Matthew Brooks: Jumping right in. Hi. Ann: Hi Matt. Yeah. How's how's it going? Matthew Brooks: it's going okay. I know that there's a lot of stuff going on for a lot of parents and stuff, and I think that's why we started recording at a different time. You you guys won't hear it at a different time, but Anne, why are you recording at a different time? Ann: Because it was my daughter's first day of kindergarten and what the hell. I mean it's not a joke Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. So Ann: and it's insane. Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ann: It's insane. You walk through You walk through as like a clinician you walk that sees kids. I've walked through so many First days of school, transition like o all of that stuff. And it's like until you experience it. I mean I knew that it was different until you experience it, you're like, my gosh, this is insane. Insane. It's insane. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: to make everyone going through like whether it's your kids first day of first year of kindergarten, first year of school, preschool, or maybe they're going back to like another I think that the being in the school year is crazy no matter what, but if you have a child like mine who absolutely was like, I am not going to kindergarten under any circumstances, I'm with ya. I'm here with you in support of how frickin' difficult it is. Cause she was not happy, but she did go in today. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: Yeah. Matthew Brooks: It's transition season, so for all the parents, may the odds be ever in your favor, right? Ann: It's crazy. Yeah, and then you have like so I'm just gonna this is gonna be venting about so Matthew Brooks: Good. Ann: if kindergarten isn't difficult enough to start, for parents and kids. Because it is. It's so scary. And I've said this a million times to parents, but like it's so scary. Anxiety's kind of a normal reaction when you're getting thrown into a giant building of people you've never seen or spent time with before. But anyways, then comes all of the shit that you have to know as parents. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: Excuse me, world. I am juggling a lot. And now you're gonna make me like we were at Meet the Teacher Night. like Yesterday was when the kids could go in and tour the classroom and before that was when just the parents went in and learned about and then she had like kindergarten prep camp, which I think all of this is wonderful by the way, because it does Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: help prepare them. Her school's been absolutely amazing. But the amount of like things that I need to keep track of and apps and Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: programs and like you know me they're like so we were sitting in her meet the teacher and the teacher was like so did everybody get the message on the app and I was like Absolutely not what I th I was on the portal I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: downloaded the app And then another mom friend was sitting next to me. She's like, I got the message. You didn't get the message. And I was like, honestly, I don't know. Was I checking the right message? Like so then of Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: course I pull it up and it's right there. It's it was a me problem. Which Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: no one's surprised. But I was like, This is the rest of my children's school age lives of like, Mom, did you just Download the thing on the whatever. No guys, I didn't. But don't Matthew Brooks: Ha ha. Ann: you have really awesome looking sandwiches? They're shaped like caterpillars. Like, Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: screw that shit. But anyways, it's a big adjustment. It's like ha I mean parenting is already a absolutely full-time job. And then like them going to school is a full-time job. The amount of things that we did this week. And they have laptops as a kindergartner? I'm like, my kids have never touched a laptop. They w they honestly have interacted with a laptop once, and I'll tell you why. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: We planned this big drive-in movie night and like with cousins and stuff to go to the drive in movies, which is amazing. But the first night that we planned it, the drive in movie where the theater is canceled because weather Or something happened, scheduling once, whatever. And so they were all so excited about the drive in movie that I like, guys, we can still watch a movie in the back of the car 'cause that's what they were most excited about. So Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: their only interaction with the laptop was I pulled up a movie for them to watch in the back of the car with their cousins because they were so excited and it lasted like fifteen minutes. It was like not it did not last. And that's their own and so they were like, and your daughter or son won't get their laptop? And I'm like, okay, do I know how to use the laptop? Like, because Matthew Brooks: No. Ann: the answer is no. I had to have my ex-brother-in-law, brother-in-law hook up my printer to my laptop like four times this year. Matthew Brooks: I'm surprised you didn't call me. Ann: Well, you're not here. He's Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: he had to physically come to my office. