A long piece on the choice to limit, or not, by focusing on the whole family’s needs (copied from our Substack)
- Intro
- Starting Slowly
- Deschooling
- Sensory Input
- Connection
- Understanding Learning and Monotropism
- Interoception
- Self-regulation and emotions
- Juggling Needs
- Respectful Screen Limits
- Conclusion
Intro
There are plenty of websites, doctors, books, friends, and family telling parents to limit screen time. Still, many unschooling families do not. Here is more on why. And while adult-imposed screen limits are all over the internet, it’s hard to find suggestions for neurodiversity-affirmative and non-coercive screen limits.
Unschooling opens up the possibilities for what you can do, not what you should do. Lots of unschoolers practice screen freedom and food freedom and it works out OK for them. But others find limits are necessary for the health of their kids and the family.
This post outlines what group members have shared about unschooling and limiting screen time in collaborative, neurodiversity-affirmative ways. The knowledge gathered here isn’t the typical “Plan A” “because I said so” approach. There is a lot of advice available about how to be firm, in control, and create rules around screen time. Instead, we’re asking: how do neurodivergent and/or disabled families limit screen time collaboratively with their kids?
“Overall, we see our role as parents as that of guides, protectors, and mentors, not judges, owners or arbiters.” —Clarissa Harwell
Feel free to ask more questions here and dialogue in the comments or on facebook with other families who can relate to your approach.
If you learn more through listening, check out these podcast episodes: one with Erika Ellis and Pam Larrichia on “Exploring Unschooling”; the other from Demetria Wilkinson and Meghan on “The Unschool Files.”
If you prefer a shorter chart overview, you can find that here.
If you decide not to limit screens, you can focus on teaching your kids what screens do to their bodies and minds, good and bad. You can also expand that to how any experience affects them. See below about interoception.
If your main concern is exposure to adult content, check out this collection of tips.
Starting Slowly
If your family has always limited screen time and is considering shifting those limits, start with the classic unschooling advice of “say yes more.” Say yes to one more game, 10 more minutes, etc. Then as you say yes, sit and observe.
“Yes” means you have more opportunity to observe and understand the multiplicity of screens (videos, comment threads, research, games, creativity) and what it all means to your child.
“Yes” means that they have more time to deep dive into their areas of interest, also known as hyper fixation or monotropism (see below). Look for the learning that is taking place, not only in the curiosity and joy of learning, but also in learning to navigate frustration (more below on self-regulation). As adults, we know that our areas of interest have both joys and frustrations.
Deschooling
Deschooling is unlearning wrong assumptions about education, like “kids can’t learn through screens”, or “audiobooks are inferior to physical books”, “kids can’t learn math except in school”, etc. If you have been deschooling for less than 6 months, or one month for every year in school, setting new screen limits may not be the best place to start.
If you already have limits and saying “yes” to more screen time is too daunting, another way to deschool is to read other parents’ accounts of what their kids are learning. Understand more about how kids learn reading, math, spelling, communication, strategy, problem solving, cooperation, creativity, engineering, logic, research, and following instructions through screens. Reflect on the purposeful ways you use screens and technology.
Be careful in setting limits and then using screens when it’s convenient , like forbidding them at home and then using them in a restaurant for an easy distraction. It can feel capricious to a child. “Why is something I love forbidden at home but not in other situations?” Only you can decide if the price of inconsistency is worth it, like for a haircut or doctor’s visit.
Deschooling is a transition. Life doesn’t have to look like how you want it to be in the long run. It’s a time to think about and compare your core values and your child’s. For example, you may value face-to-face interactions with other people and may find social media fake. Your child may find online friendships very fulfilling. They may learn social skills more easily through typing and chatting during a shared experience, like playing Roblox, rather than face-to-face interaction where a shared experience is more difficult to generate, like playing at the park.
Unschooling parents are often in a tough spot. On the one hand, they have rejected a lot of social norms, like school and authoritarianism, and have adopted unschooling, connection-parenting and neurodiversity acceptance as a new road map. But–, based on your circumstances and culture–it takes time to make any set of values, intentions and practices internalized and part of your family. Parents may feel pressure from both sides to question their parental instincts to nurture and protect. They may feel residual false parent guilt to solve every problem or else they are “failing their kids.” Part of deschooling is unlearning that false parent guilt.
