This Mother’s Day I am going to ask for my family’s undivided ATTENTION. We will put all screens away and have some fun-focused family time. I was reminded of the power of undivided attention when I spoke with a mom in Florida last week. She was running the community center that was hosting Screenagers, and out of the blue, she mentioned a Mother’s Day she had five years ago that was particularly memorable. She had asked each of her adult kids to leave all cell phones in the car for the evening, “We went for a walk then out to dinner and after we enjoyed some frozen yogurt, it was a fabulous Mother’s Day.” I am looking forward to a device-free Mother's Day.
As Mother’s Day approaches I have been thinking about my mom and her support over the years, and I am also thinking of non-family important women who have also helped me when I was growing up. I call these women Mentor Moms. When I was a teen I loved my jobs in part because of the many bosses that became mentors to me. At 15 I started working at a clothing store, Yarmo in Berkeley, California, where the manager, Kathleen Chesnick, was one of my first Mentor Moms. I loved how she trusted me and gave me more and more responsibilities. I knew I could always talk to her about things going on in my life.
Do your kids have any Mentor Moms? Perhaps a teacher, a friend’s mom, a boss? My daughter, Tessa, said that one of her Mentor Moms is her friend Cedar’s mother, Lisa Cox. My son Chase says that Mrs. Magidman, his former history teacher, is such a person to him. When he visits Seattle he always goes to see her.
As a mother, I welcome these extra eyes, ears, and hearts for my children to go to with good news, or heartbreaks or worries. I let them know that it is so important to build a community of caring people around them—there may be times that they don't want to talk with an adult in the family. Perhaps they don't know if or how they want to tell us things. For Mother’s Day this week I asked my kids to think of a Mentor Mom and make a card for them. Not only does this small action instill the importance of taking the time to thank people—but it gets them to become creative offline. SO COOL.
1. For everyone in the family, who are some women, outside of the family, who are Mentor Moms?
2. Is a screen-free Mother’s Day possible for your family?
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Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
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This Mother’s Day I am going to ask for my family’s undivided ATTENTION. We will put all screens away and have some fun-focused family time. I was reminded of the power of undivided attention when I spoke with a mom in Florida last week. She was running the community center that was hosting Screenagers, and out of the blue, she mentioned a Mother’s Day she had five years ago that was particularly memorable. She had asked each of her adult kids to leave all cell phones in the car for the evening, “We went for a walk then out to dinner and after we enjoyed some frozen yogurt, it was a fabulous Mother’s Day.” I am looking forward to a device-free Mother's Day.
As Mother’s Day approaches I have been thinking about my mom and her support over the years, and I am also thinking of non-family important women who have also helped me when I was growing up. I call these women Mentor Moms. When I was a teen I loved my jobs in part because of the many bosses that became mentors to me. At 15 I started working at a clothing store, Yarmo in Berkeley, California, where the manager, Kathleen Chesnick, was one of my first Mentor Moms. I loved how she trusted me and gave me more and more responsibilities. I knew I could always talk to her about things going on in my life.
Do your kids have any Mentor Moms? Perhaps a teacher, a friend’s mom, a boss? My daughter, Tessa, said that one of her Mentor Moms is her friend Cedar’s mother, Lisa Cox. My son Chase says that Mrs. Magidman, his former history teacher, is such a person to him. When he visits Seattle he always goes to see her.
As a mother, I welcome these extra eyes, ears, and hearts for my children to go to with good news, or heartbreaks or worries. I let them know that it is so important to build a community of caring people around them—there may be times that they don't want to talk with an adult in the family. Perhaps they don't know if or how they want to tell us things. For Mother’s Day this week I asked my kids to think of a Mentor Mom and make a card for them. Not only does this small action instill the importance of taking the time to thank people—but it gets them to become creative offline. SO COOL.
1. For everyone in the family, who are some women, outside of the family, who are Mentor Moms?
2. Is a screen-free Mother’s Day possible for your family?
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This Mother’s Day I am going to ask for my family’s undivided ATTENTION. We will put all screens away and have some fun-focused family time. I was reminded of the power of undivided attention when I spoke with a mom in Florida last week. She was running the community center that was hosting Screenagers, and out of the blue, she mentioned a Mother’s Day she had five years ago that was particularly memorable. She had asked each of her adult kids to leave all cell phones in the car for the evening, “We went for a walk then out to dinner and after we enjoyed some frozen yogurt, it was a fabulous Mother’s Day.” I am looking forward to a device-free Mother's Day.
As Mother’s Day approaches I have been thinking about my mom and her support over the years, and I am also thinking of non-family important women who have also helped me when I was growing up. I call these women Mentor Moms. When I was a teen I loved my jobs in part because of the many bosses that became mentors to me. At 15 I started working at a clothing store, Yarmo in Berkeley, California, where the manager, Kathleen Chesnick, was one of my first Mentor Moms. I loved how she trusted me and gave me more and more responsibilities. I knew I could always talk to her about things going on in my life.
Do your kids have any Mentor Moms? Perhaps a teacher, a friend’s mom, a boss? My daughter, Tessa, said that one of her Mentor Moms is her friend Cedar’s mother, Lisa Cox. My son Chase says that Mrs. Magidman, his former history teacher, is such a person to him. When he visits Seattle he always goes to see her.
As a mother, I welcome these extra eyes, ears, and hearts for my children to go to with good news, or heartbreaks or worries. I let them know that it is so important to build a community of caring people around them—there may be times that they don't want to talk with an adult in the family. Perhaps they don't know if or how they want to tell us things. For Mother’s Day this week I asked my kids to think of a Mentor Mom and make a card for them. Not only does this small action instill the importance of taking the time to thank people—but it gets them to become creative offline. SO COOL.
1. For everyone in the family, who are some women, outside of the family, who are Mentor Moms?
2. Is a screen-free Mother’s Day possible for your family?
Kids with ADHD benefit most when parents provide support at the exact moment behavior happens, a science-backed approach called "point of performance." Abruptly shifting from high-stimulation screen time to demanding tasks creates a "dopamine cliff," a brain chemistry drop that often shows up as resistance and conflict. Understanding both concepts helps parents smooth those transitions and build real skills and confidence in their kids over time.
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A new Louis Theroux documentary on Netflix exposes the growing network of online influencers pushing sexism, misogyny, and a narrow vision of masculinity on boys and young men. Combined with last year's hit series Adolescence, it is a wake-up call for parents. The good news: there is a lot we can do. This week, I round up our most relevant blogs and podcast episodes from recent months, covering everything from the "interrupter" technique to boys' mental health, phones in schools, online sports betting, pornography, and the manosphere's exploitation of boys' loneliness. The research is clear that parents who show up with curiosity, honesty, and consistency have more influence than they realize.
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When kids struggle with big emotions, many parents reach for a screen to keep the peace — but this can get in the way of children developing real coping skills. Drawing on research from Dr. Jenny Radesky, this post shares two practical strategies: using the Zones of Regulation color system to help kids name and process their feelings, and doing a toy swap with another parent to build your "vulnerable village" of support. Both approaches turn difficult screen-time moments into opportunities for emotional growth.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