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: So they're like, and then they're lugging them like back and forth to school. I'm like, that's gonna be broken. They're like, do you want the insurance? I was like, yeah, we do. Matthew Brooks: Ha ha ha. Ann: Are you kidding? Who Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: what kindergarten parent isn't opting for the insurance on the giant Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: electronic that's being transported in their Mario backpack. Like Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: have you seen how my children treat their things? Like this is insane. Matthew Brooks: Which hilariously I was just like showing you before this we're making stickers and stuff, but like for us when we got textbooks, we covered it in a brown paper bag to protect it so we could Ann: Yeah. Just to protect it. Matthew Brooks: return it at the end of the year. And now the kids have laptops. Ann: Yeah. And and they're like they're like, How old's your kid? Five? Cool. Here's a laptop. And then they were like, Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: just this was my I laughed. Again, the mom that I was sitting next to during the thing, who's thank gosh she has like a friend in her class, the mom that I was sitting next to. Probably is like organized. I don't know. And they were like, make sure you charge it at least once a week. I was like I mean, before we started recording, I was like, I gotta plug in my laptop. It's dead. Matthew Brooks: And then the following the following question with the statement, I got a plug in my laptop is where is my plug? Yeah, where did I put that? Ann: Wh where is my plug? It wasn't where it was supposed to be. Yeah. So this is gonna go great for all of Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Well, I will I mean, I will say The reason your kids probably haven't touched the laptop is because you don't like to touch the laptop either. Ann: I don't want to touch the laptop. I it's a problem. I should be more in touch. Yeah. So I've actually this is an interesting topic because and I have several announcements today. We can't forget at the end that there's announcements. Matthew Brooks: I'll keep us on time. Ann: I do think that this is something that I struggle with as a parent and I you and I don't know if we've ever talked about this 'cause maybe I don't know where you're at on it. Matthew Brooks: Okay. Ann: kids don't have a lot of screen time. I was pretty Matthew Brooks: Mm. Ann: I was really strict on screen time pre-divorce and separation and then survival mode n changed that but that just meant like more TV truly because like to Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: get them both to bed one of them has to be occupied because they're Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: Three and five, they were two and not even a year. So it was like, you know, necessary. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: But anyways, maybe it was a year. I don't know. Anyways, screen time wasn't a thing, but then like I don't even have like I we don't have I don't have an iPad. in my phone. Like I don't have any sort of tablet. I did a while ago and I never used it. I don't even have a Kindle or a book. Is is a Kindle what they even use anymore? I like to read physical books. I did start doing audiobooks, but like I just started doing that 'cause I joined a book club. which was also like, of course I have time. What the hell? And I never use my laptop. I definitely like I said there's one time that my kids watch something on it. I don't even know where it is if I'm not working. And I don't do like phones other than my social media stuff for the business. I don't even know how to use my phone. So my kids really aren't plugged in. But Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: they have to be a little. And now Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: starting my girl in kindergarten. I had this moment about a month ago that I was like she can count to almost fifty. She knows her name. She knows my name. She knows her address. She knows her like, you know, all the fin Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ann: kindergarten things. And I'm like, shit, does she even know how to turn on a computer? And Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: they have these blocks, like we they were going over her schedule and stuff, and we got it in an email and I was like I don't I don't know if she's even interacted like with a screen, like the ones that you can touch. And so I was like, is she I mean, I'm sure she'll adjust very quickly, but I was like, she's probably gonna be behind. And they were setting these assemblies and they were talking about like they're a cell-free so cell phone free school, and they're like, We don't really see that with kindergartners, but we do see the smartwatches. And I'm like, She got a she got a Spider Man watch