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Kathy Van Benthuysen
Kathy Van Benthuysen As a mom of 20 years and former teacher of 30, Kathy Van Benthuysen knows firsthand the challenges of raising kids in today's digital world. After spending over 67,000 hours working with children in the classroom, she made a life-changing decision: she left teaching early to help parents navigate the growing crisis of digital dependency.
Note from Kathy
I retired from my 30-year teaching career five years early.
Here’s why:
Each day at school, I greeted every student by name with a warm welcome — and
expected two things: eye contact and a response.
In my early years, every child could do this on the first day of school. By my final year,
on the very first day, only one student looked me in the eye and answered. By
December, I was still reminding most to look up and respond.
People say, “That’s just how kids are now.” But I know that’s not true. After 30 years with
9- and 10-year-olds, I can tell you what changed them: technology. Heads down in
devices became the norm — and with it, real connection became rare.
I couldn’t sit by and watch what was happening to kids. That’s why I retired — so
instead of making a difference in the lives of 25 students each year, I could impact
millions of kids and their families.