From the Publisher
Calm, Cool, and Connected is the book I have been wishing someone would write. Filled with practical insights and helpful tips, it is a manifesto for all of us parents who are navigating the new frontier of raising kids who have the world at their fingertips, literally. If you ever struggle with guilt about how much your kids are on screens or wage battle with your own proclivity to check email six times an hour, Arlene offers sanity without shaming and provides a way forward that is both life giving and realistic.
Mandy Arioto
President and CEO of MOPS International and author of Starry-Eyed: Seeing Grace in the Unfolding Constellation of Life and Motherhood
In this screen age of distraction, disconnection, and addiction, Calm, Cool, and Connected offers us a better way. Thank you Arlene—this book is timely, extremely practical, and a great resource.
Sylvia Hart Frejd
Founder and Executive Director Center for Digital Wellness Liberty University
Would you like a healthier family life? More joy? Deeper connections? Have you noticed your children being stressed and anxious? What about you? Arlene Pellicane will help you see how your technology use is relevant. Yes, yours. Children tell me all the time that they wish their moms would put down their phones. Many moms want to. Arlene will help you do that and more. Her personal illustrations, compelling data, and practical ideas will inspire you to make realistic changes. They’re doable, directly related to real concerns, and will result in greater contentment. You can learn to be a new and better you!
Kathy Koch
Founder/president of Celebrate Kids, Inc., and the author of Screens and Teens: Connecting with Our Kids in a Wireless World
In today’s culture, no longer are phones used just for calling; instead, they are multipurpose mechanisms that are calling the shots in our lives—dictating how we spend a great majority of our daily waking moments. As a result, I can only think of about three people I know personally—who don’t own a cell phone—that wouldn’t benefit from the advice in Calm, Cool, and Connected. For the rest of us, the time is long overdue! Arlene’s wise insight into this tangled, technical problem coupled with scads of creative, concrete solutions will inspire you to put down your devices so you can spend less time touching screens and more time touching lives instead.
Karen Ehman
Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and New York Times bestselling author of Keep It Shut and Listen, Love, Repeat
Arlene Pellicane has addressed head-on the silent foe of our day—our dependence on technology. As we steward ourselves and the next generation, all moms should read Calm, Cool, and Connected! It’s a beautiful blend of practical and spiritual reasons why our dependence on cellphones harms the very things we long for most. Arlene wraps the warnings about the hidden dangers of our phone in a way that brings hope and reminds us, it’s not too late to change.
Glynnis Whitwer
Author of Doing Busy Better
Executive Director of Communications at Proverbs 31 Ministries
Arlene’s words convicted me from the moment I saw the title! The sentence that spoke the most to me? “Your spouse is more interesting than your phone.” This book gave me the reasoning and motivation to back away from my screen and take steps toward those I love.
Dannah Gresh
Creator of Secret Keeper Girl and author of The 20 Hardest Questions Every Mom Faces: Praying Your Way to Realistic, Biblical Answers
Calm, Cool, and Connected is not only a great guidebook to creating intentional relationships and healthy living but it also provides suggestions for how to live life more fully face-to-face. Our lives are fuller because we choose to connect with others in real time and limit greatly the screen time in our home. Kudos to Arlene for addressing a growing problem in our society in a very practical and useful way.
Joanne and Dan Miller
Authors, Creating a Haven of Peace and 48 Days to the Work You Love
In this excellent and timely book, author Arlene Pellicane has defined a plan for staying connected in this electronic age. Through building a productive, yet cautious relationship with one’s devices, you can be calm, cool, and connected.
Mel Cheatham
Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery
If you sometimes struggle, as I do, to use technology in a balanced way, Calm, Cool, and Connected is a must read. Arlene offers practical suggestions and doable strategies that will equip you to be more intentional when it comes to your screen time.
Ashleigh Slater
Author of Braving Sorrow Together and Team Us
It is a two-edged sword, this digital age. Like dynamite, digital tools can be a force for greatness in connecting people and creating opportunities; however, on the other hand, digital power can blow lives apart if not used with care. In Calm, Cool, and Connected, Arlene Pellicane shows us how to maximize the blessings and benefits while minimizing the dangers and deceptions. In a worldjam-packed with all things digital, this book is a must read!
Pam Farrel
Codirector, Love-Wise; author of Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti and 10 Best Decisions a Parent Can Make