when she was like, I don't know, three or something. That thing was broken in a day. Like She doesn't know how to do it. So I like, is she not prepared? And so I did get them, these little like they have five they really are old school, like five of those like games that you can play, like one of them's kind of like Tetris. It's obviously all the knockoff. There's Matthew Brooks: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ann: like and I started letting her do that when I was putting my son to bed for like it it only takes him like fifteen, twenty minutes to go to sleep, which is not how it always has been, but it is now. and like it was an adjustment for her. And they're like locked up in my kitchen bread cabinet because I don't actually put bread in my bread cabinet. And I've let them use it like three or four times and it was an adjustment. So sending her away, I'm like, how do you like it's weird. It's just such a weird world. It's so different than when we were at school. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. So I think this is a really good topic because I think we do have two different perspectives on like the screen time slash technology wave. And even though like I am more techie than you. Ann: Shop. Really? Matthew Brooks: it's not not a big leap there. but I'm also I love like retro physical media stuff. Like I still still love that stuff. Ann: Yeah. Like you were so excited to send me the when you sent me the picture that you got like the old school videotape TV. Matthew Brooks: yeah. It used to sit right here and I actually just moved it upstairs because that that that's one of the things I was gonna get to is I do have a boundary and argument for iPads and phones for kids to watch, right, with the the screen times and the games and and everything because I think if here here's where I draw the line is if the T V is mounted on the wall and or if it's like we grew up like a huge ass T V, right, you can't carry it around. So the ac like the accessibility to it is only when you are in said room. Right. So that's kind of how I've approached a lot of the like screen time stuff with my kiddo. that being said, like I've had parents are like, how how are they doing on screen time? How are they doing on this? I'm like, This kid doesn't stop moving, so I don't have to worry about screen time. Like Yeah. Like I don't Ann: Yeah. Well that's my second. Care less. Matthew Brooks: like this kid has never sat through a full length movie. And he's gonna be turning three, so yeah, there's some activity there, but like the way we have the living room set up is like there's the living room TV that is mounted on a wall and before we mainly did See this is where another part of the social media argument is, the like YouTube, right? But it was a very it was curated because there is a lot of slop on YouTube Ann: Yeah. Matthew Brooks: that can turn like some stuff with the algorithm has like put stuff on and I like no. I don't like this. This is weird. Right? And it's like some knockoff like bluey like ad adult playing with like bluey toys and stuff. And it's just like this is weird. But they're like one of our big things is because of like my wife and her family, they are they they're dancers, they're musicians, they so music videos and music was always on. So like in the background, even if the TV was on, it was music, right? Or like literally you can pull up like TRL and just play music videos, right? So that's been one thing that has been prevalent in the household with like quote unquote screen time. Now with YouTube and stuff, they're they're like we we have played Bluey and I and trying to get them to move away from Blippy but the algorithm hooked him in with Blippy. Ugh, I don't I don't like Blippy. Yeah. Ann: We never we never watch Flippy. Like they don't they it isn't something that exists and in our world. That's nothing I don't know anything about it. I just watched a little bit and I was like, I don't know if I can do that. But I loved loved we loved Miss Rachel. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Which I actually Yeah. Ann: We still they still wanna watch Miss Rachel. And they're like friends or something. So Matthew Brooks: Yeah, Miss Rachel's fantastic. Yeah. Well, I I will say this, like, I actually just watched and we could probably link it in the show notes or whatever, but I think it was the Flightless Bird podcast just interviewed Caitlin Becker, who w was the original Mika, and Mika was the best friend of Blippy. So and she kind of talked about like inside notes on Blippy and what she went through as the actress playing this character and even outside life and everything. yeah. Ann: Wow, you're like very I have no i I just don't know anything. Matthew Brooks: No, I I kind of had this like what is it, armchair investigator of like why blippy exists and what is the influence of Blippy and it because I I wanna be like, here is why we don't like it, right? Ann: Yeah. Matthew Brooks: basically it's because Moonbug is the overseeing company that bought Blippy and Moonbug is not great at all. Any Moon Mug Moonbug production I try to gravitate away from because they they actually c like have research or