THOUGHT:  The 7-to-7 SchoolhouseTREND: The 250K QuestionTOOL: Structure as a Game

Business Insider recently profiled Tamela Gill Davis, the wife of New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis. Tamela and Demario have six kids, ages 1 to 12. She homeschools all of them.

School runs 7am to 7pm. The kids wear uniforms Monday through Thursday. She hired a second teacher (the two swap between older and younger kids throughout the day).

Why uniforms? "It's a way of teaching professional development," she says. "It's very important to show up in the world in a way that reflects who you are."

Before meeting her husband, Tamela was planning a career in education. That training now runs her home. Even during football season, the family has dinner together four nights a week. The message to the kids: "We're the team."

This level of structure isn't for everyone—and it's easier to pull off on an NFL salary with a hired teacher. But the principle holds: some families thrive with uniforms and set schedules, others with pajamas and impromptu field trips. 

New York state lost a quarter-million K-12 students over the past decade. Almost 90% of districts shrank. New York City alone dropped 187,000 from traditional public schools - a 19% decline.

Demographers at Cornell University have an explanation: "An aging population, people having fewer children, and at later ages."

Okay. Sure. Fewer kids means fewer students.

But demographics don't explain everything. Charter enrollment more than doubled. Homeschooling doubled. Private school ticked up (though only slightly).

If this were just about birth rates, you'd expect all categories to shrink proportionally. They didn't.

Families aren't just having fewer kids. They're becoming more open to choices about how and where those kids learn. And once they make those choices, they're usually not going back.

If your kid resists structure, Habitica might be the workaround. It's a free app that turns tasks into an RPG (role-playing game, for the uninitiated). Complete your math? Earn gold. Finish chores? Level up.

But skip your responsibilities? Your "power level" takes a hit.

Why it works for resistant kids:

Originally designed for adults, families have discovered it's perfect for kids who need external motivation baked in. It won't replace parenting. But it might replace nagging.

Cost: Free (premium features available but not necessary)

Anyone else learning in real time?