Hello, hello. Thank you for tuning in. Today I have five different questions that I received from you all.

I'll be answering questions about screen time, how to better understand the middle childhood years, elementary school age kids.

Getting rid of toys and art when you feel overwhelmed, power struggles and sibling challenges.

If you have a question that you'd like to submit, go to speakpipe.com-simplefamilies.

And I'll use some of those questions for future episodes.

Hi, this is Dene. I'm the founder of Simple Families. Simple Families is an online community for parents who are seeking a simpler, more intentional life.

In this show, we focus on minimalism with kids, positive parenting, family wellness, and decreasing the mental load.

My perspectives are based in my first-hand experience raising kids, but also rooted in my PhD in child development.

So you're going to hear conversations that are based in research, but more importantly, real life. Thanks for joining us.

Before we jump into this episode, I do want to give you a little framework for which I answer these questions.

I'm not offering official medical or professional advice. I'm simply giving you some thoughts that come to mind for me when I hear these questions.

Some things that have worked for my family, some things that may or may not work for yours.

As always, take what works for you and leave what doesn't.

Hi, Dene. My name is Emily, and I have four children age 11 months up to eight years.

And my question is about screen time, not for the kids, but for the grownups, for grandparents specifically.

We have four grandparents, and while they don't live locally, they're very involved in our lives, which we love.

And I find that oftentimes when they're up visiting for the weekend, it seems that they're always on their phone.

There have been times where I've kind of looked out, and I've seen all four grandparents here visiting, and all four are just absorbed in their phone while they're around the kids.

And I've been struggling with if and how to address this, because I think it's something that people can feel attacked about, and I don't want to put them on the defense.

At the same time, I really am wanting to set a good example with screen time, and I'm also wanting to make sure that nobody is missing out on special moments, because we're all looking at stuff on the phone.

And so I'm hoping you might have some great advice for me. Thanks so much.

Emily, this is a great question, and you're not alone.

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