The first story we have today is called The Algorithm's Nightmare. I thought I was

doing my best with parental controls in YouTube Kids, but my seven-year-old started having proper nightmares. He kept talking about robot doctors with shiny needles. God. Turns out the algorithm had led him to these strange low budget animation videos with medical themes that were just, well, a bit dodgy. I felt awful.

How do you protect them from something you can't even see properly? Simon from Birmingham. Thank you for writing in, Simon. How do you protect, like. It's so hard hard, like how do you even think about that? And that's such an odd one as well, like because robot doctors, you probably think that's quite a nice innocent thing, or is a robot, you know, like we've got a lot of AI lately. I don't know, these robots, look at the Transformers, things like that.

You don't know, like. Yeah and I think with that I mean like Like you say clay search history regularly Monitor what they're watching all the time. Obviously you've seen it. So that's great. You've stopped it Such a shame about the nightmares because I just worry so much about my not my kids nightmares because I get really bad nightmares The fact that you're getting nightmares is really sad. Yeah Yeah So the kids have always suffered like Kaiser had really bad night terrors when he was little obviously no What you do when he was a baby and he had really bad nightmares.

So but apparently they're worse for the parent than they are for the child. Because they probably won't remember them but. But it was horrible. Nerea luckily hasn't had any yet. She's sleeping really good and she's usually in the lounge while Kaizel's watching Crash Bandicoot. So you know maybe she's having nice dreams about Crash Bandicoot getting all the boxes and getting the diamond. That's what we get excited about. I've completed these games so many times because I just want to get the diamonds. Even though I've done all the levels. We're so addicted.

As Kaisel says, levels. It's a really nice switch off though. You know, after I've been at work all day, he says, Mommy, can we complete some levels? I'm like, yeah, come on, let's do it. it like it's nice, it's nice to just have a break. Absolutely and I would say guys like the world, internet, the internet, why don't you create a platform that's not YouTube or YouTube Kids? There are, there are some. Oh I was gonna say they're just kid friendly. There are some videos I've seen yeah so definitely kid friendly. I'll find the links to those

and I'll put them down below so you can actually subscribe to these video channels that are not YouTube and they are all aimed at kids and you know learning great things. There's some religious ones as well so you can watch ones about the Bible stories and things which obviously I don't really do that because I'm not really religious, my partner's family are but my partner isn't so we're not too worried about that but if you are religious and you want those types there's some great ones I'll put all the links below. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I also have another story, another write-in. So hi Amy and Sadie loving the podcast I'm a mum from Manchester and my five-year-old started

using the odd phrase wobbly jelly monsters. It was completely random and I couldn't figure it out. Eventually I found this bizarre YouTube video with animated characters that looked like well wobbly jelly monsters. It was completely random and I couldn't figure it out. Eventually I found this bizarre YouTube video with animated characters that looked like, well, wobbly jelly monsters. It was a proper oddity and not what you'd expect to slip through the YouTube kids' net. Now I'm constantly checking his history, his watch history. It's a right faff.

Rachel from Manchester. I feel like we didn't really get much context there in the wobbly monsters. Was it that bad? But wobbly jelly monsters. I mean it says it was a proper oddity so maybe that's something to look out for. Maybe these are showing something that we shouldn't really be showing or you know. And always I think maybe the point of that story is that's such an innocent title. So maybe that's why she's kind of wanted to

send this in so we do really really appreciate that Rachel but also like I've never really come across any other than that Peppa Pig one the only other things that Kaizel watches and boys are naturally drawn to this is like videos with like you know cars that are blowing up other cars or you know big monster trucks blowing up other monster trucks like Violent things. And I say to Kaizel, you're not watching that, it's violent. And you said the other day, I can watch this, it's not violent. I had them for the weekend and he said, Amy, I want to play this game. And he wanted an

adult dinosaur game. And he specifically worded it that way I want no a big boy dinosaur game sorry a big boy dinosaur game and I said well I don't know about that so I had a look on my apps what I could get and I said I don't really think you should be going like I said no we can't download anything like that I was like obviously there's lots of shooting you're shooting other dinosaurs you're killing things yeah it was realistic as well. And then he saw one particular one and he went, I want that one. I went, no, no, we can't have that one. He went, yeah, it's not violent. And I was like, you've obviously heard that word from your mum because it is

violent. So I said, we can't have that one. And the fact that you're telling me it's not violent probably means it is violent. And he's great at conning me. He cons me. He cons me all the time. I mean, usually in a sweet loving way, like he wants chocolate and he's like, Amy, mummy said there's chocolate in there for when I get hungry And I'm like yeah, all right, okay. I Mean, I also know Sadie wouldn't leave chocolate in there when he gets hungry so sometimes I'll just give in cuz I'm like Yeah, whatever. I'm here. I'm the fun auntie. Take it take it. You remember me as being fun But he's so good at it and sometimes I'll even cry for like two seconds and I'll be like like the other day

