Got Screen-time Guilt?

Hello, Happy Human! 👋

We're here with our weekly 3 things...

1️⃣ A question from our community

2️⃣ Our actionable tips

3️⃣ A resource from our toolkit

1. The question

“I feel so guilty every time I give my kid the iPad, but I feel like it’s the only chance I get to actually breathe. How can I stop feeling like a bad parent without completely banning screens (I need them!)?”

2. Our answer

Okay… first off… take a deep breath.

You are NOT a bad parent for needing a break.
You’re a human one.

But yeah, we’ve all been there…

Dinner burning.
Work emails pinging.
Your nervous system hanging by a thread.

And yeah… the iPad buys you just enough time to remember you exist.

So let’s get this out of the way…

Screens are not the enemy.

The real culprit?

👉 The lack of structure, boundaries, and transition plans around them.

Here’s what’s really happening behind the scenes…

Every scroll and ding squirts out a little hit of dopamine (the feel-good “do it again!” chemical).

And because kids’ brains don’t yet have a fully developed “off switch” (aka impulse control), turning the screen off feels physically hard for them.

That may sound familiar, because yeah… it’s hard for us, too. 😬

But no, you don’t need to ban screens altogether or drown in guilt every time you hand one over.

You just need a plan that your child’s nervous system (and yours) can rely on.

You need to:

• Set predictable windows.
• Add clear transitions.
• Model putting devices away yourself.

Because when kids know what to expect, their brains can relax and the chaos will shrink.

And if this all hits home, we’ve got something you’ll love…

3. From our toolkit

Our upcoming ‘Struggle-Free Screen Time’ webinar will walk you step-by-step through exactly how to set healthy boundaries, create family “screen windows,” and transition away from screens without meltdowns (all using science-backed, nervous-system-friendly strategies).

In order to watch the webinar once it goes live on November 5th, you’ll have to be a member of our private parent community, The Collective. 

And the good news…

👉 You can join us free for 7 days up until the launch of the webinar on 11/5/25.

When you join, you’ll get:

✅ Access to the ‘Struggle-Free Screen Time’ webinar + printable summary

✅ Our entire library of workshops and past webinars

• Taming tantrums, getting kids to listen, breaking burnout, releasing stress, yelling less, repairing after you lose it, setting boundaries without shame, staying on the same team with your partner, and SO much more!

✅ Downloadable tools like our one-page guides and easy-access webinar summaries

✅ Judgment-free support from us (Greg, doctor of psychology & Jenilee, occupational therapist)

Because you don’t need to “try harder.”

You just need the right tools, and a kickass interdisciplinary team in your corner (that’s us).

So if you’re ready to stop feeling guilty and start feeling grounded and confident…

👉 Start your free 7-day trial in The Collective today.

Come check out ALL of our resources and support at no cost.

*You can cancel your membership in The Collective anytime.

You’ve got nothing to lose (except for the chaos) and SO MUCH to gain! 🙂

We hope to see you inside!

❤️ Jenilee & Greg
Happy Human Life

P.S. This offer to join us in The Collective free for 7 days will expire once the webinar goes live on 11/5/25. 

Come take advantage of the free trial while you can!

👉 Let’s get started!