Protect Young Minds™ Blog
The best way to keep your family safe from pornography is to stay up-to-date with the latest news, resources, tips, and threats. Our blog will help you do just that.
Sexual Behavior in Children: What’s Normal? What’s Harmful?
This post was originally published on April 27, 2017 and updated on April 4, 2019. Playing “doctor” is a common sign of normal curiosity in children. Little girls and little boys want to see each other’s private parts. That’s pretty harmless when you’re dealing with...
Social Media App Ratings: Can Parents Trust Them?
If your 13 year old wants to download Snapchat or Instagram, how do you know if these apps are age-appropriate? In the App Store, both Snapchat and Instagram are rated “12+.” But who's doing the rating? (Good question!) Do Snapchat and Instagram allow harmful content?...
Your Daughter’s Body Image – Healthy or Shameful? 4 Ways to Counteract Toxic Media
Both of my daughters dance. They have an incredible ability (that I don’t share!) to communicate their emotions and ideas through the power of movement. They practice hours on end at home and the studio to push their bodies to new levels. They celebrate their growth...
Parent Alert! YouTube’s Pedophile Problem + How Clever Kids Misuse Google Docs
Our regular Parent Alert! news updates help parents stay ahead of the trends affecting kids in our hypersexualized culture. Here’s what’s going on in March 2019. YouTube caught enabling child sexual exploitation! Eleven-year-old Corie loved to share her gymnastics...
5 Body Safety Rules Every 5-Year-Old Should Know
It seems like the number of things you need to talk to your children about in order to keep them safe just keeps growing! One issue that should be at the top of your list is protecting kids from sexual abuse. Why? The CDC reports that 1 in every 5 children will...
Social Media and FOMO: What the Fear of Missing Out is Doing to Your Family
There were a few times over this past holiday season where I seriously debated about whether or not to post pictures of our family’s adventures. It’s not that they were extravagant or unique, but my thoughts kept returning to the people who would see my pictures and...
Parent Alert! Is “After” the New “50 Shades of Grey” for Kids? (Watch out – It’s Coming to the Big Screen!)
Our regular Parent Alert! news updates help parents stay ahead of the trends affecting kids in our hypersexualized culture. This month we’re covering headlines from around the world: a twisted erotic fiction series popular with teens is coming to a theatre near you; a...
11 Safe Video Chat Rules You Probably Haven’t Taught Your Kids
Imagine that your kids could use video chat to build close relationships with far-away loved ones - like their grandparents and their best friend who moved away. And at the same time they knew how to be safe from all the dangerous people and situations that can happen...
Surprise! Boys Care About Love Too. A Dad Shares 3 Easy Ways to Talk to Your Son About Relationships
Flowers, hearts, and candy! It’s all for girls, right? Think again! The silent thoughts in the back of a boy’s mind on Valentines Day may not be what you imagine. Boys also long to understand and connect with the romantic feelings that surface as they grow. It’s a...
Good Feelings Bad Feelings: Helping Kids Decode Pornography’s Tricky Dual Emotions
I remember the first time I saw pornography. You probably do, too. I was nineteen, at a bachelorette party, and very confused by my emotions at the time. I felt caught between arousal and disgust as I watched the scenes unfold before me. How could something that...
Perfection Not Required! How Parents in Recovery Can Help Their Kids Reject Porn
Many parents today know what it’s like to be caught in the trap of pornography as a kid - and then struggle with it as an adult. These moms and dads can feel unqualified to teach their children to reject pornography. This is especially true when a parent has not...
Parent Alert! The Dark Web Endangers Curious Kids
Our monthly Parent Alert! news updates inform parents so they can stay ahead of the latest trends. Here’s What’s Trending in January 2019 Teach kids to stay far away from the Dark Web Have you ever heard your older kids or teens talking about Tor? If so, you will want...
Screen Time and Mental Health: Simple Life Hacks for Raising Resilient Kids
Technology! It’s changed our lives, hasn’t it? Smartphones, social media, apps and more - they have so many amazing benefits. That’s why practically everyone uses them! At the same time, too much of a good thing can turn into a harmful thing. Many parents are...
7 Ways Predators and Porn will Target Kids in 2019 – Be Prepared Not Scared!
Do you know where the latest digital dangers are lurking? Make no mistake about it: the porn industry and predators want your kids. National security depends upon good intelligence - knowing who the enemies are and where they will strike. Your family security needs it...
