Carrots&Cake empowers families to take control of technology

We follow a science-based approach to prioritize learning, embrace fun, and help kids build balance and self-resilience as they grow up in the digital age.

Our Founders’ Story

The existing technology just didn’t work!

We have two daughters. When they started using screens during the pandemic, we were torn. We wanted them to be tech-savvy, but we also wanted them to be well-rounded.

We set screen time limits, but our kids threw tantrums and rebelled when their time was up. Life turned into a negotiation. As parents, we found that fighting against Roblox, YouTube, Minecraft, and TikTok was a battle we could not win.

We tried parental control apps, but the existing technology didn't work. They were hard to set up, our kids broke out, and we got bombarded with notification requests for extra screen time. Fundamentally, we found the approach of simply limiting screen time flawed.

We needed something better, so we made Carrots&Cake. Pulling together a team of experts, we built an app focused on improving the quality of kids’ screen time. Now our kids have balance, we are happier, and our family has more time to connect.

Since launching Carrots&Cake, parents have reported that their kids’ daily screen time use has been cut in half while time spent on educational apps has tripled.

About Carrots&Cake

Built by parents and developed with doctors, teachers, and specialists, Carrots&Cake uses science-based methods to make screen time more beneficial and less addictive.

Applying the oldest parenting technique to screen time, “Eat your carrots before your cake,” Carrots&Cake gets kids to Learn First and Play Later. When kids turn on their device, all apps are blocked apart from the learning apps that parents choose. When the learning time ends, the device unlocks and kids exercise their own agency during free screen time.

It’s all about the apps

Parents can choose from any learning apps they already own or anything available in the App Store. We constantly vet new apps and make recommendations based on age, price, gamification, ad content, and much more.

While some learning apps are traditional reading and math programs, we also include meditation, logic games, music lessons, speech therapy, drawing, and storytelling!

Carrots&Cake is the winner of

The Mom’s Choice
Award 2023

Best New Mobile App
Award 2022

Family Choice
Award 2023

The Science Behind Carrots&Cake

The Carrots&Cake approach to developing healthy screen time habits is grounded in behavioral neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science.

Behavioral Neuroscience

Carrots&Cake promotes healthy screen use by reducing the firing of the brain's reward pathway. Dopamine levels stay balanced. This helps kids stay in control of devices and reduces tantrums when it's time for kids to come off.

Behavioral Psychology

Learning apps with a high cognitive load — results in delayed gratification. This develops resilience & grit. Kids learn to self regulate. Motivational interviewing is used to help kids identify their intrinsic motivation and improve behavior.

Cognitive Science

With Carrots&Cake, kids focus can on learning without distractions. Using micro-learning — bite sized bursts of information — kids compound knowledge with small but consistent daily effort.

With Carrots&Cake, kids no longer spend mindless hours scrolling, streaming YouTube, and playing Minecraft. Screen time becomes intentional, healthy, and balanced. Kids develop the skills to become good digital citizens, and families can take back their quality time.