like what is it product placement where they have like a baby sitting in a room with scientists or like around and they're watching the baby and if they're watching coconut and then they have other things like on a second screen they're like flipping up and anytime the attention is drawn to whatever is in there so it could be like apple, zebra, hammer and if the kid looks at a hammer, then they go, next episode we're just gonna flood it with h hammer and like tools and stuff like that. Ann: Wait. Matthew Brooks: So it's like producing just this attention grabbing stuff and I'm not here for that. Like they're only Ann: No. Matthew Brooks: they're not doing anything but just getting the attention Ann: Well Matthew Brooks: and feeding that. Ann: Isn't it so funny that Coco Melon is a big divider of like parents? I don't like we never watched co I I said no to Coco Melon. Because the type of animation style is like I mean, I was reading things on it when I was pretty much like I think I was postpartum for like years because my kids were so close in age. But like when I was like in crazy and I mean crazy isn't the right word, but like anxious and like really my and was like and it was like cocoa melon and it has addictive screenplay, like purposeful. And I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Purposeful addictive screenplay. Ann: was like no. No. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, Moonbug bought Blippy during COVID and stuff. Yeah. Ann: But I don't like it either. I've watched it with my niece and I was like, I don't even like this. Like there are shows that I don't like to watch. So and they wanna watch I don't watch it often. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. I will say, and this is something that like blew up yeah, when my kid was little and like coming up was Sensory Bear. Do you know what sensory bear okay. Sensory bear, Ann: I don't know if you even know that one. No. Matthew Brooks: love, love, love sensory bear. Like coconut, do not like sensory bear, fantastic. So sensory bear is a YouTube channel where it will and there's a bunch of knockoffs now, right? Ann: Wait. Matthew Brooks: But it it is a black screen. with dancing fruit that comes out with music and it's slower paced, it's not like this fast in your face coconut kind of stuff. Some of the knockoff ones, like if you see like the sensory fruit dancing and everything, they're like bam bam bam bam bam bam. Sensory bear actually has it moderated at a good pace. And one it's background music. Most of the music's actually really good. Like it's gotten stuck in our head. but that's it. So as like Maybe coming up with like the black and white like sensory Ann: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Matthew Brooks: sight and everything, it was great. So I highly recommend sensory bear. Ann: Do you know what thought of? That actually my kids were watching the other day. It was one of these moments. You're gonna laugh at this. I was doing Million Things and the TV was occupying my children and I put on Little Bear. You remember you remember Little Bright. Wait, Matthew Brooks: yeah. Little bear perfect. Yeah. Ann: though. This is the perfect example. And I mean, yeah, Little Bear like slow place like all the all of the cartoons from like when we were younger were not Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ann: Crazy overstimulating, but I walked in on an episode they were just watching it and they were like enthralled, which I was like, this scene like it's little bear. I remember watching Little Bear. And walked in and there was a s scene that I walked in on, and the mom was pretty much calling little bear like fat. And Matthew Brooks: no, no! Ann: She's like, you're just a fat little bear. Like, and fat little bears because you eat too many something. And I was like, I forgot this was from the nineties and eighties. Like, you know what I mean? Like, you I mean, I Matthew Brooks: no, yeah. Ann: didn't I I we so this is another topic. I'm not I wasn't I like kind of laughed and also I mean I I think I said something, but I think all I said was you guys remember that we don't really use like that word and what that Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: word actually means and ways to describe it and it's healthy to eat and you just stop eating me really slow. I don't remember what I said. But we have those conversations all the time, so I wasn't really worried about like Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: I'm not one of those I'm not I'm definitely not a parent that's like if they watch that that's exactly how they will be. I'm more of like Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: a well it's my job to teach them what's right and wrong. When they're older, they'll have the same reaction as me and that's like, that's kinda crazy. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: but I forgot like I wasn't watching the episode with them. I I forgot for a second the time period from what that show was from and it was it is a wonderful show, it's just when that was normal. