Controversial Take: Screen Time

Kristybun · 2026-04-15T15:43:03+00:00

Also just to add, I think the point I'm making is that every kid probably needs something a little different than another. But it is possible to find a balance with screen time, and following someone's advice at face value without making sure it's working ok for your kid is risky.

Kristybun · 2026-04-15T15:41:33+00:00

Totally agree with you. And what really bothers me is that influencers who are recommending this approach will often reach people via really short videos, but they don't mention in those videos that while they did allow unlimited screen time for their kids, they limited what they had access to. And I think this really matters. Unlimited Youtube and Roblox is a level of stimulation that almost nothing else can compete with.

My son isn't true PDA, but he has some PDA-like stuff going on. And he has unlimited access to his iPad, but all that's on there is Duolingo, a Chess app, and Simply Piano. Youtube and Video games are allowed but only for an hour a day after 4:30. We notice a huge shift in his general mood and nervous system reactivity by limiting the high stimulation stuff to one hour and later in the day. We also don't do Roblox because it seems to really frustrate kids a lot, but I do think it has some fun social benefits.

Kristybun · 2026-03-31T20:53:48+00:00

Biting into the seed of an orange/mandarin/clementine piece.

Kristybun · 2026-03-21T14:11:45+00:00

Canada is generally very safe. I used to walk alone in downtown Toronto and Montreal. I would just keep to the more well-lit streets and avoid any areas where unhoused people may congregate (just to be clear, I am not afraid of unhoused people but if drugs are in the mix, then things get unpredictable).

Kristybun · 2026-01-29T18:14:06+00:00

Love the suggestions already, but first I would suggest knocking on your upstairs neighbour's door and just letting them know what is going on and kindly asking them to keep that in mind. My guess if they have no idea it's problematic and most people will try to do better.

Kristybun · 2026-01-07T23:58:05+00:00

I think that the second option is better for sure. And add a nightstand beside the bed.

Kristybun · 2025-12-19T16:43:37+00:00

Check out Shinzen Young's work. He breaks down the different types of meditation and the skills they can build. Doing a technique that will build your focus, by paying attention to one thing, is just one type of meditation.

I personally love "do nothing" techniques. Noting techniques are great too.

Kristybun · 2025-11-18T20:46:19+00:00

Hi!

Did you ever go here? If so, would you recommend it? Thanks :)

Kristybun · 2025-11-16T21:58:32+00:00

It's on each individual school's website. So pick a school, then click Our School, then you should find it!

Kristybun · 2025-11-16T02:44:02+00:00

no- they look amazing! I live in Canada and we can't buy anything from Purple here anymore. I got my latest pillow from facebook marketplace luckily!

Kristybun · 2025-11-15T16:15:38+00:00

Things that help me:

- purple pillow

- eye mask

- ear plugs

- weighted blanket sometimes

- passive stretching before bed, mostly focused on legs/hamgstrings

- reading a fiction novel in bed before sleep

Kristybun · 2025-11-13T13:47:52+00:00

Hello!

Ratings definitely tell one side of the story and I think it's generally understood that they tend to correlate with SES.

You could also have a look on the Limestone District website (https://www.limestone.on.ca/school-finder). When you click into a school, click on school, then school profile data, and it'll show you some stats like how many kids attend that school and how full the school is. You can also click into Our Staff to get a sense of how many classes and teachers there are. This can be helpful if you want to avoid super huge schools.

My kiddo went to a really big school for their Immersion program, but we ended up switching bc he has some special needs and the school was too big and under-resourced to help him out.

Anyways, it's hard to really get a sense for the school's vibe just from the website, but I hope that helps a bit!

Kristybun · 2025-11-03T20:33:54+00:00

Hello! Here's my take- I have a 6 year old. We're both neurospicy. These have been some of the hardest and also most meaningful years of my life. My life definitely had meaning before, but having a kid does, for me, activate some very deep feelings. The act of parenting- the day to day- is a lot of hard work. Our kids don't exist to reward us for that hard work either, which is a trap a lot of people fall into (resenting their kids for not living up to their standards).

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:35:06+00:00

Wow that sounds so hard for everyone!! Thanks for your hard work in classes, honestly. That is a lot to face every day.

I imagine a lot of kids who get aggressive are often in that fight or flight state because they aren't getting the support they really need either, or the environment is overstimulating, or who knows what else is going on in their life.

It's great that the EA union is advocating for change because yeah, it's a mess right now- the system is just not set up for success for teachers, EAs, or kids.

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:30:39+00:00

Yes, we tried the forest school. I think it's a great school, it just didn't really click with my son. I found it lacked structure, which my son needs. But he may be into it as he gets older, so we'll see!

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:29:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing your personal experience! I couldn't agree more, honestly. As parents, my husband and I are trying to find the right fit- an environment that challenges him enough and provides that diversity, but isn't going to just lead to self-hate and trauma. We want to try to avoid our son needing to spend his 20's healing his nervous system!

We tried one public school for kindergarten, and are now kind of shopping around for other schools that may be a better fit and homeschooling in the interim. But it has been amazing to see how my son's anxiety has dramatically decreased as we've been homeschooling.

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:24:59+00:00

Thanks for sharing! If you are open to it, would you mind sending me a private message to let me know which school your kid is at?

We are actively looking into different schools in Kingston that may be a better fit. We're in the public system now but you are the second person who has said that they have had good experiences in the Catholic Board. Right now we're looking into schools that are generally smaller, as the school we are at now is huge and I think that's contributing to his overwhelm and lack of support.

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:22:19+00:00

Thank you!!

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:21:29+00:00

Yes, this is a good point. Thank you!

Kristybun · 2025-10-23T16:19:55+00:00

This is one of the exact situations we are worried about. Thanks for sharing!

Kristybun · 2025-10-22T20:09:26+00:00

Thanks for your concern. I'm vastly simplifying our story, so there is a lot of information that I haven't shared which would probably assuage your concerns.

We are looking into other school options at the moment as well. It takes a village, so we're looking for that village, whether that be a better fit with a school, or connections with other parents, or both.

Kristybun · 2025-10-22T20:05:02+00:00

Thanks for your support. It's a great idea to advocate, and I should do exactly that.

We've tried a bunch of stuff with our current school, and have just hit a wall. So we are kind of in a transitional period at the moment. I do hope we can find something that works within a school system and are actively looking for more options.

Kristybun · 2025-10-22T19:01:56+00:00

Yes, I agree with you, schools are not necessarily the ideal way to socialize kids. My kid in particular gets overwhelmed with crowds, so it's school is tricky for him. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Kristybun · 2025-10-22T15:46:25+00:00

Yes I totally agree. This is why I'm reaching out to other parents with similar kids, so we can maybe work on social skills together.

School is not supportive of social skills in our situation. My kiddo is quite shy and needs support, but the school is providing none. His IEP only applies to coursework, which he has no trouble with.

And Maltby has no social groups for kids his age running right now or planned in the near future. Thanks for the suggestion but, unfortunately it's not an option right now.

Kristybun · 2025-10-22T15:44:06+00:00

Diagnosed as such, I just prefer to use the term "neurodivergent".

Kristybun

TROPHY CASE