After years of parents being told to sit down and “trust the experts,” 2025 proved that documentation, persistence, and truth-telling work.
The Voices That Refused to Be Silenced
FLASHBACK JANUARY, 2025: 15 DAYS premiered in January at USC’s Censorship in the Sciences conference. Standing ovations. The overwhelming sense that we’d created something that mattered.
15 Days Documentary Debuts at USC Amidst Fires
On Saturday, amidst the backdrop of devastating wildfires that ravaged Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and were threatening the Valley areas, I was a presenter at the USC Censorship in the Sciences Conference in Los Angeles. Despite the dire circumstances, the conference saw good at…
“This excellent examination of the long term educational fiasco caused by school shutdowns verified what I, as a middle and high school teacher for more than 20 years, knew would occur.” —Susan
By September, we released it on X. No paywalls. Just the true stories, available to everyone 24/7.
“This needs to be shown all across theaters, news stations and social media. Exposes all of the bologna. This 2020 pandemic was horrific and what the real agenda behind it was.” -Christine
Over 1.1 million views later, we did what we set out to do: create an undeniable historical record of America’s school closures, featuring Dr. Jay Bhattacharya (now NIH Director), Dr. Scott Atlas, and dozens of others who refused to stay silent when children needed them most.
“It’s hard to watch, as it brings back so much frustration to parents and staff. More people should be aware of how union management and politicians did so much harm to the children.” -Carole
Bam Morgan’s story alone - the high school football player who lost his shot at a college football scholarship because NYC’s union-driven policies shuttered sports while private schools kept playing - captures everything wrong with what happened.
“I will NEVER forget what they did to us, to my children, and to me.” - Jamie
The Gender Toolkit That Equipped Parents
In April, we released “Out of the Gender Maze” — a comprehensive resource guide written by Maia Poet, a former trans-identified young adult who spent half her life navigating gender ideology before finding her way out.
The toolkit became essential reading for parents facing what seemed impossible. Maia’s insights, from someone who lived it, gave families the roadmap they desperately needed.
NEW Toolkit: Out of the Gender Maze
In 2012, at the age of twelve, I began identifying as transgender.
Then, this month, the victory we’d been working toward: HHS announced sweeping restrictions on gender treatments for children under 18.
This wasn’t luck. This was years of parents and principled public health leaders refusing to accept that ideology should trump child safety. The toolkit was part of that fight, giving families the research, legal frameworks, and courage to protect their kids when institutions wouldn’t.
From Soviet Refugee to Filmmaker
As I put the finishing touches on 15 Days, my documentary about the devastating school closures during COVID, I find myself reflecting on the philosophy that has driven this work from the beginning:
The Stories That Made It Real
Throughout the year, our Substack kept documenting what matters:
“From Soviet Refugee to Filmmaker” — why “Never Again” drives everything we do
“Masked for Nothing?” — the peer-reviewed study we funded showing why masks didn’t work as promised
“Quit Your Parenting Journey” — Leslie Bienen’s brilliant takedown of performative parenting culture
“Exclusive: Watch the First 20 Minutes of 15 DAYS” — before the full release, giving our community the first look
We continued to speak out and write about what matters most- our children and our families!
What Comes Next
15 DAYS is now available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download for your home library at restorechildhood.com/store. For yourself, as a gift, or to share with someone who still insists “We did the best we could with the information we had.”
“It is a good reminder of what happens when we let the government lead us in bad directions. It can’t happen again! We the people have to be informed and ready to act!” -Judy
15 DAYS will be leaving X on New Year’s Eve and appearing on streaming platforms in early 2026. Having your own copy means the record is always accessible.
All proceeds support our 501(c)(3) mission: ensuring these stories are never forgotten, funding community screenings nationwide, and helping the film reach the widest audience when it launches on streaming.
2025 proved that when you document the truth carefully enough, it becomes undeniable. When you give people the tools they need, they use them. When you refuse to let institutions rewrite history, the real story survives.
Thank YOU for being part of this.
Every share, every screening hosted, every conversation started: you made this possible.
Here’s to 2026, where we keep building the record they can’t erase.
Natalya
Restore Childhood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting children’s health and education. Because no one’s coming to save our kids but us.
The word "pushed back" is interesting to me because it frames the movement as reactive (which, in some ways it is), but what you're mapping in the longer arc here is something more structural which is that the parents opting out of optimization pressure are confronting who gets to define what "giving your kid the best" actually means.
Imo the the battle isn't really over screen time or having your kids be scheduled within an inch of their life, it's more about whose definition of a "good parent" we're using as the default.