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: Because even if you watch like my son watched We're sitting here saying like I'm so crazy on screen time. Well with his older cousin he watched the one of the Sonic movies like with Jim Carrey. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: which actually was kind of I mean it's it's not it's cute but He became obsessed with Sonic after that. And I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: was like, Okay, like, I'm sure, I'm sure there's old Sonic cartoons. there Matthew Brooks: Yep. Ann: are. They are like might as well be the old Batman cartoons where they're like pulling out a giant gun and just shooting each other. Like that's was the nineties cartoons. You know what I mean? So like yeah, Matthew Brooks: Yeah, yeah. Yep. Yeah. Ann: the animation isn't overstimulating, but Matthew Brooks: The content is questionable. Ann: The content and I mean the content like is it question I don't know. We that that was our childhood, so to us it'll be like it's not bad but like truly it was kinda crazy. but yeah, I walked it when you were talking sensory bear, I walked it on Little Bear and I was like, yeah. Makes sense that that's in there and it was Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: fine. They finished they kept watching Little Bear. But yeah. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Well, getting back to the tech tech screen time stuff, the one thing I actually did was I had the like we were talking about the the console CRT TV that was the silver magnavox T V V C R combo, right? And I got some old like VHS types that the kiddo can like watch. But the one thing I also did having the techie side is I actually got an adapter and hooked up like an fire stick to it so you could access like YouTube and like all of the Ann: okay. Matthew Brooks: apps and stuff, but it's just on the older TV. So there's nothing that like now it's become like the problem is the classic problem we got yelled at as kids is you're standing too close to the TV, you gotta back up. Like that's that's our conversation now more than Ann: Isn't it? Matthew Brooks: any other screen time. Ann: ha we don't have that anymore, but there was a time period that I was the only I only have one TV in my whole house. and I that's another rule that I kind of have. Yeah. Whatever. And it It isn't they can't touch it. It's not accessible at right now at their heights. But they would climb Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: up. I'm like, why are you getting so close to it? Like, is it because Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: it's like unique and spa like why? And I remember being like, You're too close to Steve and then it would set me back. Like my parents would be like, You're Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: too close Like it was gonna melt our eyeballs. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: that's so funny. Yeah. Yeah. And so I I mean we went off on a tangent about all these TV shows and th but truly technology when we had computer class, we had it for like half an hour a day in the computer room, and then there was like no other access. My kids plugged in already. Like to the school system, to her classroom. They obviously had a smart board that's just part of I I was looking around 'cause I used to work in schools ten years ago and smartboards were like, Ooh, we got a smart board and I was like, I wonder Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: what a smartboard is. It's just part of their wall now. Like it's like ever Matthew Brooks: D depending on which school district and demographic you were in, I will say that. Ann: Yeah, I I'm in a my her I will say like her school was beautiful. I walked in and I was like why are you? Well, I other than separating from me and the several changes that you've been through over the last two years of your little life. so I can understand that. But then I was looking around, I was like, But girl, look at the art room. Like Matthew Brooks: You're like, can I work here? Ann: We've been through some shit, but do you see their beautiful Yeah, so anyways she was excited, but but yeah, this there she's plugged in. She's Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: already and I was like, did I not She'll catch up pretty quickly, but she's already pa she's gonna be past me next week. And I was like, Maybe that's something that I do need to prepare differently, 'cause my son starts preschool in two weeks. And I was like, 'cause their preschool didn't didn't have anything like that. