The Common Parent

Your kids are online. Here's how to keep up without the panic.

Apps, games and AI change faster than any parent can track, so we break down what your kids are using and what to do about it.

Find where to startSee the guides

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Cat and Nat, founders of The Common Parent

Apps and tech platforms change constantly. New features launch every week and every tech company out there is racing for your kid's attention. The only real defence is staying informed. That's exactly what we're here for.

The guidance you'll find here is shaped by years of conversations with trusted experts and medical professionals in the field. See who we've talked to.

Start with your kid.

Tell us what they use. We'll give you one thing to do tonight, something free to read, and the guide that fits.

What do they use? Pick all that apply.
How old are they? (optional)

Your starting point

Start with Screen Sense if your child has a phone or social accounts. Add Roblox if they play. Add AI if they use chatbots or AI homework help.

What's changed lately

Platform updates and new laws, each with one thing to do about it.

See everything that's changed
  1. Discord

    Florida sued Discord over child safety, joining New Jersey (2025) and Texas (May 2026). Discord disputes the claims and none of the cases has been decided.

    What to doNothing changes in the app. If your teen is on Discord, the 15-minute setup is still the best use of your time.

    The 15-minute Discord setup

  2. Discord

    Every Discord account is now placed in an age group: Adult, Teen (13 to 17) or Unconfirmed. Teen and Unconfirmed accounts get protections by default, like a separate inbox for messages from people who aren't friends.

    What to doOpen User Settings, then Account Status, and check that your teen shows as Teen. Discord admits the estimate can be wrong.

    What changed on Discord

  3. App stores

    Apple removed a batch of nudify apps and updated its rules to ban apps that create intimate images of people without consent. Google has removed some too. The tools still pop up on websites and get rebranded.

    What to doDon't count on app stores to catch these. Talk about it before it happens, and make the no-blame promise.

    How to protect teens from deepfakes

The guides

Each one is a one-time purchase you can revisit anytime.

Most loved

The Screen Sense Guide

The parent's guide to every screen in your house: phone setup, eight apps step by step, and the conversations that work.

153 pages · PDF · 2026 edition · Updated October 2026

$49.99

See what's inside

The Parent's Guide to AI

What's happening behind your kid's screen: the AI tools they use, the real risks, and the settings and conversations that help.

42 pages · PDF · Updated October 2026

$24.99

See what's inside

Roblox Guide

Age checks, Kids and Select accounts, Trusted Friends, and what you can control at every age.

19 pages · PDF · 2026 edition · Updated October 2026

$7.99

See what's inside

Free, no email needed

Read our mini-guides right here on the site, or download the PDF.

Scripts: what to sayAll free resources

What parents and professionals are saying

“We found the guide to be incredibly user-friendly, and we especially appreciated the detailed parent handouts outlining various social media platforms.”

Toronto Psychology & Wellness Group

“love your approach... I follow other accounts like this that push screen-free, social media-free until such and such an age. That does not fly with my boundary-hating, very strong-willed 13-year-old.”

A mom doing her best

“As a school social worker, I want to thank you. I find this incredibly valuable and I wish parents knew it could be this easy.”

School social worker

“I wish I had this sooner. The guide is so easy to follow, but I was so overwhelmed and didn't know where to start.”

A mom with younger kids

How we do things

  • No pop-ups and no countdown timers. You have enough coming at you.
  • Free things stay free. You can read every mini-guide without handing over your email.
  • We show our sources. When we tell you something changed, we tell you where we read it.
  • No judgment. However you're parenting through this, you're not behind. You're just busy.

You don't have to figure this out alone.

The CAP: Our weekly newsletter is free on Substack. Every Wednesday we cover what changed in your kids' digital world and what to do about it.