As we wrap up our 7-day series, I want to be honest with you. I’ve been thinking a lot about the years when my kids were younger, and I’m trying to be real about what that actually looked like. Not the "curated" version, but the one with the dirt and the chaos. I was a single mom raising athletes. Most nights, "dinner" was just whatever I could hand them in the three minutes between one practice and the next. We had entire seasons where "family dinner" was just us eating French fries in a parking lot while someone unlaced stinky shoes in the backseat. Our deepest conversations happened at red lights. Schoolwork, let’s just say it happened when it happened. It wasn't calm. It wasn't coordinated. It was just... loud. And fast. There were so many days where I felt like I was failing because I couldn't keep up with the "ideal" version of parenting. But looking back now, something floors me: It wasn't the perfectly structured nights that built our connection. It was just the "stuff" we did over and over. The tiny anchors in the middle of all that chaos. The specific music we played on the drive home. The way we talked about the weird little moments on the sidelines. The Saturday morning pancakes on the rare days nobody had to be anywhere. I didn't have a grand epiphany. I didn't suddenly become a different kind of parent. I just started noticing the "sparks." When a car ride unexpectedly turned into a real heart-to-heart, I remembered and tried to encourage that to happen again. That was the shift. It wasn't about being perfect; it was just about finding a rhythm that felt like us. Keeping the Spark Alive So, if your week during this challenge felt like a disaster? If it was messy and loud and the screens stayed on longer than you planned? Good. That means you’re actually in it. The research we talked about this week, the "Why" behind the WiFi, the "Gentle Fade," the "Boredom Jar", those aren't meant to be more rules for your busy life. They are just tools to help you find those sparks.

Hopping on the gif train. Pick 3-4 gifs that highlight your week. Let’s play!

Because, they are. We don’t give the kids in our lives enough credit for how closely they watch what we do and say and then model that behavior. True story, my daughter’s dad was in the military- AirBorne Ranger/Air Assault, needless to say, he often forgot to watch his words around our daughter. Fast Forward to 1st grade. My daughter is in afterschool care and she’s attending Catholic school (this was before we started homeschooling)! Imagine my surprise when I walked in to pick her up and I’m greeted by another 1st grader saying, “There’s some girl in the bathroom and she’s saying bad words!” Well, turns out it was my child. That night we had a chat about appropriate words and to this day, we still use French Fries as one of them. What does this have to do with modeling? Simple, she was modeling her dad’s language. Now, think about your online behaviors, are you modeling the behavior you’d like to see from your kids? Here’s some ideas by age you can try: Ages 3–5: Narrate your "Phone Finish." When you’re done checking a text, say it out loud: "Okay, I’m done with my phone now. I’m putting it in its 'parking lot' so I can play with you!" It helps them see the phone has a beginning and an end. Ages 6–9: The "Phone Bedtime." Establish a family charging station in a common area (like the kitchen). When the sun goes down or after dinner, everyone’s "digital brains" go to sleep in the basket together. 10–11: The "I’m Struggling, Too" Talk. If you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling, own it! Say, "Man, I just got sucked into this app for 20 minutes and now my neck hurts. I’m going to go outside for a breath of air. Want to join me?" Bonus (Ages 12–17): Digital Boundaries. Respect their "offline" time if you want them to respect yours. Try not to text them from the other room—walk in and talk to them. Lead the way in keeping the bedroom a "tech-free sanctuary" for better sleep. What’s your favorite do what I say not what I do story?

What Would Your Child Choose? When spring finally shows up, kids often have a favorite way to explore it. 🌼 Which one sounds most like your child? No children, no problem, which sounds like you as a child or today? 1️⃣ Collecting tiny flowers and leaves to save or press 2️⃣ Hunting for bugs and looking at them up close 3️⃣ Studying new buds, tree bark, and “mystery” plants 4️⃣ Jumping in every puddle and feeling the squish of mud Drop the number (1–4) in the comments and tell us what you do when your child or grandchild wants to play outdoors and you’re just not feeling it. @Erin O'Neill, @Mukkove Johnson, @Shelma Erikson

Game night isn’t about playing it “right.” It’s about building a tiny, repeatable moment where everyone gets to feel safe to try, mess up, laugh, and come back. Picture this: a warm kitchen table, magnets snapping together in the most ridiculous clump, your 8-year-old losing it laughing, and everyone else choosing kind instead of critique. That’s Connected Through Play in the wild. If you’re playing something like Jishaku, try our 10-second ritual: 1) Invitation: “One round with me?” 2) Connection rule: “We cheer effort.” (or “We try again.”) 3) Repair line: “I’m with you. Reset, hint, or keep going?” Play Prompt: Tonight, when a mistake happens, what do you want your family to practice most more laughter, more calm, or more cooperation?