Power On

From "The Gamer Educator", an openminded guide to parenting alongside screens and gaming, offering practical solutions to managing your family's screen time.​

Parents are feeling mounting pressure to minimize screen time, but are struggling to do so in our technologically driven world. In contrast to the fear and pressure parents are facing, Ash Brandin's Power On offers a calm and reassuring message that keeps the wellbeing of the whole family in mind. Power On powerfully reframes our current dialogue around technology, beginning with the morality placed on screen time and leisure, and the systemic factors contributing to it. Brandin replaces fear with empowerment, giving caregivers tools and strategies for safely incorporating tech into their children's lives, guiding children to having a healthy relationship with screens, with easy to implement approaches such as:

   ·The ABCs of the Screentime Management Elements – Access, Behavior, Content
   ·The Managing Online Safety S.T.A.R. – Settings, Time, Ads/App Store, Restriction
   ·The N.I.C.E. Screentime Boundaries – Needs, Input, Consistent, Enforceable
   ·And several other sets of steps, tools, and strategies to understand, manage, and effectively utilize tech in parenting.

With today's parenting advice being awash with unhelpful negative judgements on screens and little realistic actionable advice, Ash Brandin provides timely, realistic direction that will empower readers to find a balance with screen time that works for the entire family.

• “Ash Brandin uncovers how performative parenting, perfectionism and media fear-mongering have trained us to demonize "screen time" instead of figuring out how to make screens work for us and our families. Reading this, I felt a decade of guilt and judgment dropping away. I came away so much clearer on how to use screens to connect with kids and how to set the boundaries we need around them."
  Virginia Sole-Smith, New York Times-bestselling author of FAT TALK: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture
• “The nuanced, thoughtful, and realistic approach to screen time that all parents need—without the fear-mongering or guilt often tied to technology discussions. Power On is a must-read book written by someone who genuinely enjoys video games, sees the value in screens, and understands technology's role in childhood.  Essential reading for parents raising kids in today's tech-forward world.”
  Susie Allison, @BusyToddler, author of Actual Parenting
• “With one foot in science and the other in empathy, Ash Brandin’s Power On is a thoughtful framework for asking, exploring, and ultimately answering the questions that face every digital-age family.”
  Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, authors of When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids
• "Ash Brandin’s Power On is a powerful reframe of how we approach screen time—rooted not in fear, but in understanding. By weaving in insights about the nervous system and regulation, Brandin helps caregivers move beyond control and toward connection. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to support kids in building a regulated relationship with tech, while also honoring their sensory and emotional needs."
  Alyssa Blask-Campbell, @Seed.and.sew, author of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions
• “If you feel guilty and confused about how much screen time is right for your kids, this book is for you! Ash Brandin brings clarity, research, and optimism to the conversation. Power On offers a morally neutral approach to effectively managing (and celebrating!) digital devices in our homes. Chock full of excellent strategies. Clear guidance for safely enjoying today's technologies with your children. Highly recommended!"
  Julie Bogart, author of Raising Critical Thinkers and Founder of Brave Writer
• “Brandin's book gives parents the tools to feel empowered - the sooner parents can read this book, the better. We need a practical guide to managing screen time that feels like something we can implement with success, and now we have that. It's no wonder this came from an educator who genuinely enjoys technology and acknowledges the realities of how technology impacts our children and our families.”
  Kelley Coleman, author of Everything No One Tells You About Parenting A Disabled Child