Screen issues are usually multi-layered and unique to each family. The information below outlines the general layers that have been discussed in our group over the years. Taking an inventory of needs, including your own, is key.
If you have deschooled and still feel screen time is negatively impacting your family, keep reading.
Taking an inventory of needs, including your own, is key.
Sensory Input
Skip if you have sensory integration covered.
A person’s sensory profile is the most fundamental thing about them. Sometimes kids need help to learn sensory integration, at home or sometimes with Occupational Therapy. Often, just introducing new and intense sensory experiences can draw kids out of their dependence on one sensory outlet, like gaming, watching videos, etc.
Culturally screen time is associated with a decline in movement and exercise. One of the biggest negatives families see is kids being so absorbed in a game or video that they don’t want to go outside, and for kids with interoception challenges they might not notice they are hungry or need to go to the bathroom.
One strategy (not the only one) is adding in or intensifying sensory experiences , rather than taking away screens. You can do it slowly like putting a mini trampoline, crash pad, bean bag chair in front of the TV. Bouncing on an exercise ball, a weighted blanket, swinging, hanging on a door jam pull up bar, hiding in a dark cozy space–all can be added into screen time and help kids use and pay attention to their bodies. From Delia:
My oldest went to OT at 2 /12, and I could observe what she loved doing. I ended up bringing her to open gym 5 days a week at age 3. It was the first time she slept well for naps. That inspired me to buy a 6 foot trampoline and we had it in our living room with a crash pad until the kids reached the ceiling and then we got a garden trampoline for outside. I also noticed that as a toddler she loved playdough. We switched to model magic a few years later and she spent years making characters. That led to her drawing. One reason we left school is because she didn’t pay attention and just drew cartoons all day, like Dav Pilkey. haha!
Evaluating sensory needs can take some time.
Here are some resources:
Sensory Integration explained with ideas
Occupational Therapy – What is it?
Therapist Checklist to vet therapists
This photo album is on our Facebook group: Join here if you need to. The album has pictures of products with links to where to buy them. Looking at the pictures can generate your own ideas. Megan Neff has another collection of sensory ideas here.
Connection
Most parents, to some degree, fear screen time. Many parents start off with a fantasy about what connected family time will look like, and screen time doesn’t fit into it. Most parents are taught to see “screen time” as one thing—low quality entertainment— with a clock ticking before a kid becomes unhealthy.
Unschooling blogs frequently recommend dropping “screen time” as a concept, and instead collaborating with your kid around specific practices and tools (tv, gaming, creativity, virtually socializing, etc).
As Erika Ellis describes it in the “Exploring Unschooling” podcast:
when we’re in that connected place and actually seeing what we’re, what they’re doing, and we’re not in that fear place or that fantasy place, we’re now using language that’s connecting instead of just calling it ‘screen time,’ now I think we’re ready to have conversations with them.
Sharing kids’ interests and fandoms can increase connection. One group member suggested joining in their games or videos, and then sharing inside jokes with the kids, or coming up with role plays or other games as a family connected to their interests.
From Delia:
One way to connect is to practice time-in, where you spend time in their world. Sitting for 5 minutes watching them play a game. I had trouble watching gaming because it makes me dizzy. But we did talk about it. Watching a TV show together. Doing art together.
You might find a t-shirt with their favorite character, which shows them that you see and value their interests. That way, what brings your kid joy (their favorite game or show) doesn’t get bundled up with shame or fear around screens in general.
From Delia:
I’ve made connections with my kids by sharing memes and jokes, watching tv together, watching videos, etc. It’s them seeing how I use screens differently than they do. We used to watch funny videos together at bedtime. Wimp.com has a list of funny and family-friendly youtube videos. One of our favorites was a video of a cat barking and then meowing when it realized the human was there. We also would look up “funny signs” on a google search and they would be hilarious. When they were teens we watched political comedy together. They are both interested in social justice.
Connection is a bridge to expand interests. Joining in will likely benefit your connection, even if it means more time played. For example, a few rounds of mario kart might inspire you both to find a place to do bumper cars. If your kid feels stuck on screens, “invite them to do tangential activities at first” (Danny Raede).
You can also use natural breaks as an opportunity to connect with suggested activities. For example, your kids take a break to come and eat or drink. They come to the kitchen and find not only food, but a deck of cards and you playing with them. Maybe you could show them a card trick, or invite them to play go-fish. You could shuffle the cards which is a sensory experience.