I was working and I had two kids with me at the same time whilst doing something on my laptop. I was rushing to try and do something on my laptop while he wanted something. I know he wanted to play on the game and I was holding the controller. Or he wanted to play on a specific game anyway. It was nothing bad. Anyway he just starts crying and I'm trying to respond to some messages from work and I'm like oh and then there you go and he just instantly stops and laughs and and I was like, you conned me. And he does it all the time, but I kinda let him get away with it,

because he's not my kid, and I'm the fun aunt. The thing is, as long as it's not hurting him. He always says that I'm quite soft, and actually, I'm not that soft. I'm soft to the point where I'm like, if I say no, I mean it to no, so like, it's. I don't think you're soft, I think, if I've said that, I'd take that back. Because I think you're soft. I think if I've said that I take that back.

Because I think you're quite the perfect parent. Mum says I wish I could be a bit more assertive with him like you are because you're like in she'll say you know Sadie is doing the most and whereas I'm there I will turn it off. Yeah. And today, it just ignored me today, ignored me completely. We were going for a walk and I said to him do not jump in that big puddle it's's too deep, you've not got your wellies on, got his nice little white Adidas trainers on. They were already muddy so we didn't mind going for a walk in them but I didn't want to jump in the massive puddle wet his feet. Anyway, he goes towards the puddle and I went, don't! And I said it dead loud, don't you dare! And

there were people walking and he blatantly ignored me and walked through this pool and went you've got wet feet now haven't you? He hates being wet. He went yeah I was like well that's your own fault you just have to walk home with wet feet and I was like you blatantly ignored me. He was fine. He was just like yeah whatever mum. Was he actually fine all the way home? He was fine. Yeah because normally he hates being wet and we took him I took him to the park not long ago with my Partner's son as well and it was chucking it down, but they wanted to go and they loved it But he slid down the half pipe got his bump well he went to walk down the half pipe I fell over, slipped, bum was wet and I was like Eh eh, and I was like, sign sign, just get back on your bike, go, go in a bit, go in

And he did and I think that's because because Theo was there playing with him anyway. But no, he is ever so funny. I'll just go on then. We do have one more story, but Sadie, I'd like you to read it if that's okay. Oh, okay. We actually have two more stories. I want you to read this one though.

Oh wow, so this one is called The Chat Room Shock. So, I'm a single dad from Glasgow and I thought my 11-year-old was just watching gaming videos. Then I realized he was spending a lot of time in chat rooms. Oh gosh, can you remember when we did that when we were kids? Terrible. I had a quick gander over his shoulder one day and there were some really inappropriate conversations happening. I was proper scared. I had no idea kids were exposed to this kind of thing so easily. Now I've taken away his tablet and

we're having a lot of chats about online safety. It's been a right struggle, Leon from Glasgow. That does scare me because I remember what we used to do as kids. I used to stay with my friend and we'd go upstairs in their little small little room where there was a computer and we would talk to men in chat rooms. You wouldn't know that they were. And we were silly, we were stupid.

We shouldn't have done that, but people should have spoken to us and no one ever did about that. But back then it was so new. It was so new. And on that reference I've watched a documentary the other day. You'll love it. It's called Instagram's biggest con artist or something. It's on Netflix, two episodes. It's about this girl. So she started an online empire. She had cancer, she had brain cancer, she was really poorly. She created her own app.

For what? And her own menu food app for healthy living. And she said she had had four months to live and she's now been alive for five more years. And she's done it from super foods. And she gave all of these people these recipes online. She created her own app and she created her big cookbook. It was amazing, Penguin Books published it,

she had a contract with Apple to have her app on their phone. She was lying about the whole thing, she did not have cancer. She had cancer people from all communities, loving her, supporting her, she had, we loaded in million pound houses, like millions pounds houses.

