She was 15. She lived in London. Went to school. Came home to a family that loved her. And in February 2015, Shamima Begum walked out of her home, boarded a flight, and traveled to Syria to join one of the most violent groups on earth. She told no one. Not her mother. Not her […]
Why Shamima Begum Told No One And What Every Parent Must Learn From It Read More »
The phone was handed over in love. That’s what makes this story so hard to tell and so necessary. A Story Every Parent Needs to Hear A mother went to work each day and left her young son in the care of his uncle. Not a stranger. Not a hired hand. Her own brother. To
The Hidden Danger of Handing a Child Your Phone Read More »
Geh Geh is a Nigerian content creator who built an enormous following over a million on Instagram alone—by advising young men on money and relationships. He does not call it a channel. He calls it a university. His followers do not call themselves viewers. They call themselves students. The platform has no campus, no examiners,
The Geh Geh Apology: What Teen Influencers Cost Our Kids Read More »
Nigeria has been grieving since last week, and so am I. Favour Agbro was 20 years old. A nursing student. A twin sister. A daughter. Like millions of young Africans, she dreamed of building something online — and when a popular content creator known as “Odogwu of Asaba” allegedly offered to train her to monetise
It rarely starts with a slammed door. It starts with a shrug. A one-word answer. A teenager who used to tell you everything is now telling you nothing while telling a group chat everything. As a registered nurse, midwife, and mental health nurse, and as a mother, I have learned to watch for the quiet
Is Your Teenager Drifting Away Online? The 5 Warning Signs of the Communication Cascade Read More »
If you have ever said the words “get off that phone” and watched a door slam in response, this one is for you. Most parents I coach are not short of love. They are short of language. They know something needs to be said about screens, social media, and the hours their teenager spends in
14 Digital Wellbeing Conversation Starters That Actually Reach Your Teenager Read More »
Last Thursday, I read a news report and had to put my phone down. I sat in silence for a long time. Come closer. Let me tell you what I saw. The UK’s National Crime Agency announced that since October, they have identified more than 270 individuals linked to ONE online forum. Not a forum
You’ve tried taking the phone away. Maybe for an hour, maybe for the evening, maybe for a whole weekend after a particularly bad row. And maybe, like most parents, you found that it changed nothing except to make the atmosphere at home even worse. If confiscation worked, none of us would need anything else. The
Why Taking Your Teen’s Phone Away Doesn’t Work (And What To Do Instead) Read More »
Your teenager checks their phone the moment they wake up. They get irritable when you ask them to put it down. They’ve drifted away from the hobbies they once loved. And every time, there’s a reasonable explanation: they’re tired, they’re growing up, their interests are changing. I know that script intimately. I’m a nurse, a
The Warning Signs of Teen Phone Addiction Most Parents Miss Read More »
So much digital parenting advice points at the teenager. This week, I want to turn the lens somewhere less comfortable: onto us, the parents. Because the most powerful influence on your teen’s relationship with technology isn’t a rule you set or a conversation you have. It’s the example you live, every single day, with your