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. I think preschool Ann: Obviously. Matthew Brooks: is fine. I don't think they like I think they're yes yes and no. I think technology and the introduction of technology is good in moderation, right? Ann: Yeah, I just mean like so that it's not a shocker the first time Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: she opens up her computer. I was like, I might have I should have shown her that before. But whatever. She'll sh hopefully just not the only kid in the class. I don't know. Yeah, yeah. Matthew Brooks: She's gonna figure it out. She'll figure it out. Ann: It's just start start back to school is crazy. Crazy. And then Matthew Brooks: Yeah. I think I think it's a little bit calling you out on your shit, I think it's a little worry of like, Am I doing a a good enough job? Ann: my gosh, that's all that and that and you know what? We can t like I'm sure all these parents are I'm sure parents are going through this too, especially with like the start of kindergarten, but with the start of any grade. It's like, am I doing enough? Am I pr am I partici are they participating in enough? Am I involved enough? We were doing like volunteer forms first day and I was like, of course I'm gonna come in 'cause I'm that parent, but like The pressure is way different. I'm pretty sh I have vivid memories of like I was in trouble if I didn't pack my lunch. Like I just wasn't eating. Like I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: was I was and I wasn't old. Like I know that I was in elementary school. So and I'm sitting here getting her like she I'm looking over I'm in my kitchen, I'm looking over there's like eight water bottles over there that are we needed to find a good water bottle for school. Like what is happen like am I doing are the other kids gonna have A water bottle? Are her stickers like cool? I don't know. It's crazy. It's crazy. And Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: we didn't even drink water. You remember you we weren't allowed. They were like, I guess you can go get a sip from the water fountain. Just survive. I didn't. I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. I was like, Did I drink water in school? Like, I don't know if I did, yeah. Ann: still don't drink water. It's like my biggest downfall. That was dramatic, but truly. Every every New Year's I'm like, my New Year's resolution is I'm gonna drink more water. Fail. I I succeed in a lot of things. I fail at drinking water. But anyway, yeah, the pressure on you. And then, you know, I'm sure that parents experience this too. You're sitting with all these other parents and they're and I don't think anybody's doing it for I think everybody has I think parents really do care about parenting. the majority now. But it's like, our kids are involved in this and are you at this place or are you doing this? And it's like, Yeah, I'm also living. Like I am also working and I'm out is my kid in enough activities? I don't know, she's five. Like it's crazy. So anyways Matthew Brooks: Well, yeah, and I I think there is like I mean, I think the this batch of millennials who are forty plus, are more of they're not hurrying up to have the smartest kid in the room, right? They're not this like, they need to go to the best school, they had to go to preschool, and then after preschool they had to go to violin practice and they had to do this. I'm like, they're three. They don't need to do the all of that stuff, right? So they're like, I think we are in a generation now where the parents of these little ones are not trying to book out their entire day, right? Because I I would always you know kind of preach too of like the kid kids need to learn how to be bored, right? And figure it out and critically think and not just be told to go from one thing to another and have like things filled in their time. It is like even get in some mischief. Go and do stuff, right? Like I there's a naturalist part of it of like go and explore and figure things out that I I am kind of a proponent of, right? Ann: I wish that I could 'cause everybody takes pictures of their kids on the first day of kindergarten, of course I took eight million. and the you said like go get into some mischief. My daughter had a series of pictures of her facial expressions. One where she was literally like putting her butt in the air and pointing to it, and that's how she felt about kindergarten. And Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: I was like I don't have to I I was laughing looking at them 'cause I was like, well, I definitely like no personality was squashed out. Like I definitely don't have to worry. Matthew Brooks: Ha ha ha. Ann: I definitely don't have to worry and which was proved at kindergarten camp. I definitely don't have to worry about her like voicing her needs as we'll put it nicely. And I definitely Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: don't have to worry about my son get like not creatively exploring, as we'll put it in nicely, Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: or getting into mischief. Like but Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: I think that this group of I think that our age group of millennials, which I don't w we can go down that road again, but like Matthew Brooks: Ha ha ha. Ann: call us. I think we actually know we are the last ones to know the value of being bored. Of Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: we're the last ones to know the value of figuring it out on your own. We're the last ones to know the value of These are all the things that we currently do as parents because we're gonna be more emotionally supportive and aware also because of upbringing. But also it's okay for them to like figure it out a little bit. It's okay for them to be unplugged. It's okay for them to like I said, be bored or get into some mischief. So