Maybe after eating you could turn on music and start dancing. The idea is that you do something you enjoy and they see you doing it, and sometimes will want to join in. They will make the connection to you.
Sue Patterson from Unschooling Mom2Mom always recommends adding in instead of just taking away screens. For example, during screen free times families can add in: cookies, baking, walks, art projects, family games, park, library, museum, a car ride, playing with pets, pet store, hide and seek, game or comic store, coffee shop, bowling, art class, rock climbing class. A parent can do any of these themselves as an invitation, accepting if their child says no.
To improve connection, it may be necessary to improve communication in some way, like using reflective communication, non-verbal communication, text messages, notes, body doubling, jokes, maybe singing, rhyming, scripting, etc.
PDA makes some of these connection suggestions much harder for parents to do. PDA parents also feel resistance to following formulas. That’s why it’s good to go back to your instincts rather than feeling pressure to follow an “unschooling formula”. In our Facebook group you can read many different lived experiences and then find the ones that resonate rather than everyone following the same formula.
Connection can improve safety in a world that is inevitably going to have safety risks. Maybe parents feel that being open and connected is safer than banning and having kids hide their tech use.
The short answer is that I can’t ensure safety as much as I’d like to. What I can do is ensure that I am a safe person for my kids to talk to about whatever they come across. — Clarissa Harwell
Read more about connection here.
Understanding Learning and Monotropism
If connecting with our kids over gaming is hard for you, understanding what they are learning can help. If you run into trouble asking your kids to transition off the device (which is so often hard for neurodivergent folks) understanding monotropism might be helpful.
The internet is an extremely rich learning environment. There are plenty of mainstream articles and opinions that claim that it’s not and claim that tech is bad for kids. It depends on the way the technology is being used.
From Delia:
I remember my parents calling the TV an “idiot box” (“idiot” is a disability slur. ). Reading books is held up as noble. A child could use reading books to dissociate as much as using screens to do that. Why is it OK to be an introverted bookworm but not a gamer?
If you need info on why “Tech is great”, here is a document and more on why autistic folks in particular need screens.
Monotropism is one of the main features of Autism. It’s when we deep dive into areas of interest, aka geekdom, nerding out, etc. Here are more resources from Stimpunks and a video describing it.
One way to create an “in real life” rich learning environment is to understand interests deeply and expand them.
Example of expanding interests: A child loves Pokemon. A parent can
- listen to the child talk about it
- ask about how the game works and play together
- talk about the points on the card,
- make some Pokemon art, balls or characters out of Perler beads, model magic, drawing, etc.
- buy Pokemon swag, like a t-shirt, cards, stuffed toy, etc.
- teach a child how to bid for an auction of Pokemon cards on ebay
- invite friends to play
- help the child make up a new game
- make up an original pokemon story or pretend with the stuffed characters
- watch the anime together
From Delia:
In my family, supporting my kids’ social lives put them in front of other kids, which sparked more appreciation of “in real life” fun and enjoying new and shared interests. They spent lots of time with friends over our house gaming together. My oldest started a d&d group at age 15 and at age 24 is still doing it.
If you need help finding local unschooling groups, we have a list of them on Facebook, in worldwide locations.
Interoception
Kids who are deeply invested in a game or video might not notice their internal cues, and this can exacerbate already existing interoception challenges. Parents can offer support for interoception by making observations and reflecting back what they see their child experiencing.
At the same time, say out loud what you are doing and why so that your child can apply meaning to your actions and intentions. Explain to them what is on their mind and what that means. Your explanation can help your child connect undifferentiated feelings like dysphoria, “something feels wrong and I don’t know what,” to something they can understand. “That headache means I forgot to eat.”
When you bring food and drink, you might say:
“I was thinking about you and that your body might need this.”
“It’s been 4 hours since you’ve had a break. Bodies need breaks.”
“I’m reminding you to pee so you don’t get sick. If you hold in your pee, that could make you sick.”
“I want you to have a fun day. I also want your body to stay healthy.”
“Your body needs food, drinks, sunshine, play, exercise, and breaks to stay healthy.”
“I’m helping you because you are a kid. That’s why kids have parents. Someday you won’t need my help. You will do this all on your own.”
