Monday, November 20, 2017

Kid-friendly benefits of Xfinity

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Xfinity. All opinions are my own. 

Along with some fellow Pittsburgh bloggers, I was recently invited to the new Xfinity store in Upper St. Clair.  Full disclosure: we use Comcast internet in our home, but do not currently have cable.


We try to do limited screen time in our home and as my kids have gotten older, it's not unusual for us not to watch any TV Monday - Thursday. To mamas of toddlers, I definitely used some afternoon shows to give us all a break when we were home all day every day. :) My kids use some devices as part of their homework, but the evenings go fast between off the bus and bedtime. Too fast!

Ever since my husband and I have been married, we chose to cut the cable bill and rely on our 3 local channels + Netflix for down time. We also were grandfathered into a monthly $20 internet bill for several years which made that an easy choice. But unfortunately, that nice perk has now gone away and we have been thinking through some other options. We've realized that we can now bundle and get cable for only $10 more per month that we are currently paying for our internet. So this was perfect timing to see what the Xfinity experience could offer us!


Our guide first introduced us to the X1 experience and Common Sense Media. First awesome perk - voice feature of the remote. Can your kids say "kids zone"? Then they can operate it by themselves! (This obviously has pros and cons. ☺) One of the best options for this is that there is a ton of parental control for wifi + TV . Once they get into kids zone, they cannot get back out without a password. That brings peace of mind that they won't be surfing through content that you haven't already screened!


X1 will give you a clear review of each show and movie as to what elements will be appropriate for your kids. You have the option to block any shows or movies from kids zone that you don't want them to see. 

Some other benefits of parental control options: 
  • Can pause a device from your app 
  • Can monitor the usage and see what times they were on their device. 
  • Bedtime pause 
  • Control wifi during dinner, bed time, ect....


Another important option that we learned about is the Xfinity Home system. This gives great control and peace of mind for who's coming in & out of your home. It can be extremely personalized based on your needs. You can download an app that will allow you to control cameras, thermostats, lights, sensors and monitor activity in your home from afar. But you also don't have to get cameras to use many of the benefits of the home system.  You can monitor anytime doors or windows are opened in your home - for example checking to see that your kids arrived home after their scheduled bus drop off.


And lastly, for those that may be interested in their phone options - they have Xfinity mobile. They work off the very reliable Verizon network. Currently, you need to buy their device, but can bring your own device beginning in 2018. 
  • Pay by the gig which is shared with all phones.
  • Up to 5 lines which can each be on a different plan. Customize to each person.
  • Unlimited for $45 a month
  • Unlimited calls & texts
  • Port your number
  • Free upgrades
  • Buy back program for your device



This was a very informative evening to learn about so many family-friendly and safety features that Xfinity offers! I hope passing this information on to you will be helpful in the decisions you are making for your family as well.

#XfinityMoms