Parents of the Year

How do parents build a village when they’re raising kids far from family?
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Caroline dig into one of the hardest parts of modern parenting: feeling alone while trying to raise connected, confident kids.
From neighbours and school families to sports teams, gyms, dog parks, and simple daily routines, they talk about how community is built in real life — not through grand gestures, but through small repeated moments. A wave across the street. A favour for a neighbour. A shared ride to practice. A standing dinner with friends. The kind of connection that grows slowly, then suddenly feels solid.
They also get honest about how much family life has changed in Canada: smaller households, more distance from grandparents, more seniors living alone, and more parents trying to do it all without the built-in support previous generations often had.
This episode is for parents who have moved away from home, feel isolated, or want to create stronger ties for their children and teens. It’s a grounded conversation about rebuilding community, modelling connection, and giving kids something every family needs: people they can count on.
Listen in for practical ideas on:
how to build a village when you’re starting from scratch
why neighbours still matter
how sports, school, and local routines can create real connection
why online connection doesn’t fully replace in-person community
how parents can model belonging for children and teens
Perfect for: parents of kids, tweens, and teens; families new to a city; parents dealing with loneliness; anyone trying to raise children with stronger community ties.

Homework activities for adults to support children and teens, plus resources needed
1. Learn the names of five neighbours
What to do:
 Over the next two weeks, make a point of learning the names of at least five people who live nearby. Say hello when you see them. Keep it simple and warm.
Why it helps kids and teens:
 Children notice who their adults trust, greet, and feel comfortable around. That helps them feel safer and more rooted where they live.
Resources needed:
phone notes app or small notebook
ten minutes during walks, school drop-off, or after work
2. Start one repeat family routine in the community
What to do:
 Pick one regular outing at the same time each week: dog park, local café, library, rec centre, walking route, skating rink, gym, farmers’ market.
Why it helps kids and teens:
 Familiar faces turn into friendly faces. Repetition builds comfort, and comfort makes connection easier.
Resources needed:
calendar
one local spot
a realistic time you can keep most weeks
3. Offer one small favour to another family
What to do:
 Send a message or say in person: “If you ever need mail picked up, a quick school pickup, or someone to check on the house, let us know.”
Why it helps kids and teens:
 Kids grow up seeing support as something people give and receive, not somethi
Send a text
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A jar of peanut butter almost ends a marriage… and somehow becomes the perfect opener for a conversation about what’s happening to adolescence right now.
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Caroline unpack what ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley calls “early arrival, late departure”: kids hitting adult ideas sooner (thanks, screens) while independence shows up later (thanks, anxiety, money, and over-helping). They talk milestones that are fading (driving, first jobs, even babysitting), why “checklist parenting” can quietly shrink confidence, and what it looks like to raise teens who can handle inconvenience, criticism, and disappointment without melting down.
You’ll leave with practical ways to step back without checking out: handing over real-life tasks (appointments, banking, transit), modelling purposeful phone use, and trying Stephen Covey’s “Green and Clean” method to build responsibility at home—without turning your house into a nag-fest.
Keywords: parenting teens, adolescence, Gen Z, Gen Alpha, screen time, executive function, independence, ADHD, Russell Barkley, life skills, overparenting, helicopter parenting, snowplow parenting, “curling” parenting, rites of passage, resilience.
Homework activities for adults (to support kids/teens) + resources
Homework 1: The “Say it out loud” phone habit (7 days)
Every time you pick up your phone near your kids, narrate your purpose in one sentence:
 “I’m checking the weather.” “I’m texting Grandma back.” “I’m doing Duolingo.”
 Kids copy what they think we’re doing—this makes your use visible and intentional.
Resource: create a note on your phone titled “Why I’m on my phone” with 6–8 common reasons so it’s easy to stick with.
Homework 2: Hand over one real-world task this week
Pick one:
book a dentist/doctor appointment
call the bank about a card issue
plan a transit route to the mall/friend’s house
order their own replacement item online (with a budget)
Your job: be nearby, don’t do the talking, don’t grab the phone “to speed it up.”
Resource: a simple script card in Notes:
“Hi, my name is ___.”
“I need to ___.”
“My availability is ___.”
“Can you repeat that?”
“Thanks, have a good day.”
Homework 3: Build frustration tolerance on purpose (tiny reps)
Once this week, don’t rescue a minor inconvenience:
let them re-pack the forgotten item
let them email the teacher about a missed deadline
let them solve the “wrong bus / wrong stop” problem with you on standby
Aim for small stakes. The win is practice, not perfection.
Resource: family phrase to repeat: “Try three ways, then ask.”
Homework 4: “Green and Clean” at home (one job, one standard)
Give one household job with a clear finish line.
 No step-by-step coaching. Let them decide how to do it.
Resource: Stephen Covey “Green and Clean” — search YouTube: “Green and Clean Stephen Covey”.
Homework 5: Create a rite of passage (low drama, high meaning)
Pick a milestone you can bring back:
solo transit to a familiar place
managing a monthly bu
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In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Caroline sit down with Mashood Ahmed, founder and CEO of GigabitIQ (the UK’s safest broadband provider) and a dad of five, to talk about what’s really happening online: strangers in game chats, disappearing messages, school-issued devices that come home unfiltered, and why a bedroom can be riskier than the park.
Mashood breaks down where parents get stuck—too many devices, too many apps, too many settings—and shares a simpler way to think about protection: start with a conversation, then add controls that actually work for real life. You’ll also hear about Parentline (parentline.ai), a free, multilingual tool built to help parents quickly figure out things like blocking TikTok, tightening Roblox settings, and creating safer home Wi-Fi rules without spending hours searching.
If you want a practical reset for your family’s digital life—without panic, guilt, or tech overwhelm—press play.