That is disgusting. Let me say, before she became this person, prior to that, she deleted kind of a lot of history and kind of, although she was under the same name, nobody had ever searched this, because it was all deleted. So unless you're a police officer who can go back, or someone who's got the equipment to go back,

no one knew this, she deleted all of her previous online presence and became this new person and did all of this. Prior to that, this one journalist started digging up behind her and she was in chat rooms a lot speaking to different people, saying how ill she was all the time. And then she dug all of this out and actually she went on an interview with 60 seconds.

There's 60 seconds, this is a TV program called 60 seconds something. It's not 60 minutes. Sorry. I'm sure it's not 60 minutes. Sorry, 60 minutes, there's a TV program called 60 seconds something. She was on 60 minutes. Sorry. I'm sure it's not 60 minutes. Sorry, sorry, 60 minutes, sorry. No, you wouldn't get a lot in in 60 seconds. Sorry, 60 minutes.

I can't remember anything. Something in 60 minutes or whatever. Said it very well on an American TV show. Anyway, she said, I'll go on there, and she was advised not to by the journalists, they will annihilate you, you completely lied. Like, even if she did have a bad past, struggles in her childhood, things like that, she knew what she was doing was

wrong and she thought, no I'm gonna do it, I'll be able to get people to understand. They ripped her apart and they went into all this stuff where in the past, obviously like I said, she was online in these chat rooms before Instagram and things like that came out and then this woman who was interviewing her said, so according to your online history you've had two heart transplants, you've died twice, you've had three different types of cancers, you've did it all of these things and she tried to kind of explain it away and it was going nowhere. So just again one not everything's real on social media and on the internet and I'm just giving another example about what isn't real and what people

you wouldn't question somebody who was ill would Would you either? No, you wouldn't know. But my question here is, for those people that used her cookbook and actually had cancer, did it work? Not from what I can see, no. There are people who are still alive, but I think there were also people who passed away because they'd stopped their treatment because they thought this would work. But again, the likelihood of them still passing away I don't know but it doesn't matter because my partner said the same thing. But I'm asking if it worked. That always gives me hope I always think if I ever got cancer would that work? Would that work if I stopped doing all the

silly things I do like drinking wine and... Probably not. It's already growing in you. And if I'm honest I don't believe that what we're doing to us Other than other than okay what we do to us. I was whether we want to drink whether we smoke whatever there is something We're gonna get cancer I'm sure before cigarettes invented I'm sure before one is exactly one in two people So you're telling me then 50% of the population smoke and drink because they don't? No. Not all of it. In fact I know two people that do not smoke, barely drink and both of them had cancer, I married a couple, both of them had cancer. Both stage 3. Both survived but... But that wasn't because they decided to go off superfood diet. No, no,

no. And also it doesn't mean that all medical, modern medicine is working either. Like my partner said to me when I showed in this documentary I went well, how do you know we don't know modern medicine will work either? I went I know but that's not really the point is it she's lied No, but there are the point is she lied curable now than it was maybe it was one in two Is it because it's one in two now it didn't used to be Yeah, but also medication medical but that's one in two people get cancer. It doesn't say one and two people die but the point is sorry quickly before you move on, is that she lied.

It's nothing to do with cancer or anything else. She lied and conned millions of pounds out of people. By the way, I thought, well at least she's given loads of money to charity. Oh no, they never saw her, apparently. Because it said, oh she gave all this money to all these charities at the beginning, and then later on you realise they started to complain because no one was receiving any of the funds for this charity that she said she was going to give money to. So she wasn't trying to do it out of goodness of her own heart to give

money away. She wasn't. And then she got completely conned out of everything, like completely like obviously nobody liked her anymore. She went to like Africa and started to join like a community of people and help them and then all of a sudden, months and months later this video pops up of her doing a strange accent wearing a headscarf and everything, trying to be there to support these people. When really probably what it was is she was able to give to their charity and she could take, I don't know, she could take the money, I don't know what... She's just been shunned from Western society, where else was she going to go? But she's not...

