A New Catholic Alternative to Screen Time

Many parents like us want to give their children a childhood that is more rooted in real life, nature, relationships, and faith. But often screens feel like the only option.

There is a fun new product for sharing the faith with little folks in mind. I caught up with Elie de Laforcade and his wife Viviana, the co-founders of the new HeWo player that offers a nice alternative to screen time while also sharing great Catholic content.

TOH: Tell us about the HeWo audio player and how it came to be.

De Laforcade: While my wife Viviana was praying the Rosary, she felt a strong and clear calling: We needed to help children pray and come to know Jesus. We had already been deeply aware of the importance of passing on the faith to our kids, but we couldn’t find a joyful, meaningful, practical, and screen-free solution.

That’s how HeWo came to life — a small audio player designed for children ages 3 to 12 that gives them access to a high-quality Catholic audio library all their own. HeWo is built for modern family life. It’s intuitive, portable, screen-free, works offline, and can be customized for each child. Today, we work with over 30 Catholic content creators to offer stories, teachings, music, and podcasts that nourish children’s hearts, minds, and faith. It’s both a spiritual and entrepreneurial adventure that my wife and I carry together with faith and hope.

TOH: Many parents want to reduce screen time for their kids but don’t feel they have good alternatives. What is it about HeWo that fills this niche?

De Laforcade: That exact need inspired us to create HeWo. Many parents like us want to give their children a childhood that is more rooted in real life, nature, relationships, and faith. But when it’s time to cook, drive, or take a break, screens often feel like the only option.

HeWo is the alternative, and kids love it! It replaces screens with storytelling, imagination, music, and prayer. It gives children healthy autonomy. They can listen to a saint’s story, a Bible story, a meditation, or a song all on their own and draw at the same time, dance, or pray at the same time without needing a screen or constant supervision. And unlike podcasts or traditional audio platforms, parents remain in control of the content through the HeWo app. It’s a tool that brings peace to everyday life, feeds the soul, and helps make routines — especially bedtime — more joyful and meaningful.

TOH: Tell us about the name HeWo. Where does that come from?

De Laforcade: HeWo is short for Hear the Word. The name beautifully captures our mission: to help open children’s ears and hearts to the Word of God through vivid stories, age-appropriate teachings, and simple, heartfelt prayers.

It echoes the words of Saint Paul: “So faith comes from hearing, and what is heard is the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Faith grows through hearing, and that’s exactly what we want to offer children.

We also loved that the name is short, easy to pronounce in multiple languages, and cheerful to hear. HeWo feels like a little companion — a faithful friend who gently speaks of Jesus throughout the child’s day.

TOH: What can you tell me about the content? Is it pretty static, or does it rotate or change with different liturgical seasons?

De Laforcade: The HeWo library is alive and always growing. We add new content every month — aligned with the liturgical year, seasonal highlights, and the evolving needs of families.

During Lent, for example, we feature meditations for children, stories of saints, and songs for reflection. At Christmas, it’s more content about Nativity stories and traditional carols. We also offer weekly homilies for children, specially prepared for both the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) and the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Mass), or wonderful podcasts like Catholic Sprouts every day.

Everything is designed to grow with the child, nourish their faith, shape their conscience, and accompany them at every stage of their spiritual journey.

Learn more at: hewostore.com