What to Do When Your Kid Is Melting Down Over Screens

Dr. Carrie Mackensen is a clinical psychologist with 25 years of experience directing addiction and eating disorder treatment programs. She's raising two boys without iPads and is writing a book on parenting in the digital age.

In Part 2 of our conversation, we dig into the places where parents actually get stuck: the meltdowns when you take devices away, how to tell if screens are the problem or just puberty, what device withdrawal really looks like (and how long it lasts by age), why Silicon Valley parents send their kids to screen-free schools, the alarming 40% drop in empathy among young people since 2000, and why saying no to screens might be the most loving thing you can do.

This is a real conversation between two parents trying to figure this out. No judgment, no perfect answers — just honest experience from someone who's spent decades helping families navigate this.

CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 1:27 Assessing Device Impact vs Normal Development 6:32 Conscious Transitions and Being Present 11:36 Are You More Affected Than You Think? 14:31 Co-Regulation: The Breathing Exercise Story 18:53 You Can't Solve a Math Problem While Drowning 24:43 Device Withdrawal: What to Expect 30:11 Screen Time Boundaries by Age 35:38 Schools Using Devices as Babysitters 42:08 Practical Steps for Reducing Screen Time 46:23 The Gamification of Education 49:28 The Good News: Your Brain Can Rewire 51:31 Communication Without Screens 56:45 Road Rage and Digital Dehumanization 1:03:25 Screens Are Erasing Empathy 1:09:36 Gratitude as a Digital Antidote 1:12:13 The Worst Crisis Humanity Has Faced? 1:15:40 Saying No is an Act of Love 1:22:28 Whitelist vs Blacklist: Device Restrictions 1:27:18 One Change Every Parent Should Make 1:39:43 Closing Thoughts

Find Dr. Carrie at www.successfulparent.com

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