Terrible. Oh and she was fined £400,000 which the way, she chose not to refuse to pay, even though she's living in a millions and millions of pounds house, or however much it was. So she could have easily paid that money, and she's refused, and then gone to a different country. And also, she could have just been like, yeah, okay, I'll pay that, I'll sell my house,

buy myself a little three bed. Because we're happy, we're gonna be happy with that. Yeah, for 200,000. It's not like she had that before, is it? And live the rest of your life. You could have just helped loads of people by giving away all your money. And still have a house that you can call your own. Yeah, yeah.

Some people would do so much just for that. That's ridiculous. It's stupid. Pissed me off actually. Oh no. So watch that, put it in the show notes. Last one from us. So, my son who is eight is always copying things

he's seen online. I was all right with the dancing and silly videos but then he tried to copy a challenge he saw that involved eating a load of really hot chilies. He's obviously done this when this guy was not necessarily watching, sorry, so he's probably done this at a time where his parents weren't around

or weren't really watching him because then he ended up eating all of these chilies and with a really upset stomach and I had to take him to the GP. It was a bit of a scare and I had no idea there were so many dodgy things for kids to see online. Emily from Bristol and I get that because we all got involved in the ice bucket challenge what's that one where you eat the cracker and don't lick your lips or drink anything. Fine but then an eight year old, eight year old eating chillies, proper chillies. Like where's he got the chillies from for a start?

Yeah. Have you bought those two? Are they in your fridge? Like... It's probably in the fridge with a friend, I don't know, she didn't go into that, sorry. But Emily, no judgement at all because again, you don't... They are eight, I mean it could have been he asked a 12 year old friend to go and buy, 15 year old older brother to go and buy him chilies,

like how would you know? You don't know, easy. It's not like I couldn't get someone to go and buy me alcohol and fags when I was 15, you know what I mean, I could. I'm not saying an eight year old stands on corners of shops and goes, excuse me, do you mind getting me some chilies? While you're in there, more masked.

You know, so there is no judgment ever at all here, honestly. We won't take the piss, but you're welcome to take the piss back. But it is never in a negative way, always in jest. Okay, so obviously we've just got a couple of kind of popular culture references to share. The first one mainly being a Netflix documentary. Which we do urge you to watch. Called The Social Dilemma. It kind of made us realise how much we're all being manipulated by these algorithms,

especially our children, so if you have not watched that just go ahead and give it a watch. And then I mean a funny one but Wreck-It Ralph like it's a cute film actually I do quite like Wreck-It Ralph but it does kind of it's a bit of a metaphor for the internet like it's a sugar rush it's a fun colorful and but it's full of glitches and hidden dangers so you know it's a really interesting metaphor actually I quite like that. And as much as we love the film W it Ralph and I is yeah really good kind of an analogy. Okay so the responsibility and the real world so ultimately it is about balance and we can't shield our children from everything unfortunately I know we wish we could but we can't equip them with the tools to navigate the digital world safely and that means making them aware, talk to

them, do not underestimate their ability to understand, do not underestimate their ability to listen and know what you're talking about, sit them down, have a conversation with them and like Kai's elders he'll probably sometimes see something and go, mommy I don't think this is very good. Honestly, that talking to your children, people think that children don't understand and I've seen this time and time again, I've worked with children since I was 15 years old, Parents don't talk to their children enough. They don't have conversations. They don't, you know, they don't communicate well enough with

their children because they think they're just children. They don't understand. They do understand. I have conversations with Kaizel all the time and sometimes he'll see something and he will tell me, mommy, this isn't good for my brain. And I'll say, you are right, it's not good for your brain, let's turn it off, find something else. Absolutely. And I think it's so important to talk to your children. I think you can solve a lot of problems with talking and really listening, listen to what they're saying,

listen to if they're excited about something, listen to them, take the time to spend time with them to actually hear what they're saying, do activities with them. That's what makes them feel loved, that's what makes them take on your values. They say that there's so much peer pressure in the world you want them to take after you and your values, especially if they're good values, but they will take on board those values and it's not until I had kids that I really understood what my values were and what I was trying to pass on to them.

And that's after being teachers and you only just filled that way. Exactly, yeah. Exactly and remember and I know Sadie will definitely agree that the best way to combat digital distractions is to create meaningful real-world experiences. Follow Sadie's Instagram to find out how. Okay so let's swiftly move We do a lot of cooking. Okay so let's swiftly move on because we are coming to a close now and let's end it on a little bit of a high with maybe a high or maybe like a little bit of a question mark, I don't know, with a few of our pick your poison questions. So do you mind if I go first? Go on.

