Family time during the holiday is great….and complicated. So many unspoken needs and hopes, so many conflicting communication styles. It is easy to quickly retreat into our personal devices to soothe our tense feelings. My advice to myself, and to all of us, is to reach for a board game whenever possible. For my family, it’s Boggle. I’m also hoping to try to play Bananagrams more.
I filmed a family last week playing a Dr. Seuss board game, and it seriously warmed my heart. They all had each other's attention and playfulness—true connection in action.
It is a lot of fun to play video games as a family but we have to keep in mind it can also be very activating, eliciting adrenaline and cortisol. Bringing down the intensity level a bit with a slower paced silly board game can be awesome.
I keep thinking about the unconscious barriers that prevent us parents from not pulling out board games or cards more often. For me, I was scared of games that could take so much time. I have a hard time sitting still for long, and Monopoly can be torture for me. But, for the shorter games I am all in because I know that when we start to play the game, I feel such a strong sense of connection.
The key is of course not just gifting the game, but gifting your time in playing the game, more than once. Consider setting a goal for yourself of the number of times you will play a game with your family over the next eight weeks. Two times? Four times?
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Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
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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Family time during the holiday is great….and complicated. So many unspoken needs and hopes, so many conflicting communication styles. It is easy to quickly retreat into our personal devices to soothe our tense feelings. My advice to myself, and to all of us, is to reach for a board game whenever possible. For my family, it’s Boggle. I’m also hoping to try to play Bananagrams more.
I filmed a family last week playing a Dr. Seuss board game, and it seriously warmed my heart. They all had each other's attention and playfulness—true connection in action.
It is a lot of fun to play video games as a family but we have to keep in mind it can also be very activating, eliciting adrenaline and cortisol. Bringing down the intensity level a bit with a slower paced silly board game can be awesome.
I keep thinking about the unconscious barriers that prevent us parents from not pulling out board games or cards more often. For me, I was scared of games that could take so much time. I have a hard time sitting still for long, and Monopoly can be torture for me. But, for the shorter games I am all in because I know that when we start to play the game, I feel such a strong sense of connection.
The key is of course not just gifting the game, but gifting your time in playing the game, more than once. Consider setting a goal for yourself of the number of times you will play a game with your family over the next eight weeks. Two times? Four times?
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Family time during the holiday is great….and complicated. So many unspoken needs and hopes, so many conflicting communication styles. It is easy to quickly retreat into our personal devices to soothe our tense feelings. My advice to myself, and to all of us, is to reach for a board game whenever possible. For my family, it’s Boggle. I’m also hoping to try to play Bananagrams more.
I filmed a family last week playing a Dr. Seuss board game, and it seriously warmed my heart. They all had each other's attention and playfulness—true connection in action.
It is a lot of fun to play video games as a family but we have to keep in mind it can also be very activating, eliciting adrenaline and cortisol. Bringing down the intensity level a bit with a slower paced silly board game can be awesome.
I keep thinking about the unconscious barriers that prevent us parents from not pulling out board games or cards more often. For me, I was scared of games that could take so much time. I have a hard time sitting still for long, and Monopoly can be torture for me. But, for the shorter games I am all in because I know that when we start to play the game, I feel such a strong sense of connection.
The key is of course not just gifting the game, but gifting your time in playing the game, more than once. Consider setting a goal for yourself of the number of times you will play a game with your family over the next eight weeks. Two times? Four times?
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.
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When teens say they hate you, it often feels personal, but it may not truly be about you. Teens sometimes direct their overwhelming feelings toward the safest person in their life. Instead of responding with logic or backing down out of fear, check that your limits are fair, practice self-compassion, and focus on validation rather than correction. If conflict feels stuck, family counseling can help both sides feel heard and understood.
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Thoughtful family tech rules help protect kids’ wellbeing, learning, and sleep while strengthening connection at home. Using the fresh start of a new year, this post shares eight practical tech habits families can discuss and adapt together, including shared social media check-ins, screen time inventories, device-free meals, regular gaming breaks, and keeping phones out of bedrooms at night.
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.