When you practice this reflective function, you might find that eventually your child will internalize the awareness of their internal states and then you can fade screen limits.
That is the continual tightrope that we walk, where on one side, we try to presume competence, and on the other, we try not to leave them unsupported.
Your child might learn to recognize when they are starting to become dysregulated, bored, anxious, hungry, thirsty, tired, frustrated, etc. Then they will know to take a break before they melt down. They might be able to communicate to you in more detail, their internal states.
On the other hand, some kids will always have difficulty with expressive language and internal regulation and therefore will still need external supports. That is the continual tightrope that we walk, where on one side, we try to presume competence, and on the other, we try not to leave them unsupported.
Sometimes it can be years of co-regulating and then because the brain matures biologically on its own, you will find that things get better. What the co-regulating and connection help is to avoid trauma while the child is growing. Sometimes the best we can do is “not make it worse” and be a “safe place” to experience periods of dysregulation and having help getting back to homeostasis.
Here are other ideas for self-regulation.
Self-regulation and emotions
Many parents seek out screen limits because of emotional outbursts that get worse when a kid is gaming or watching videos.
One of the biggest reasons for outbursts is interrupting a flow state. See step 4 about monotropism and tendril theory.
Outbursts, or ignoring body cues, might also come from being absorbed in the game or anxious about losing time if they are interrupted. Look for what your kids do and do not have time to do with each interest that involves a screen. It may not be the content that is drawing them in, so much as the challenge of the game.
As Nina at “Raising Wildflower Kids” puts it:
“It takes a lot of time to understand, grasp new concepts, figure out rules, learn, practice, and master. Kids whose screen time is limited are living in constant frustration because they can’t build their skills, they can’t watch the YouTube tutorials another kid made, they can’t learn what they want to learn, and they can never relax while doing the thing they enjoy most because they always have one nervous eye on the clock. They can’t experiment, they can’t explore, and they can’t practice — and those are the key steps of learning that you want them to experience, even when it’s doing something you yourself aren’t interested in.”
If they are in the midst of gaming frustrations, try texting or writing notes to communicate. Work on your own reactivity, let the storm pass or let them yell without getting caught up in it. You might be better off setting boundaries on hurtful language later when things are calm.
An outburst or angry attitude might come from emotions that are already there, but find an outlet in high-adrenaline gaming. As Danny Raede puts it, while gaming he was “creating a safe place for myself to explore what it means to be a human. . .I was doing a whole bunch of stuff.”
From Carol Ballard Adams:
Sometimes kids have feelings that confuse them and they need to find a way to process them and let them out.
It may not be that the game triggers the attitude but that he chooses it to play when the anger is bubbling inside anyway and he can ‘take it out’ on the game – sort of like an electronic punching bag.
That can sometimes spill over outside the game because switching in the middle of processing is very hard.
He may be finding this specific game is a good way to redirect his emotions so just taking it away could make him flounder as well as add to resentment toward you which will then mean more anger bubbling inside.
Don’t focus on the disrespectful or other undesirable behaviour or the game.
Focus on the sensory stuff you were looking into. Move to providing it.
Provide more ways to work through the anger rather than take away a tool he has found for himself.
If you are starting to let go of screen limits by “saying yes more,” “yes” might show you that your child is able to handle frustrations and transitions from high intensity back to neutral. For example, they play a challenging game for two hours, even shouting at the game, or laughing loudly, then when the game is over, they transition to grabbing a snack and telling you all about the game and how they beat the final boss. Complaining about other players and frustrations about the game also helps the child return to a less intense, more neutral state of mind. They process what the activity means to them and how they are feeling about it.
On the other hand, you might observe your child having difficulty handling frustrations or returning back to neutral. They may seem dysregulated, angry, prone to exaggerations (“I hate this”, “that other player stinks”). They might be in a bad mood and take it out on others. You might be tempted to jump to a conclusion, like “gaming is bad for my child”, “my child is happier without gaming.”
Your child is highly attracted to an activity that also causes too much distress. Is there a way to help your child learn to handle frustrations and transitions by working through them? Is there something your child can learn about themselves through this experience?
“I need breaks every 20 minutes.”
“Jumping after screens helps get the wiggles out.”
“I like non-competitive games better.”
“I’d like to play with friends, and not strangers.”
“I can choose not to respond to rude comments.”
