Meet Kathleen Barlow, a mother of six and grandmother of five. Kathleen taught middle and high school French for about a decade, and left the classroom in 2024.

She now educates families and other community members about ways to be more intentional in prioritizing real-life connections over screen entertainment.

Her mission is to change the norm for kids, so that they can return from their current screen-based childhoods, to the play-based childhoods that they deserve.

Kathleen is a founding member and serves on the leadership team of Smartphone Free Childhood US alongside being a member of Utah’s Child First Policy Center, a certified ScreenStrong Ambassador, and a member of the Screen Time Action Network (specifically the Screens in Schools work group).

Kathleen offers presentations to schools for educators, parents and students (Kids’ Brains & Screens) on behalf of the ScreenStrong organization in addition to one-on-one coaching for parents who are looking for ways to pull back from digital technology in their homes, and establish more calm family connection. 

She also coaches teens and young adults who are looking to establish healthier habits around their screen time.

You can find more of Kathleen on her Substack, in her podcast on Gen Z’s screentime experience, and in her interactive workbook; 52 Screen-Free Experiences for Families.

In her spare time, Kathleen enjoys mountain biking, yoga, reading, journaling, puzzles, and spending lots of unplugged time with her family. Kathleen practices, yet sometimes fails, at being present in each moment. It’s a lifelong pursuit and she continues to work at it!