Free to read
26 playbooks for the hard parts of parenting.
First phones, social media, lying, curfew, driving, bullying, anxiety, first phones, first relationships, first jobs. Each one is the setup, the words to say and the mistakes to skip.
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The big handovers
Ages 10-13
The First Phone Playbook
What to set up, what to say, and what to sign before you hand over the first smartphone.
OpenAges 16-17
The Teen Driving Agreement
Passenger caps, night rules, who pays for what, and the ride-home rule that keeps them alive.
OpenAges 18+
The College Send-Off
The last summer, the first bad week, money, grades, and how often to text.
OpenThe teenage years
Ages 14-18
The First Relationship
Rules for dating that keep you in the loop instead of shut out — plus what an unhealthy relationship looks like.
OpenAges 11-17
The Sex and Consent Conversations
How to have the talks in small pieces, cover consent and porn, and stay someone they'll ask.
OpenAges 13-18
Vaping and Weed
What to do when you find a vape, and how to talk about weed without losing credibility.
OpenAges 15-18
Alcohol and Parties
The questions to ask before they go out, and the pickup deal that keeps them safe.
OpenAges 14-18
Curfew and Going Out
How to set a curfew they'll keep, and how to handle the night they don't.
OpenAges 15-18
Money and the First Job
Teaching money before they leave home: a first bank account, a first payslip, and where it all goes.
OpenScreens and gaming
Ages 6-14
Screen Time Limits That Actually Hold
How to set a screen limit your kid stops arguing with, and what to do when they blow through it anyway.
OpenAges 13-15
The First Social Media Account
When to say yes to Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok — and the settings and rules to lock in first.
OpenAges 8-14
Video Games, Fortnite and the Endless Match
How to handle games designed never to end, voice chat with strangers, and the rage when you call time.
OpenHome and routines
Behavior and discipline
Ages 4-14
Sibling Fighting
When to referee, when to stay out, and how to stop being the family judge.
OpenAges 5-13
When Your Kid Lies
Why kids lie, how to react so they stop, and what to do when you already know the truth.
OpenAges 8-16
Back Talk and Disrespect
The eye-rolls, the muttering, the "you can't make me" — and how to hold a line without a screaming match.
OpenSchool and friends
Ages 10-17
Homework Fights and Slipping Grades
How to stop nightly homework battles and respond to a bad report card without blowing up the relationship.
OpenAges 8-15
When Your Kid Is Being Bullied
What to do first, how to work the school, and when to escalate — including online bullying.
OpenAges 7-14
Friendship Trouble and Exclusion
The group chat they were dropped from, the best friend who turned, and the kid with no one to sit with.
OpenFeelings and mental health
Ages 6-16
The Anxious Kid
Constant worry, stomach aches before school, and the reassurance loop that quietly makes it worse.
OpenAges 6-14
The Kid Who Won't Go to School
Morning refusals, mystery stomach aches, and how to get them back through the gate.
OpenAges 13-18
Teen Mental Health Warning Signs
How to tell normal teenage moodiness from something that needs help — and how to ask the hard question.
OpenEarlier Years
Ages 4-11
Bedtime Battles
The stalling, the fifth glass of water, and the kid who ends up in your bed at 2am.
OpenAges 3-10
The Picky Eater
How to stop the dinner table standoff without cooking three meals a night.
OpenAges 2-7
Tantrums and Meltdowns
What to do in the middle of a full meltdown, including the one happening in aisle six.
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