It’s Awkward, and It’s OK: You CAN Talk to Your Kids About Pornography
How old was your child when you first talked with them about pornography? Our kids were eight and ten. Before this time, they understood the basics of sex and some of the dangers that lurk on the Internet. We explained in general terms the “why” behind our family...
Our Top Posts from 2018: 7 Power-Ups for 2019
2018 is nearly over! How do you feel about this year? What was your first thought? Thumbs up - or thumbs down? Smiley emoji? Frowny face? 4 Questions for appreciating the past and welcoming a bright future The year’s end is a good time to consider if our kids are...
Parent Alert! The Surprising Results When 10 Teen Girls Did a Digital Detox
Our regular Parent Alert! news updates help parents stay ahead of the trends affecting kids in our hypersexualized culture. This month we’re covering headlines from the social media world: digital detox for teens; new research on mental health and social media; Tumblr...
How Porn Hijacks Young Brains and 3 Effective Ways to Defend Your Kids (Part 1)
This is part 1 of a four-part series by Sam Black from Covenant Eyes. Sam teaches parents all over the country how to prepare their children to be safe online. He also serves on the Protect Young Minds advisory council. Don’t miss part 2, part 3 and part 4 of this...
How Porn Hijacks Young Brains and 3 Effective Ways to Defend Your Kids (Part 2)
This is part 2 of a four-part series by Sam Black from Covenant Eyes. Sam teaches parents all over the country how to prepare their children to be safe online. He also serves on the Protect Young Minds advisory council. Don’t miss part 1, part 3 and part 4. Jimmy was...
How Porn Hijacks Young Brains and 3 Effective Ways to Defend Your Kids (Part 3)
This is part 3 of a four-part series by Sam Black from Covenant Eyes. Sam teaches parents all over the country how to prepare their children to be safe online. He also serves on the Protect Young Minds advisory council. Don’t miss part 1, part 2 and part 4. Katie is a...
How Porn Hijacks Young Brains and 3 Effective Ways to Defend Your Kids (Part 4)
This is part 4 of a four-part series by Sam Black from Covenant Eyes. Sam teaches parents all over the country how to prepare their children to be safe online. He also serves on the Protect Young Minds advisory council. Don’t miss part 1, part 2 and part 3! At a...
Parents and Teachers! Check Out Google’s New Toolkit and Help Kids Be Internet Awesome
Have you ever had a phishing lesson? No, not the kind near a river or lake . . . Though “phishers,” or scammers, do use bait to try and steal personal info from you on the internet. Do you remember how or when you learned about phishing on the web? As adults, we often...
Parent Alert! Watch Out for Netflix’s Shocking “Big Mouth” (and More!)
No need to feel overwhelmed by keeping up with the latest info on raising digital kids! We’ve got you covered. Check in regularly for current news you can use to prepare your kids to live safely in a hyper-sexualized world. Start a conversation with your kids about...
How to Protect Kid’s Holiday Tech Gifts in 2018 (and Fun Screen-Free Ideas!)
It's holiday season, and you're facing mind-boggling decisions about gifts for your kids. They're dreaming of fancy tech gadgets; you're uneasy about unforeseen consequences. Bewildered by the internet-connected gifts kids yearn for? We're going to help you...
Good Pictures Bad Pictures, 2nd Edition: Discover the 5 New Ways It Makes Kids Even Stronger
Want in on a secret? For the past year, I've been working on a second edition of Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids! With over 500 positive reviews on Amazon and a 4.9 rating, you might be wondering what we needed to change! (But first,...
5 Troubles with Tech at School and 5 Top Ways to Keep Students Safe
“How was your day at school, honey?” It was an innocent question that I’m pretty sure most parents expect will only generate a “Fine,” “Okay,” or “Good” from their child. That’s what I expected, too. Instead I got this: “Jessica* and I were working on our project...
My Child’s Friend Has a Problem with Pornography! What Should I Do?
You’re probably taking great steps to safeguard your kids against pornography. Have you thought about how pornography may be affecting their friends? The odds of exposure may be even higher for kids who may not have had as much preparation as your kids. Since 88% of...
About Us
Led by Kristen A. Jenson, author of the best-selling children’s book Good Pictures Bad Pictures, Protect Young Minds™ (PYM) seeks to help parents “porn-proof” their kids before they come across highly addictive and easily accessible internet pornography.