About Mashood Ahmad
Mashood Ahmad is the founder and CEO of Gigabit IQ, a broadband innovator dedicated to creating safer digital homes for children and families. As a father of five, he understands the real and growing challenges parents face in navigating big tech, social media, and hidden online harms. He is a recognised champion for online safety within the UK broadband sector and works closely with policymakers to push for stronger national protections. Mashood also created ParentLine, an AI-powered guidance tool that helps parents understand and manage online risks with clarity and confidence. His work bridges technology, parenting, and public policy to ensure families are better supported in today’s hyperconnected world.

“Homework” activities for adults + resources
Homework 1: The 10-minute “Today Online” check-in (no interrogation)
Do it: Ask one question at dinner or bedtime:
“What did you do online today that was fun… and what felt weird or uncomfortable?”
Goal: Make “tell me early” normal.
Homework 2: Device + app inventory (15 minutes, one page)
Do it: Write down every connected device your child uses (phone/tablet/laptop/console/smart TV). Under each: top 5 apps/games.
Goal: You can’t protect what you can’t name.
Homework 3: One privacy reset together
Do it: Pick one high-risk area and do it side-by-side (no surprise lock-downs).
Choose one:
Roblox chat + friend settings
Snapchat privacy + location
YouTube restricted mode + watch history
Console voice chat defaults
 Goal: Shared responsibility, less sneakiness.
Homework 4: Bedroom Wi-Fi rules (simple, clear)
Do it: Decide your “where + when” rules for devices (charging station overnight, no headphones behind closed doors, door open during multiplayer, etc.).
Goal: Reduce private access points without shame.
Homework 5: Use Parentline when you get stuck
Do it: Ask Parentline a real question you’ve been avoiding:
“How do I block TikTok on an iPhone?” / “How do I tighten Roblox?” / “What should I do about WhatsApp groups?”
Resource: parentline.ai (free, multilingual)
Send a text
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Peanut butter crumbs, a surprise lap dog, and a teen who’s meeting new people at bars… this episode starts like a sitcom and lands on a real parenting pressure point: when kids start wearing diagnoses like usernames.
Andrew and Caroline talk about the “sick role” trend online—especially on short-form video—where teens self-diagnose, compare who has it worse, and sometimes copy symptoms they’ve seen on their feeds. They unpack what gets missed when labels become identity: loneliness, shaky self-worth, and a craving to feel noticed. You’ll hear why this trend can hurt kids who truly need support, why parents can’t treat siblings the same way, and what to say when your teen comes home convinced they have a specific disorder.
There’s also a reminder worth writing on the fridge: some kids are just quirky. They don’t need a label—they need their people. And, in the meantime, you’re their people.
Homework activities for adults
The “Two-Minute Mirror” check-in
Ask: “What felt heavy today?” and “What felt good today?”
Reflect back what you heard—no fixing.
Swap the label for the need
“What part of that feels true—feeling overwhelmed, lonely, wired, numb, stuck, left out?”
Sibling spotlight audit
Identify what each child gets attention for—and what gets missed.
Feed clean-up plan (together)
Unfollow one account that fuels distress. Replace it with one that supports skill-building, humour, or learning.
Build a ‘their people’ map
Home / School / Outside. Strengthen one connection this month.
Send a text
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Tracking your kids can feel like “good parenting”… until it turns your home into a control room. In this Parents of the Year episode, Andrew and Caroline talk about why location-sharing and constant check-ins often backfire—especially as kids become teens and young adults.
They unpack the real driver underneath most tracking habits: adult discomfort with uncertainty. You’ll hear how “just nice to know” can quietly turn into stress, distrust, and sneaky workarounds (hello, leaving the phone somewhere “safe”). Along the way, they share what actually keeps teens talking: conversations that aren’t about school, letting kids teach you their world (yes, even Formula 1), remembering the “small” details that matter to them, and owning it when you mess up.
If you want more openness, less policing, and a relationship your teen actually uses (calls in the car, debriefs after school, mall trips by choice), this one’s for you.

“Homework” activities for adults (to support kids + teens) 
1) The “Not School” Daily Check-In (7 minutes)
Once a day, ask one question that has nothing to do with grades, homework, or performance. Keep it light.
 Prompt ideas: “What was the funniest thing today?” “Who made your day better?” “What’s your current obsession?”
Resource: print/write a small stack of dinner questions (they mention using a question box). Use index cards or a notes app.
2) Let Them Teach You Something (15 minutes, once a week)
Pick one of their interests and let them lead. Your job is to be curious, not clever.
 Easy starters: music playlist tour, game/YouTube trend explainer, sport update, hobby demo.
Resource: a shared note called “Things I’m learning from you” where you jot down names, teams, inside jokes, friends, upcoming events.
3) The “Remember One Detail” Practice
When they mention something that matters to them (a friend issue, a teacher they can’t stand, a social moment), write one line somewhere. Bring it up later.
 Goal: they feel noticed without being managed.
Resource: phone note with headings: Friends / School People / Interests / Upcoming.
4) Replace Tracking With a Simple Family Plan
Instead of location monitoring, agree on a basic rhythm:
where you plan to be
what time you expect to be back
what to do if plans change
one check-in rule for late nights (short text is enough)
Resource: a shared family note or whiteboard titled “Today’s Plan.”
5) The Clean Apology (30 seconds)
When you misread them, embarrass them, overreact, or “torpedo” your partner in front of the kids—own it fast.
 Script: “I got that wrong. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
No sermon. No courtroom defence.
Resource: keep a reminder on your phone lock screen for a week: “Repair beats being right.”
Send a text
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