In the movie, White Men Can't Jump, there's a scene where Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson are in the car talking about Jimi Hendrix, and Snipes tells Harrelson he can listen to Jimi, but he can't hear Jimi.

When Snipes told Harrelson he couldn't hear Jimi, he was referring to a depth of connection.

Anyone can listen, but not anyone can actually hear.

Most parents share this struggle. When school ends and the kids are home, it can be a Herculean challenge to manage electronics usage. My 12-year-old son, Eric, would be on electronics all day if we let him. I hate having to police him all of the time and I even explored using an app that would cut him off after a certain amount of time, but decided against it.

The lack of structure means many kids will be saying that they are bored and that means they will be driving their parents crazy. That makes the temptation even greater to just relent and let them plug in.

The following infographic contains some important facts about summer screen time including:

• Kids eat more when they watch more TV.
• Over 15 million kids in the U.S. alone have long stretches of time without parental supervision.

Here's a summary of the advice they give when trying to tame the wild beast:

1. Be consistent and create a schedule.
2. Be mindful of how much you are using your smartphone in front of them.
3. Try not to punish them by taking away their electronics because it can translate to them being more reluctant to open up about online issues with you.
4. Not all screen time is equal. There are apps and programs that promote learning and social connection.

Good luck! I'll be experimenting all of this right along with you.​

Take a good look at your partner. Study their features. Take in their smell. Touch their skin and hair. Now close your eyes for a minute. Imagine they are no longer there.
 
That’s going to happen one day for one reason or another.
 
What if that day is tomorrow? Next week? Next month? In one year?
 
What would you do differently?
 
We don’t know when that day will come, but most of us live our lives and our relationships as though it never will.
 
That is complacency.
 
Complacency leads to regret.
 
Complacency makes us lose the color and see in black and white.
 
Complacency renders our partners two-dimensional.
 
Complacency sucks the life out of relationships.