Day started off on the wrong foot - my beloved 9-year-old, James, had stayed up all night on the TV, watching mindless YouTube game walkthroughs and was too tired to properly function at school. I first became aware that something was amiss when I heard him yell full volume at his brother at 5AM. This situation really triggered me to where I was scared that we would get evicted for noise complaints, and then feeling like the options were that he would get kicked out of school for delinquency, or that he would do something terrible in school and end up in juvey. REFAME: I spent a few minutes reflecting and regulating my nervous system and then made the decision to keep him home for the day. He caught up on sleep and then he and I focused on cleaning the house together. We ended up spending a lot of quality time together cleaning and eating lunch and it was an exercise in surrendering control, perfectionism, and trusting that we are loved and protected both by the earthbound angels in our Montessori community and by unseen forces from on high. I'm so grateful that we found a school situation that really supports him in becoming his best self while dealing with the state requirements for academic learning. James decided to launch his own online course teaching Silva and is excited to start saving up for his own Tesla Cyber-truck to drive when he turns 16. He's decided that it will take him exactly five years of money to save up for the truck including a premium paint job. We spent some time designing and agreeing on a very specific schedule for both of my kids for after school and eliminating all screen time for the youngest during the five school days each week. Our plan has more quality time spent learning, reading and playing together, includes family dinner and time for the kids to study, play independently, and outside with friends. All electronics get locked up in the evening. I strongly dislike operating on such schedules myself and have resisted this for a while but at the end of the day, both of my kids thrive more with very specific time frames, routines and expectations. In the end, the events brought us closer, and I recognize that I need to both trust more and also, lock those devices up.