My teenage daughter is glued to her phone 24/7. So I made a new rule: one hour of phone time a day. She didn’t take it well. “You’ll regret this!” she cried.
Last week, I got an urgent call from her school. Her teacher said, “Please come. Your daughter collapsed during class.”
Panicked, I rushed over. At the hospital, the doctor told me she was severely dehydrated and sleep-deprived. She’d been secretly waking up at 2 a.m. to scroll through social media until sunrise—addicted to validation, likes, and endless comparison.
She broke down in tears. “Dad, I didn’t know how to stop. I felt like I’d disappear if I didn’t keep up. But I hated how I felt.”
We cried together. That night, we agreed to reset—not just her habits, but our relationship. We started walking together, talking more, cooking meals without screens. Slowly, she began smiling again—authentically.
📱 Lesson: Sometimes the battles we fight with our kids aren’t about rebellion—they’re silent cries for help. Don’t just limit their screen time; understand what they’re escaping from. Be present, not just as a parent—but as a guide through the chaos they can’t always explain.