I think that that's because after us nobody it not no not nobody did, but it it was different. Like we Matthew Brooks: Yeah. And and that being said, even coming from n like my childhood and upbringing and everything, we didn't have like a lot of technology. We didn't have the video games and everything Ann: Zero. Matthew Brooks: like that. But to also put it out there for parents where it is like I am not coming from a place of when you go to a restaurant, your kids should never have screens in there. Or if you're going on a flight, your kids shouldn't No, that's not what I'm saying is whatever works for you, right? I'm only saying technology and moderation. Like I know like growing up it's like, yeah, I was three inches from the TV screen as well, but then my parents also were like, go outside and play, right? Ann: So, perfect example, those little that little like game thing I got her. I was telling myself as I was handing it to her for the first time, and again, she hasn't had it at often. And they'll have it in the car when we drive to see you because it's such a long drive, Matthew Brooks: Exactly. Ann: which we're doing soon. But anyway, I guess handing it over to her and I felt so much guilt. And I was like, a regulated parent is a better parent. A regulated parent is a better parent. And I was like She's a happy, but I'm also gonna not going to go insane if she comes and interrupts me eight times while I'm trying to put her Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: brother to bed and nobody sleeps. So yeah, there's I I would never judge because you have no idea. First of all, you have no idea what they're walking through. And a regulated parent is a good parent. If if that's if you wanna enjoy your dinner, cool. It is a lot to take a kid out to dinner. Period and yeah. Okay. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: What was that? my gosh. I Matthew Brooks: I don't know. I don't know what you're doing. Ann: have to tell you something. this is so unrelated. And then we're gonna go into some announcements, but I guess I'm Matthew Brooks: Okay. Ann: thinking like when we're thinking about T V shows we used to w we were just talking about a lot of TV and media and things today. you Halloween's coming. I know nobody else Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: is excited, but Matt and I probably both feel Halloween coming around the same time. Like if it was I decorate for Halloween September first, and if I could do it earlier I mean I should actually. But anyways. Hocus pocus. Right? Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ann: Great. That was I was afraid of it when I was younger, but I also wanted to watch it. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: There's a show that popped up that my daughter is like obsessed with cats. And it was a show about three little girls who are witches, and there's like or her their moms were witches and they find out they're witches and they have these cats and stuff. And it is Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: so focus pocus vibes. And Matthew Brooks: Nice. Ann: it's her first show that she's watched with real humans, like really Matthew Brooks: Mm. Ann: watched other than like movies and stuff. And it brought me back to like ha like hocus p like those kinds of things we watch when we like Wishbone was Matthew Brooks: yeah. Wishbone is f like that's another great one to put on the screen, parents. Put on Wishbone. Ann: Real yeah. and then they'll and then they'll call somebody fat. but but anyways, that was totally random, but you should you like I was watching it and I was like I kinda like this show, but it's for kids. 'cause it reminded me of Hocus Pocus. So anyways couple announcements today. Yay. And we'll probably Matthew Brooks: Okay, the announcements. Yay! Ann: chat about them a little bit, but first and foremost, right now for A therapist who is actually at my practice. She's an art therapist. She graduated from Seton Hill. Her name's Lisa Ash. She's battling breast cancer. We're having a benefit concert for her in Pittsburgh on Monday the 24th at 7 p.m. at the government center. You can get tickets or you can just show up. But to all of the art therapists listening, we are having an online art auction. And Bruce Moon donated an original painting. among several other art therapists and artists in the Pittsburgh area. But right now I think the highest bid on Bruce Moon's painting is like ten bucks. So go on and bid it. You could win it. Like you might win it. Like and all of the money goes to Lisa. Like She's a wonderful mother, wonderful single mother. She's a wonderful therapist with the kind of health insurance we all have when we're in private practice. So give her some support. Matthew Brooks: Yes. Ann: and you could win that painting and it's online. You just go bid on it. the links in like I'll put the link in the podcast bio, but it's also on my page. