Phone off at eight. No screens at dinner. Thirty-minute limit. Real decisions. And the attention problem was still there the next morning, fully intact, waiting for the restriction to lift. The phone isn't competing with your rules. It's competing with your environment. And most home environments were never designed to win that competition. One observational window, one distinction, and one question that changes what you're actually solving for. Let's get into it.

This episode draws in part on research in:

• Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; 2000)
• Autonomy-supportive parenting and adolescent self-regulation (Grolnick & Ryan, 1989)