Katherine Martinko

Ontario

Writer and Editor at Freelance

Writer. Editor. Author. "Childhood Unplugged: Practical Advice to Get Kids Off Screens & Find Balance" (2023). On Substack: The Analog Family

Articles

A Poem for Mother's Day

1 week ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

For Christmas one year, my brother gave my husband a book called Poems That Make Grown Men Cry. My husband has never shown the least bit of interest in poetry, but I suspect my brother was stumped for a gift and saw this at the bookstore. “Plus, I want to see if the title is true,” he added. My husband dutifully read a few of the poems, but I never saw him moved to tears. Fast forward to last weekend, when I was reorganizing the bookshelves in the living room and came across this book.
A Child's Question

1 week ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

Several weeks ago, I spoke to a large group of elementary students in grades 4 to 6. One teacher had asked her class to prepare questions in advance, which were written on pieces of paper and handed to me at the front of the room. I did my best to get through them but ran out of time. I stuffed the rest of the questions into my bag. Back home, I found myself flipping through them—there’s something irresistibly cute about children’s handwriting—and one question jumped out at me.
Is your kid 18? Here are 11 life skills they should have mastered by now

1 week ago | theglobeandmail.com | Katherine Martinko
Parents Must Care for Themselves

2 weeks ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

There is a story in Julie Lythcott-Haims’ 2014 book, How to Raise an Adult, that I often think of. She describes a Seattle mother named Catharine Jacobsen, who once called her own mother to complain about being cold and wet while watching her child’s soccer game. Catharine’s mother was unsympathetic. I have no idea why you’re standing out there. You aren’t showing your kids anything.
We Scroll to Escape Ourselves

2 weeks ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

Why do we scroll on our phones so compulsively? I've heard many explanations, from accessibility to abundance to boredom to addictive design, all of which are likely true. But recently, I heard another intriguing explanation. It came from Dr. Anna Lembke, author of Dopamine Nation.
You Can Do It!

3 weeks ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

I told someone the story about my 10-year-old son riding his bike alone to Walmart, two kilometres from our house. He wanted to buy a Beyblade toy with his own money. I didn’t have time to take him, so he begged to go on his own. He had to cross four lanes of traffic (at a stoplight), navigate a busy parking lot, lock up his bike, find the toy, do the transaction. It seemed to take forever, but finally he came home, far more delighted by his independent outing than by the toy itself.
Ever Heard of 'FAFO' Parenting?

3 weeks ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

The first time I heard about "FAFO" parenting was when a woman I know shouted it at her son when he refused to get in the car. The son hopped in immediately, so clearly he knew what it meant, even though I was still in the dark. An Internet search revealed a trending phrase that stands for "f--k around and find out." The gist of it is, let your kid run into the natural consequences of behaviours they have been warned about (within reason), and that will teach them a lesson.
The 15-Minute Block

1 month ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

Nick Epley is a psychologist from the University of Chicago. Several years ago, he conducted an interesting study where he asked commuters on trains and buses to make a prediction: How would they feel after having a spontaneous conversation with a stranger next to them? Most thought they'd feel worse. They believed that solitude made for a better commute. So Epley and his team designed an experiment. Participants were divided into three groups.
Your House, Your Rules

1 month ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

Reader Question: "I'd love your thoughts on how to handle tech that other kids bring to your house, on outings, to group dinners, etc. I've noticed a growing number of kids whipping out their phones in social settings, and all the others surround them like moths to a flame. Often there's a quick 'Put that away!' from the kid's parent, but it's never enforced. We had an 11-year-old over to play.
38 Things I've Learned As I Turn 38

1 month ago | katherinemartinko.substack.com | Katherine Martinko

Today is my birthday. I'm sitting in my living room in the semi-darkness of early morning, kids still asleep upstairs, sipping a mug of hot tea. I can hear birds chirping outside, and I am thinking about how strange it feels to get older. Author Neil Pasricha has a fun practice of making a list of things he's learned by the time each birthday rolls around, and I'm going to do that, too. These are in no particular order. Buy the mangoes because they will ripen eventually, and then you'll be glad.

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Katherine Johnson Martinko @feistyredhair

12 May 25

My Family’s Screen Time Rules https://t.co/ZK4wUkyaYl #theanalogfamily #childhoodunplugged https://t.co/SfSV12902R

Katherine Johnson Martinko @feistyredhair

8 May 25

RT @JonHaidt: Here's the greatest example of a town coming together to give all of their kids a play-based childhood: Piedmont Unplugged. T…

Katherine Johnson Martinko @feistyredhair

6 May 25

This is what Ontario should have done a year ago, instead of rolling out its absurdly feeble 'ban' that still lets students gr7 and up carry phones on their person while 'resisting' the urge to look that them. Ha! We all need bell-to-bell phone bans: https://t.co/M7B2A2ifVS

Katherine Martinko

Articles

A Poem for Mother's Day

A Child's Question

Is your kid 18? Here are 11 life skills they should have mastered by now

Parents Must Care for Themselves

We Scroll to Escape Ourselves

You Can Do It!

Ever Heard of 'FAFO' Parenting?

The 15-Minute Block

Your House, Your Rules

38 Things I've Learned As I Turn 38

Contact details

Emails

Socials & Sites

X (formerly Twitter)