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: So that's happening. Do that. And the concert's two great local bands. one of the band members is a music therapist that Matt and I both worked with. Anyway, bid on the auction. Matthew Brooks: Yes. Ann: second of all and we can chat a little like we have chat the our whole last episode was kind of like officially announcing that we're gonna be at the Atta conference in Charlotte. And we're gonna be doing are we doing we're doing one live recording and then are we doing two live recordings? Matthew Brooks: I think we're doing two live recordings. Ann: Okay. If anybody from Ad is listening, I promise Matthew Brooks: Ha ha. Ann: we're We're on top of it. But there's gonna be live recordings that you are going to have a chance to like be on. but we're also gonna be at several of the events interviewing and getting what was kept being referred to as B roll, which is so funny to be giving that task to me and Matt. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: 'Cause it'll be this randomness that if any of you have witnessed on our show, just talking to y'all about the conference and probably everything else that they're gonna be using for attaff, advertising, conference, whatever. But it's just us walking around seeing how it's going. Like they're unleashing Matt and I to just kind of like party with everybody. And get a fit which is hilarious. great idea, obviously. I'm a little biased. I even if we're Matthew Brooks: Yeah. This might be a tradition if it if it turns out alright. Ann: not even if we're not invited back, Matt and I are just gonna come to the rest of the conferences with tiny Matthew Brooks: yeah. Ann: microphones. Do you remember us? Matthew Brooks: Yes. Ann: But I do really I am really excited about this conference having a different feel to it than the Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ann: than some of the conferences I've been to in the past because they're kind of incorporating more things to connect with everybody like this, like us coming. So come see us. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Stop by, say hi. Answer a few questions if you want. Get on the B roll. Ann: And to talk a get on the deerl. Which is like funny because we are gonna Matt is gonna be figuring out all of the tech stuff before we even Matthew Brooks: Sure. Yeah. I'm working on it. Ann: Anyway, that's good times. and we'll be there with our book the we'll have a book table too. So with moon magic. So it'll be fun. Come to the conference and hang out with us. those are all my announcements. Matthew Brooks: Yay. Well, we actually I wanna tack on the one announcement that was like shadow promoted, but we started a printful shop. Do you wanna talk about the printful stuff? Yeah. Ann: yeah. I forgot about that. I forgot about it because it's not it I mean you can look it's it's not fully ready, but it is live. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. So we'll we'll put that in there. But what what is the shop? What are we what are we doing with that? Ann: So it costs money for us to do this podcast. Just so everybody knows. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: and so it's just a way for Matt and I to get support with people that are listening, and if you like listening. and we're just selling it's funny because it's like we're selling our therapy and process merch, but we're also just selling stickers that we think are funny. And Matt just made stickers of things that I say. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yep. I I already I already wrote one down from this episode. Yeah. Yep. Ann: Today, but I don't know what comes out of my mouth. So whenever he's like, truly, and then whenever he's like, look, go check out these stickers that I made, or he'll send me one. I was like, I did say that. Yep. I did. So Matthew Brooks: Shit. Yeah. Ann: it was pretty funny. So yeah, that's Matthew Brooks: Yes. Ann: what it is. So check it out. Matthew Brooks: I wanna make one, 'cause you just reminded me. I wanna make one, I gotta figure out the concept and everything, but working it through is when because you and I are famous for this, we will say something in a session or even here and a client would be like, that's really good. Can you say that back again so I can like write it down? And I'm like, I don't know what I've said. Yeah, yeah. Ann: Yeah, yeah. I don't know what can you repeat that? Absolutely not. Yeah, I don't know what the Yeah, that's a good one. Anyway. questions, comments, concerns, ideas, you wanna be a guest? message us. we have a guest coming up next we have a guest coming up next week. Matthew Brooks: Yes. We have Mary Alan Ruff, who was my supervisor. She's an amazing or actually Doctor Mary Allen Ruff. Ann: Mm-hmm. Matthew Brooks: and she she's gonna be on the show and answering some questions about some things going on in the news and other other stuff. we have a very specific topic. We're gonna cover about some court cases that are current Ann: Yeah. Matthew Brooks: and clinical note taking and everything 'cause she is she is a boss with all the note taking and everything. So it'll be a little bit more art therapy, inside baseball kind of conversation, but we're definitely gonna get into all of our shenanigans that we always get into as well. So Ann: All right. Perfect. Okay, everybody. Matthew Brooks: Okay? Great job everybody. Ann: See you next time. Bye. Matthew Brooks: Bye.