How much screen time should I allow my kids each day? When should I give my kid a phone? Should I start with an Apple Watch? Or maybe a ‘dumb’ phone first? Is Fortnite too violent for my 8 year old? How can I tell if my kids are addicted to their screens?

Talk about clickbait. These are hard questions. 

And while we’d ALL like the answers to these questions at some point on our digital journey, there are perhaps even more important questions we need to ask FIRST. Questions that force us to look inward at our own relationship with screens, technology and social media.

AND … we need to ask these self-directed questions with ALLLLL the grace and the self-compassion we can muster, because some of these questions are even harder to answer.

The good GREAT thing is, we are not alone. We are navigating this together, and we are excited to start the conversation within the wider MAM community so that we can support and learn from each other.

To that end, all caregivers are invited to our first MAM Digital Literacy evening on Wednesday, January 29th from 6-8 pm in the Gymacafetarium. Book your sitter now, you don’t want to miss this!

It doesn’t matter how old your kids are or where they are at in terms of screens or devices. Why? Because we are NOT talking about kids on this night. We’re talking about ourselves.

Come for a ‘fireside chat’ moderated by MAM mom and host of Cream City Dreams podcast, Meagan Schultz, and joined by fellow MAM mom, Thekla Brumder Ross, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, national addiction medicine leader, and strategic advisor to NIH. She advises behavioral health tech companies on product development, guides health systems in implementing evidence-based practices, and teaches self-compassion.

We’ll be discussing the neuroscience of our brains on screens, how to be mindful with our own consumption, how to approach our relationship with the digital world with curiosity and awareness, and how to practice self-compassion with ourselves as parents and caregivers in this digital age. 

We’ll have time for Q&As and small group discussions as well as resources to take away so that you can practice this at home.

If you’ve been struggling with questions about screen time in your family, or navigating the digital landscape, this is an EXCELLENT place to begin the conversation (and the first of several nights we have planned).

Please note this night will NOT include: judgement, concrete answers or advice on best-practices. Each family is different - with different values and priorities that determine screen and technology use.

This night WILL be a chance to connect with other parents, reflect on what your own priorities are and take home ideas on how to model the behavior that reflects the values you and your family hold.