If your child is too young or unable to self-reflect and their distress is difficult to soothe, screen limits become a support until they are ready. Parents can fade the support as the child matures. If you are concerned about ongoing depression or anxiety, please seek professional help.
Juggling Needs
How is the child trying to get their needs met by using screens? What are those needs?
Gifted and 2E folks often seek intensely stimulating intellectual material. It may not be in a “schoolish way”. It may be memorizing and categorizing aspects of a fandom.
From Delia:
My youngest, 20, has done this over and over with different interests. At age 6 he started memorizing which lightsaber matched which character for which episode in Star Wars. Over a couple years he collected a lot of lightsabers. When my oldest was 3, she memorized which kind of owl matched which month on an owl wall calendar. Then her grandmother wrote handmade books about owls for her.
Some kids may be too introverted to want to be around other kids, or they may have no interest in peers. That’s OK. Maybe they like being around adults, or pets. Some families have a mix. One kid wants to be out and about and another wants to stay home. Siblings can also have conflicting sensory needs, like a need to be noisy and a need for quiet. Screens are often a way to adapt individual and family needs, for example one kid wanting quiet and another gaming at high intensity with headphones.
For PDA families, autonomy is a nonnegotiable need. From Delia:
Obviously, the need for autonomy is so important to them and us. The best way I’ve found to stay connected through the intense need for autonomy is reflective parenting, described here. There are 10 documents listed at the bottom.
Reflective parenting also helped me stay connected and stay grounded even through conflict and resistance. It also helped me unlearn some bad habits from my childhood like judging and fawning. PDA’ers tend to interpret those as demands.
Strewing and suggesting is really tough with PDA’ers. The success rate for us was like one out of twenty which can be so draining. I live by the adage “lower my expectations until they are met.” I paid attention to my own burn out as well. I unlearned the idea that it was up to me to make everything happen. I also kept a close eye on what they were making happen for themselves.
I unlearned the idea that it was up to me to make everything happen. I also kept a close eye on what they were making happen for themselves.
Add to the mix that you have your own needs. Ideally, everyone has a chance to get their own needs met.
One of the most frequent issues with screens is sleep, which is a nonnegotiable need. That doesn’t mean there aren’t creative solutions available: sound proof curtains or wall coverings, alternative sleep schedules, dimming lights and blue light glasses. When approached as a need, many kids will be more open to discussing a screen limit as one possible solution, especially when you as a parent take a problem solving approach based on your own need for sleep instead of a judgment of their preferred activity or schedule.
It can be a reasonable adaptation to retreat to screens when “real life” is overwhelming, sensory-wise and socially, or underwhelming in interest and stimulation.
Screens can also fill the need for a safe space that is less ableist and traumatizing. Many Autistic adults say that it’s almost impossible to be an Autistic person and not experience trauma in one way or another. We try so hard to protect our kids from trauma. It can be a reasonable adaptation to retreat to screens when “real life” is overwhelming, sensory-wise and socially, or underwhelming in interest and stimulation.
Respectful Screen Limits
And I think it can be pretty automatic at times to want to just make a rule or a proclamation, like, “No screens before 4:00,” or, “No screens until the weekend,” or, “One hour of Roblox per day, period.”
We hear about those types of rules and it can feel like they might be a good solution to our fears and concerns. But without communication and conversations, top-down rules and orders are so disconnecting. There’s such a big difference between a parent proclaiming that all screens must be turned off, and the whole family deciding together that they like how it feels when they have dinner and no one brings their devices to the table.
Limits on screen time can be based on needs. Once you are connected, joining in, communicating about needs, and offering as much sensory regulation as you can, you might still feel a need to set screen limits. When doing so, focus on experiences and shared family goals.
This might look like:
“My kids are happier, sleep better, and are better regulated when we limit screens.”
“Our whole family has a very strong need for regular sleep habits and limiting screens is part of meeting that need for everyone.”
“My kid gets headaches from too much screen time.”
“In this moment, my child needs a break from screens or from this particular video game.”
“Playing on their tablet might be keeping my child from enjoying a party, but they need it right now to regulate. Regulation is more important than participation.”
Needs and abilities are fluid. They can fluctuate. Being flexible is helpful. Instead of “authoritarian rules”, we try to collaborate. If collaboration feels hard, look at the extensive resources provided by Ross Greene on Collaborative and Proactive Solutions for model conversations. The facebook group “The B Team” has extensive discussions about how this works specifically with technology.