Would you rather give up social media for a month for yourself so you can't have social media anymore but Kyzel can have his tablet or would you rather take Kyzel's tablet away from him for the month and you still have social media? Yeah, I'd rather give up Kyzel's tablet. But yeah, I'd rather give up Kyzel's tablet because I know that's for the best. Like, it's better if he doesn't have a tablet. Plus, if he doesn't have a tablet or a TV or whatever he hasn't got a tablet anyway but he's never charged so he's never on it. But like I said I urge other people to consider that and think how you'd react.

He's never really on it but obviously we have the TV on and he's allowed to choose on Netflix but then if he wants to he can have my phone but it's very rare that he has my phone because I'm always using it for work. So, you know. Also, I do enjoy doing things with him. Like even though it can be really hard work sometimes with a three year old trying to bake a flipping cake. Check out my latest piece.

Check out her Instagram. I would rather be out doing things. It's been really good for him since the weather's gone better. We've been out and about, you know, I would rather be out doing things. It's been really good for him since the weather's gone better. We've been out and about, you know, been cooking the cake for your engagement party, been doing his alphabet. But if we didn't have his tablet,

then I would be able to use the TV anyway, just to do his alphabet and things. Cause I do like it for that. Like I like it for me to be able to choose, right, we're going to do this. And I'll pause it and say, right, what's that? What letter's coming next? What is it? Can you tell me what letter that is? He's very good with the muhs, fuhs,

sss, zzz. Yeah, you can even use, like, even that. You can use the internet for things like that. So it doesn't have to be always just to ignore them or to, like, give yourself 10 minutes, which I know is kind of what we do want. Okay would you rather have your child, I know you've not got a child but you've got a stepchild, watch a mildly inappropriate cartoon or have them stumble upon a disturbing algorithm generated video? I'd rather watch a mildly inappropriate cartoon. Let me ask you another one. Would you rather only allow your child to watch pre-approved educational videos or allow them to explore YouTube freely with strict parental controls?

When you say with strict parental controls though it does make me consider it because to be fair why I don't want to sit and watch educational things all day and why should I and why should I force my child to? Just because I can't be bothered to. Do you want to sit and watch all those videos first as well? Well, the educational ones as well. Yeah, do you want to sit there and watch all those videos? Yeah, you can watch that.

Yeah, you can watch that, yeah. I think, to be fair, the way I do it now, and the way you do it, is I'd keep it the way it is. I would give them a say 10, 15 minute time limit, and I'd say sit with me and we'll watch. Like, I sit with Theo, we'll have breakfast, he'll have 10 minutes on his tablet, I'll clean the a say 10, 15 minute time limit and I'd say sit with me and we'll watch. Like I sit with Theo, we'll have breakfast, he'll have 10 minutes on his tablet, I'll clean the kitchen or whatever.

But once I'm partying, I double check all the time, I'm like, wait, watch, watch, watch. I know what he's watching, because he watches the same two men play weird games. And they're not weird games, they're just silly and they're funny and I think you'll know who they are. It's not that you guys, they do the ice blocks and they've got-

They've got like a spin wheel in the background and they spin it and if you land on a certain one. So they're just silly lads like doing something funny. It's absolutely fine. It's actually quite a good channel. So I allow that and there's an, literally most of the time he's only ever watching that. So that's okay. But I always, always check. I'm always very conscious of making sure I'm checking. And they also like if I'm in close vicinity, I'll tell him to put the volume up so I can hear it. So then if I'm doing something I can hear what he's watching. Yeah, absolutely. absolutely most of the time in the week is with nanny

and so she's always playing with it yeah I'm doing stuff it's never really like computer this morning I was like mom do you mind doing his alphabet and she's like yeah okay and obviously like mom's not quite as assertive as me I'm more literally make him do every single of the gentle he's finished. It's nothing. You're not getting up off his chair. You can get up for a second, but you're coming straight back and doing the next one.

I'm pausing it, I'm pausing it every time like that. And Aaron gets really annoyed. He can't do it. He can't, he hasn't got the patience. So I say, babe, he's three. He's gonna have a low attention span. He's three years old. You have got to just be calm and keep going until it's done.

