Marina Bloom's Blog: Moments Between Pages - Posts Tagged "ages-4-8"

Hi, I’m Marina. If you’ve ever wished for more connection and less rush, you’re home. This space is a quiet pause: small ideas for screen-free moments, tender stories, and honest notes from real family life.

I write about newborn wonder (and overwhelm), about kids aged 4–8 finding their calm, and about the ocean that keeps reminding me: waves are steady, and so are we. No perfection here—only presence.

If you need more hand-holding, you’ll find week-by-week ideas in Screen-Free Family: 8 Weeks Together and heart-level reflections in When We Became Parents. For cozy read-aloud nights, meet us in The Adventures of Blue Mama and Baby Whale Ellie.

Ask the Author: What kind of evenings feel hardest in your home right now?

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Right before dinner we play “one thing from the heart.” I ask: “What was hard today? What was good?” I listen. I don’t fix. Then we switch.

It takes five minutes, but our whole evening softens—fewer fights, easier bedtime. For us, it works better than long lectures.

Want a simple week of evening anchors? Step-by-step ideas live in Screen-Free Family: 8 Weeks Together.

Ask the Author: What’s the first question you’ll ask your child tonight?

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There’s a sticky note on our fridge with four choices. Kids pick one: 1) snack picnic on the floor, 2) 10 minutes of cuddles + one short story, 3) building corner, 4) “draw your day.”

When there’s choice, there’s less “no.” I swap one option each week so it stays fresh. I talk less; they do more. It beats “turn it off because I said so.”

More low-prep, screen-free ideas after school are in Screen-Free Family: 8 Weeks Together.

Ask the Author: What would you add to your family’s calm menu?

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When our screen rules were just “because I said so,” nobody was happy. What helped was starting with our values and writing 3 simple rules from there.

Our family values around tech: connection, rest, learning. From that, we made three rules: 1) people before screens (we pause when someone speaks), 2) screens sleep outside bedrooms, 3) play and fresh air happen first on school days.

We posted it on the fridge and practiced the words: “We’re a family that chooses connection. Let’s finish this round, then put the tablet away.” It’s calmer now—not perfect, but calmer.

Want a week-by-week plan to reset screens without battles? It’s laid out in Screen-Free Family: 8 Weeks Together.

Ask the Author: If you named your top 3 tech values, what would they be?

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