Hey folks!

Happy Friday! A couple things on my mind...

1. Every Platform Has It's Own "Speed": I heard this concept in a Kallaway video recently: it's that every digital platform: email, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, blogs - has a distinct pace for how people consume content. If you’re scrolling Instagram and a 35-minute YouTube video appears, you’ll skip it. You’re not in that mode. Everybody keeps ignoring this constantly and keeps trying to move people off platform (“Watch the full interview on YouTube!”). It rarely works because it asks users to change speeds. A better approach is to keep them in rhythm. Instead of sending them off-platform, invite them deeper on the same one - “Check out part two on my channel.” Case in point: you can read previous newsletters of mine here :)

2. Pickup Challenge: Chandler and I started a daily challenge this week. At the end of the day, we open our iPhones in front of the kids and see who has the fewest pickups. (Pickups = the number of times you unlocked your phone that day, found in Screen Time settings.) Five days in, I’m convinced pickups are the #1 leading indicator of presence. My brain actually feels different limiting them. It’s a fun, playful challenge we plan to keep going. Not to brag by the record so far - set by me—is 24 pickups in a day.

3. Babywise: Guys. We FORGOT about Babywise. Chandler and I are on baby #7, and for our first four we were strict followers of the Babywise system: get your kid on a rhythm - wake them up on time, feed them, play, then put them down without feeding again. Simple and it works. But around baby #5 / colic / COVID, we forgot it was our system. Two weeks ago my sister-in-law mentioned it at a party, and Chandler came home asking, “Why don’t we do this anymore?” Within three days, we were getting more sleep than we have in the past six months. I know some of you are attachment parenting people - I’m 100% that under 3 months, maybe 50% under 6 - but at 7 months, it’s time this guy cries it out and sleeps through the night. Total game changer. Sometimes it’s not about finding what works; it’s about remembering what used to. AMA.

That's it for this week!

Best,

Blake

P.S. Find any of this helpful? Share it w/ your friends at theallsmiths.com. (Also if you've missed previous emails you can read "back issues" there as well :)