Families set screen limits often because they feel the need to make time for being active, getting outside, seeing friends, or other activities. One member wrote about having screen free summers when they want to get out, enjoy the weather, and visit friends. And cozy winters with no restrictions when everyone was inside and less likely to do social activities. Another suggestion is for the whole family, adults and kids, to have one screen free day per week or month.
Demetria Wilkinson describes how having screen limits can be based on the family strategizing about activities. Screens can be a form of assistive technology. For valued activities, screens should be secondary and supportive, not an obstacle.
An example Wilkinson gives is: if the family is all going out for milkshakes, gaming might make it take too long. But at family dinners, one kid might need headphones and music to help with chewing sounds. As Demetria says, “Is this supporting you, or is this hurting what you’re trying to get done? You know the overall goal.”
Screens can be supportive for the parents and the kids. For example, Wilkinson describes using google Alexa to ask her kids questions without needing to take back and forth trips through the house. “I would rather let something that’s tech take care of something so I can save my spoons for something where I really need to be engaged with them.”
Clarissa Harwell also describes a similar function of screens to enhance family connection, communication, and enjoyment:
I love that my kids can take a computer to a nature day and enjoy being in a beautiful meadow with trees and wildlife while also gaming. Or that we can have a family text thread to send ridiculous memes, say goodnight, check-in about who is hungry or share photos, etc. Sometimes we have tough conversations via text because we’re frequently better able to regulate our emotional responses if we’re in our own quiet safe space and have time to process before responding, without the additional input of body language, voice volume and emotional flooding.
A key for any of these approaches is allowing the kids to voice their concerns, really listening and taking those into account, and being open to their solutions. Here’s one family’s story about limiting a particular kind of screen after several discussions:
I was able to share my observations and follow up with checking in with them if they thought my assessment was correct. We went back and forth over the course of days. Probably a whole single conversation, but with squirrel 6 and 9 and 43 years olds (😜) it took us about a week to finish the Convo…there were a couple days where they mentioned it, but we haven’t really talked about it much since they’ve been busy with other things they discovered in the house.
All that said right now one kid is busy making a popsicle stick trebuchet after watching Netflix show, Making fun, and another is simultaneously watching TV AND playing switch so what I meant to convey is that we all worked together to pinpoint the problem….we isolated it to app games (especially with ads) and resources that heavily relied on algorithms. We pulled those resources out (so in this case it was iPad app arcade, YouTube, and Roblox).
A parent can collaborate and use trial and error to land on some kind of routine around screens that the kids can understand. It doesn’t have to “work” right away.
Back to ability / disability. Do the kids have the ability to pause, listen, internalize, reflect, etc? If not, then common strategies won’t work. Sometimes kids can’t collaborate in their self-interest. Sometimes the needs of family members are conflicting. Sometimes it’s not possible for a child to learn through “natural consequences” and they need more support than that.
If the child can’t collaborate and can’t self-regulate, then helping them do that externally is a support. Having a rule for a young child to hold a parent’s hand when crossing the street is an external support. They may need the support to be consistent and predictable, like if you do a screen fast on Sunday, it might need to happen every Sunday and not randomly.
What may feel disrespectful to kids is taking away screens as a punishment or giving screens as a reward for compliance. That will feel coercive and capricious to them, especially to PDA’ers.
Finally, a limit doesn’t have to be all or nothing. When parents want to shift their thinking, it’s good to be mindful of not trying to conform or comply with any particular ideology or belief, like “only screen freedom is unschooling” on the one hand, and “screens are addictive” on the other. Ideologies are guides, not commands, and there are always outliers.
More ideas here for respectful screen limits including stories from parents.
Conclusion
There is so much nuance to this discussion. We can bring the facts and different perspectives, but ultimately it’s up to each family to follow their instincts to nurture and protect with the resources available.
We hope that by reading through this very long reflection, you will see yourself and your parenting reflected back to you and see how you are already handling your complex family life in a cogent and earnest way. It’s natural to be unsatisfied with some aspects and always striving to do better. Feeling unsatisfied is not the same as “failing”. Part of parenting is pausing to appreciate how many of your actions are done for the purpose of fulfilling your intentions to nurture and protect.
Parents may pause to nurture and protect themselves, as well.
Unschooling Every Family 