We are in an unprecedented time and one where many more families will be spending a lot more time together. Here are some tips about how to be intentional about time offline and time online.

It’s spring! Time to clean out the garage, organize the closets, open up our windows and sweep out winter’s dust. But for many of us, clutter isn’t just found in the closets of our homes– it also gathers in the corners of our phones. So, just like tidying-expert Marie Kondo suggests getting rid of things that don’t spark joy, consider what a good old fashioned spring cleaning might do for your digital life and mental health.

We know it might not be practical for every family to make it 24 hours offline—so even if you can only find 30 minutes to unplug and connect with your favorite people, we say it counts! If you want a fun way to let people know you are unplugging, grab an “I unplug” poster here and post it on social media as an “out of office” type message.

It takes an incredibly brave parent to seek out and accept information that contradicts their past parenting choices. Instead of putting on their blinders to protect their ego, they face the truth in order to protect their children. This story is from one such mother, Lauren, who courageously shared her journey—so others might not go through the pain she has been through. Thank you, Lauren.

Although our START Program began just for parents in elementary schools, we are working on developing resources to support educators, coaches, healthcare providers, and business leaders. We believe when a community begins to speak the same language about healthy new tech-use norms, the deeper our impact—and the healthier our kids—will be. We were recently invited to share our training with a special group of people who are building wellness every day for the 22,000 students in Blue Valley—the school counselors.

One of our rules of thumb is Start with Yourself. But one of the top obstacles parents share? Figuring out what digital health looks like at work. We loved these examples from companies who are taking this to heart and experimenting with new workplace practices to support digital wellness, including Netsmart—a healthcare company based in Kansas City.

20 year habits can be hard to break…so we were thrilled when START advisor and friend, Valerie Bockstette, shared with us how one simple shift improved her digital health in an unexpected, and totally addictive, way.

It’s no secret that today’s teens are growing up in a dauntingly different world than the world we parents grew up in. And honestly? It can be overwhelming to step into our kids’ shoes and see the world from their eyes. That’s why we were so thankful when a START parent—who is also a middle school teacher—offered to be our tour guide, giving a peek into the harsh reality our kids are navigating.

When it comes to setting boundaries with new devices, it is much easier to start with strong limits and release them slowly, rather than trying to put them in place during a time of stress. But if this doesn’t sound like a magical start to your Christmas day, we gotcha covered! Here are five topics to talk about when they unwrap the phone. Feel free to print them as a contract that you and your child each initial!

If visions of smartphones are dancing through your child’s head this holiday season, you are not alone! But before you buy, we want to encourage you that there is a growing market of alternative products to consider. There are lots of choices—here are just a few options to kickstart your research!