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Questions parents ask — answered from the papers
All 24 questions answered across the 12 launch episodes, in one place. Every answer comes from the episode's paper — the full breakdown, reference and DOI are one tap away.
Episode 12 — When Both Parents Check Their Phones, the Link Gets Stronger Full episode →
Is this about total screen time?
No — the studies measured interruptions: phones breaking into parent–child time, which is different from how much anyone uses a phone overall.
Why does “both parents” matter?
In the combined data, the link with children's problematic media use was stronger when both parents' technoference was present than when only one parent's was.
Episode 11 — Screen Use at Age 4–6 Hit the Parent-Child Relationship Hardest Full episode →
So is all screen time bad at this age?
The review found small average links, not a verdict on every child or every show — and context mattered: using screens together looked different from solo use.
What's the most useful takeaway?
The relationship finding: how screens fit around parent–child time may matter as much as the minutes themselves.
Episode 10 — Kids Who Eat With Family Least Report the Worst Mental Health Full episode →
How many dinners “count”?
The study compared frequency bands; the least-frequent group reported the worst outcomes. It doesn't prove a magic number — the strategy here is a few protected dinners a week.
Does it have to be dinner?
Dinner is what the survey asked about. The paper can't tell us whether another shared meal would show the same pattern.
Episode 9 — Bed-Sharing With Your Baby Left No Mark by Age 11 Full episode →
Does this mean bed-sharing is safe?
This study didn't measure safety at all. Sleep-arrangement safety decisions belong with current safe-sleep guidance and your clinician — this paper only speaks to later behaviour symptoms.
What did it actually rule out?
In this cohort, bed-sharing at 9 months did not predict a different emotional or behaviour symptom path through age 11.
Episode 8 — Too Much ‘Good Effort’ Praise Backfires Too Full episode →
Should I never say “you're so smart”?
The research points to balance, not bans: mostly specific effort-and-strategy praise, a light touch of person praise, and no flood of either.
What does process praise sound like?
Naming the strategy: “You tried a different way when the first one didn't work” — specific, and tied to what the child actually did.
Episode 7 — Parents on Phones, Teens Hooked on Theirs Full episode →
What is “phubbing”?
Phone-snubbing: checking or using your phone in a way that snubs the person you're with — here, a parent with their teenager.
Why the first ten minutes?
Greetings and reconnections are high-signal moments. The strategy protects those first, rather than asking for an all-day phone ban.
Episode 6 — Helping With Homework Was Linked to Worse Grades Full episode →
So should I never help with homework?
The one approach linked to better results was autonomy support — being available and backing your child's own plan. The finding argues against taking over, not against being present.
Why might helping look harmful in the data?
Because help often arrives when a child is already struggling. That reverse direction is exactly why we say “linked to”, not “causes”.
Episode 5 — Empty Threats Were Linked to Anxiety AND Behaviour Problems Full episode →
What counts as inconsistent discipline?
In this research: threats not followed through and punishments lifted early — consequences that change from moment to moment.
Does consistency mean harsher consequences?
No — the strategy from this paper is the opposite: one small, calm consequence you can actually keep, the same way every time.
Episode 4 — Your Phone in Front of Your Baby: What 14,900 Families Showed Full episode →
How big are these effects, honestly?
Small — correlations around 0.10–0.23. Small-but-consistent is exactly how the paper supports describing them: worth a habit tweak, not guilt.
Is glancing at my phone harmful?
The studies measured patterns of technology use in a child's presence, not single glances. The strategy is protected phone-down windows, not perfection.
Episode 3 — The 4 Screen Rules That Were Linked to Less Problem Use in 10,048 Teens Full episode →
What are the four rules, exactly?
No screens at meals; no screens in bedrooms; never use screens as a reward or punishment; and monitor plus set clear limits.
Do the rules include parents' own use?
Yes — parents' own screen use was one of the practices linked to more teen use, which is why the strategy says to pick the rules together as a family.
Episode 2 — Teens on Phones After 10pm Fall Asleep an Hour Later Full episode →
Why 20 minutes?
In the data, phone use that ended about 20 minutes before sleep showed a negligible effect, while use in the final 5 minutes was linked to more wakefulness. The buffer comes straight from that contrast.
Was this self-reported?
No — phone use was logged by the phone and sleep by a Fitbit, across 7,591 nights, which is stronger than recall questionnaires.
Episode 1 — No Screens in the Last Hour Made Toddlers Sleep Better Full episode →
How old were the children?
16–30 months — toddlers. The findings speak to that age group, not older children.
What goes in a bedtime box?
In the trial, the box held books and puzzles for the last hour before bed. The strategy adds soft toys — anything calm, screen-free and repeatable nightly.