Every night for two years, our bedtime routine looked the same: teeth brushed, pajamas on, iPad handed over. Our kids — ages 4 and 7 — would watch YouTube until their eyes glazed over, and we'd slip out of the room, grateful for the quiet.
We told ourselves it was fine. Every parent does this, right?
One night our 4-year-old asked, 'Daddy, do you know any stories?' And James realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd told one.
That question broke something open. We set up Family First's Bedtime protected moment — 7:30 PM, all screens locked. The first night was chaos. Crying, tantrums, 'I WANT MY IPAD.' We almost gave in.
But James started making up a story. Something about a bear who couldn't find his pajamas. It was terrible. The kids stopped crying because they were confused. By the end, everyone was laughing.
Now, every night is a new adventure. The bear (named Mr. Snuffles) has traveled to space, discovered underwater cities, and befriended a dragon named Toast. Our 7-year-old has started making up her own stories. Our 4-year-old draws pictures of Mr. Snuffles every morning.
The irony? We spent two years searching for the perfect bedtime video. The perfect content was us all along.
