Erin Napier is tired. Honestly, if you’ve watched a single episode of Home Town lately, you can see it in that relatable, "I’m a mom of two" sort of way. It isn't just the sawdust or the grueling filming schedules in Laurel, Mississippi. It’s the intentionality.
Raising kids in 2026 is a battlefield. For Erin and Ben Napier, that battlefield has very specific borders: no glowing blue screens and no social media until a high school diploma is in hand. While most of Hollywood is busy setting up TikTok accounts for their toddlers, the Napiers are busy building forts and "protecting hearts."
It’s a vibe. It’s "old school." And for a lot of parents watching from the sidelines, it’s becoming a bit of a blueprint.
Meet Helen and Mae: The Real Stars of the Napier House
The Napiers have two daughters who are growing up faster than a fixer-upper flip. Helen, their eldest, was born in January 2018. As of early 2026, she’s officially an eight-year-old with a penchant for ballet and, apparently, architectural design. She’s already dreaming up "little cottages with brick chimneys," proving that the apple doesn't fall far from the renovation tree.
👉 See also: Mara Wilson and Ben Shapiro: The Family Feud Most People Get Wrong
Then there’s Mae. Born in May 2021, she’s currently a spunky four-year-old. Her name has a cool bit of trivia attached to it—it was actually "leaked" on an episode of This Is Us by family friend Chris Sullivan before she was even born.
The Ages and Stages (As of 2026)
- Helen Napier: 8 years old (Born January 2018)
- Mae Napier: 4 years old (Born May 2021)
You won’t see their faces on Instagram. You won’t see them doing "get ready with me" videos. Erin and Ben have a strict rule about not posting their daughters' faces to protect their privacy. They want their girls to decide for themselves, years from now, how much of their lives they want the world to see. It’s a level of digital consent that feels almost revolutionary in an era where "sharenting" is the norm.
The "Osprey" Movement and the Social Media Ban
Why the hard line? Erin is pretty vocal about it. She’s a millennial. She remembers life before the "dang devices." She’s seen the research.
✨ Don't miss: How Tall is Tim Curry? What Fans Often Get Wrong About the Legend's Height
She often talks about how social media is basically designed to be addictive. "It’s easier to prevent addiction than it is to cure it," she told Southern Living. That logic led her and Ben to co-found Osprey (Old School Parents Raising Engaged Youth). It isn't just a hashtag; it’s a nonprofit aimed at helping parents link arms and create "nests" of families who all agree to keep their kids off social media until after graduation.
The idea is simple: if the whole friend group doesn't have a phone, no one feels left out.
What a "Low-Tech" Childhood Actually Looks Like
If you think the Napier girls are bored, think again. Erin’s house is basically a permanent art studio.
🔗 Read more: Brandi Love Explained: Why the Businesswoman and Adult Icon Still Matters in 2026
- Watercolors on the coffee table: They keep a mug of water and paints out at all times.
- Outdoor baths: They installed a hot water spigot outside so the girls can play in the mud and get cleaned up right there in the garden.
- Homeschooling: In late 2025, the couple revealed they transitioned to homeschooling Helen and Mae. They wanted to be the primary teachers and ensure their education stayed as low-tech and "real world" as possible.
- The "Unpopular" Birthday Rule: They don't do massive, wedding-style birthday parties for toddlers. Until the kids are old enough to plan it, it's just "supper at grandparents."
Why This Matters for the Rest of Us
There is a growing collective anxiety among parents about what the "infinite scroll" is doing to developing brains. Erin Napier has tapped into that. By being the "weird parents" who opt out of digital education days at school or refuse to buy a smartphone for a primary schooler, they’re giving other people permission to do the same.
They use Apple Watches to stay reachable without being "tethered" to a screen. They put their phones in a cabinet the moment they walk through the door. It’s a lot of work. It’s definitely not the path of least resistance.
But as Erin puts it, they want to build a "hedge of protection" around their kids. They want Helen and Mae to find their self-assurance in their own talents and the real world, not in the number of likes on a photo.
Actionable Steps for a Lower-Tech Home
If you’re looking at the Napier family and feeling a mix of inspiration and "how do I even start?" here are some practical moves based on their philosophy:
- Create an "Art Station": Don't hide the supplies in a closet. Keep paper and crayons in a central spot where they are more accessible than a remote.
- The "Cabinet Rule": Designate a physical spot (a basket, a drawer, a cabinet) where adult phones go during dinner and playtime.
- Find Your "Nest": Talk to two or three other parents in your kid's grade. If you all agree to wait on smartphones, the "social death" of not having one is neutralized.
- Embrace "Boring" Birthdays: Scale back. Focus on family and a favorite meal rather than an Instagrammable event.
- Model the Behavior: If we want our kids off their phones, we have to be off ours. That’s the hardest part, honestly.
Erin and Ben Napier aren't trying to judge anyone else's parenting. They’re just trying to preserve a specific kind of magic for their own girls. In a world that’s constantly "on," they’re choosing to stay a little bit "off," and that might be the most "Home Town" thing about them.