Most evenings at our place looked the same:

Me rushing to finish dishes, replying to emails on my phone with one hand, and reminding my

daughter (she’s 11) to brush her teeth for the third time.

 

She’d usually be on the couch, zoned out in a YouTube rabbit hole or halfway through a

homework sheet, and I’d catch myself thinking:

“Did we even talk today?”

 

Nothing deep. No meltdown. No tantrums.
But there was this quiet space between us I couldn’t seem to fill.

 

And honestly? I was too tired to force it.
Dinner, bedtime, tomorrow’s mental checklist—there’s always something.
The idea of adding one more “intentional” thing to my evening felt impossible.

 

Then one night, I caught a post on Instagram.

 

A reel of a mom sharing how her son started opening up more—not through a lecture or some

elaborate bonding activity—but through a simple nightly habit.

It wasn’t a parenting hack.
Just ten minutes of checking in.

 

She mentioned Bloomster, a platform she found that teaches life skills to kids—emotional stuff,

mindfulness, even confidence.

I was curious, but also skeptical.

“Is this just another thing I’ll sign up for and forget about?”

 

But I clicked through.
Reviewed the site, the course categories (emotional intelligence, resilience, friendships—stuff

that actually matters), and took their Course Fit Quiz.

 

It didn’t push me into a paid plan.
Just showed what my daughter might benefit from.

I bookmarked it and let it sit for a few days.

 

Then one evening—after a particularly silent dinner—I remembered it.
I signed us up for the free plan and said to her:

“Want to try something different before bed? Just ten minutes. You get to pick the topic.”

 

We watched one of the videos on self-awareness together.

It was short, colorful, and kind of funny.

She actually smiled.
And then said something like:

“I do that too sometimes. Like when I feel weird at school.”

 

My jaw dropped.
Not because she suddenly spilled her soul.
But because she said something.

She connected a dot.

 

One week in, my close friend noticed.

She said,

“Is it just me, or is your kid like... chirpier lately?”

 

I hadn’t even realized it.
But yes—there was less pushback at bedtime.
More small talk while brushing teeth.
A little more lightness in our evening rhythm.

 

No, Bloomster didn’t magically fix everything.

She still rolls her eyes sometimes.
I still lose my cool trying to juggle it all.

But we have something now—a soft spot in the day where we meet each other halfway.

 

And it doesn’t require crafts, printing worksheets, or turning off screens.
Just ten minutes.
And a little intention.

 

Want to try it for yourself?
Take the Course Fit Quiz — it’s easy, and honestly kind of fun.
You’ll see which skills might support your child best, and you can try the free plan before committing to anything.

 

Some things can change gently.
Even on a weeknight.
Even when you're tired.