You can't get my ass a three-year-old for not paying attention to doing his outfit. I was trying to read, me and my partner were trying to read the theory the other day. We were at the library and got some books to take home but whilst we were in the library he sat there with him reading. Well he didn't get past the first word before Christmas told him the answer. I went give him a minute. I went let him sound the letters. He's six. He's been doing reading at school. Anyway, obviously I did it with him. It was much more patient. And I was like, I'll just go wait. I won't just sound the letters and I'll wait. I'll wait. But obviously during the library experience,

I think it was about three times, I went, will you just wait a minute? He hasn't had the moment to think you're telling him the answer before he's even let in. And also you're taking away his self esteem by doing that. He loved it reading with me. he even said the other day, like, yeah, because we need to finish my book, don't we? I went, yes we do. And we sat down, we read it, he didn't have it, and then he was getting a bit bored towards the end,

he was like slouching, I was like, sit down, I said, sit down, you'll be all right, I was like, we nearly done, you're doing amazing. It's constant reassurance, loved it. Constant reinforcement, positive reinforcement. You know, so I think it's really good, let's get out of the roundup there guys, but yeah, I think, like we say, Let's get out of the roundup there guys. But yeah, I think like we say,

check your parental controls, clear your history, make sure they've got it on loud if they are doing something when you're not there in the room. Constantly check what it is they're doing and if you can, make sure you're spending that time with them. If they wanna watch something on YouTube, do it as an interactive fun activity with you.

And I'm sure, I think what we always say and what Sadie always says, there's power in, there's more power in, you underestimate, sorry, the power of other children, go out and see a friend and let the kids play together while you two have a chat and a glass of wine or a coffee, whatever that is. Honestly, if you are wanting to know more about how two women that have been teaching

or been looking after children since we were probably younger than 15 birth with our households and all our kids. Absolutely. Our families children. You know if you ever want to learn, we think, we we know, we don't think, we know because of our careers even though you've changed your career we know what it takes to raise a well-rounded human being and understand a child. So if you want to know more information about that please let us know and we'll have you share our stories. And please write in your other stories if you have any more.

Yeah on YouTube, on YouTube Kids, on the internet and not only that but on educating your children. You know what is your opinion? What do you think? Like I heard recently you shouldn't say the word, you shouldn't say, oh very good. What, like you can't say naughty? You shouldn't say very good or oh that's really good, that's amazing. You shouldn't say that apparently. You should say, oh that's, you're so kind. Oh you're so this. Now as much as I still think you should say, that's amazing. That is fantastic. It makes no difference. That's so good. You should say those's amazing, that's fantastic, that's so good, you should say those things, but I could also understand her point because she's saying

that you are then encouraging that behaviour again. You're still encouraging it when you say you're being amazing? Of course and I get it but to her she was like it's not specific enough and I get it, I still say that is amazing, well done and he loves it, you know when you're surprised by something, oh amazing, well done, you can see the difference in their face. I remember one. And you don't think that's going to make them want to do it again? Saying kind will. Yeah well I'm just saying specifically that word is then encouraging them to be kind again. So amazing.

Rather than being good again. Or amazing. Yeah. I kind of get it. You should still say very good. Again I'm saying this the third time, you should still say amazing, fantastic but those specific words are then teaching them one the vocabulary of those words and what they're actually doing. Oh that's kind behaviour and continuing it and I get it, I did think it was a little bit condescending when she

said it to me, I thought oh for god's sake I've been teaching for 15 years and no one did, but you know, teaching them those words. And I remember once Kaizel did something, and I can't remember what it was at the zoo, and Chloe was so surprised that he did it, she was like, oh my god, Kaizel, that's amazing! And he was like, yeah, that was it, oh my, it was so happy! Because of the way she reacted, I can't remember what it was. This little phase, I was like, aw, he just lit up, and it was lovely. So if you say kind, amazing, or great, or very good, they'll be happy about it.

But obviously in different situations, I can understand the difference in words. Yeah. Teaching the vocabulary as well, doesn't it? Yeah, of course. You're kind. But guys, we are gonna have to round off there, but thank you again for joining us.

Please write in, please always still send us your stories stories and your views even if the episodes passed we can always redo and revisit another episode and we just want to say cheers to keeping our kids safe and sane in the digital age. Yep cheers to that and don't forget to like subscribe and drop us a comment until next time keep sipping and a shit. Thanks for watching!