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Complicated Kids is a podcast about why raising kids can feel like an extreme sport sometimes. Join me to unpack all of it, figure out who needs what, and help your family thrive. Gabriele Nicolet is a Toddler Whisperer, Parent Coach and Speech Therapist. – She is the co-founder of Raising Orchid Kids – an online, global parent education and coaching practice, as well as the owner of GabrieleNicolet.com – a parent coaching practice in the DC metro area. Gabriele has a hard time eating out in restaurants if children are present because she always wants to play. She is passionate about all things child development, and particularly fascinated by the ways in which common parenting practices affect highly sensitive (Orchid) kids and how to tweak them so that everyone can stay calm and become their best Selves. Have questions? Reach out today complicatedkidspodcast@gmail.com.    
  1. All Episodes
  2. Screens Are Not the Enemy with Leslie Tyler

Jun 30, 2026

Screens are not going anywhere, which means our kids need more than rules. They need guidance.

I’ll be honest. This is one of those topics where people tend to have feelings.

Big ones.

And fair enough. Screens can be a mess. They can also be useful, regulating, connecting, necessary, and sometimes genuinely helpful, especially for neurodivergent kids.

So I was glad to have this conversation with Leslie Tyler from Pinwheel because we got to stay in the nuance.

Leslie is Head of Parent Education at Pinwheel, a company that makes devices designed for kids and managed by parents. We name that right away in the episode because yes, Pinwheel sells devices. And also, this conversation is not really about one product.

It is about the questions parents need to ask before a device shows up in the house.

What is this device for? Is it about safety? Transportation? After-school coordination? Social connection? Learning support? Independence?

Because those are not all the same thing, and they do not require the same plan.

We also talk about why there is no magic age when a child is suddenly “ready” for a phone.

That answer is probably less satisfying than any of us would like.

It would be very convenient if someone could just tell us the exact right age and then we could all feel like excellent parents. But that is not how this works.

Instead, Leslie encourages parents to think about the child in front of them, the purpose of the device, and the kind of support that child will need to use technology well.

We talk about phones, watches, apps, games, image texting, parental controls, bedtime charging stations, school phone rules, notifications, and why starting small is usually easier than trying to walk things back later.

One of the biggest themes in this episode is that parental controls are useful, but they are not the whole strategy. Kids need guardrails, yes. They also need conversation, modeling, practice, and adults who are willing to stay involved without pretending they can control everything.

Because technology is here.

Our kids are going to use it.

So the work is not just keeping screens away forever. The work is helping kids build judgment, awareness, and a healthier relationship with the devices that are already part of the world they live in.

Key Takeaways

  • Screens are not automatically good or bad. The question is how, when, why, and for whom they are being used.
  • There is no one right age when every child is suddenly ready for a phone.
  • The better starting question is what your child actually needs the device to do.
  • Wanting a phone because friends have one is different from needing a device for safety, transportation, communication, or independence.
  • Starting with limited access is usually easier than trying to take access away later.
  • Watches, phones, and tablets all come with different benefits, limitations, and risks.
  • The device should fit the child’s needs, not just the family’s convenience or the social pressure around them.
  • Apps, games, image texting, notifications, and bedroom access all deserve real thought before the device arrives.
  • Parental controls are helpful tools, but they are not a complete parenting strategy.
  • The long-term goal is to help kids build judgment, awareness, and the ability to stay in the driver’s seat of their technology.

About Leslie Tyler

Leslie Tyler is Head of Parent Education at Pinwheel, a company that creates devices designed for kids and managed by parents. Through her work, Leslie helps families think more intentionally about children, technology, independence, and digital safety. She supports parents in introducing devices gradually, having ongoing conversations, and helping kids use technology in ways that are constructive, age-appropriate, and connected to real-life responsibility.

About Your Host, Gabriele Nicolet

I’m Gabriele Nicolet, toddler whisperer, speech therapist, parenting life coach, and host of Complicated Kids. Each week, I share practical, relationship-based strategies for raising kids with big feelings, big needs, and beautifully different brains. My goal is to help families move from surviving to thriving by building connection, confidence, and clarity at home.

Complicated Kids Resources and Links

🌎 www.gabrielenicolet.com
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