A few weeks ago, a longtime neighbor, Jamie, who has become a dear friend, shared with me about her screen-free family Sundays with her twin nine-year-olds, 14-year-old and 16-year-old:
“About a year ago, we decided to start screen-free Sundays with the hope of unplugging and getting some family time. … because I felt decision fatigue. [The kids would say]... can I watch this? Or what about that? Or I've done my two hours, but it's not over? Or can I do one more? It just felt like I needed one day where I can just say no, we're not doing this. And you'll have to figure something else out. And I think as a mom, I like some sense of rhythm. “
Jamie explained there are some screen-time exceptions, but it is pretty darn screen-free for the most part. When Jamie started Screen-Free Sundays, they planned to just try it out for a month so she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the experiment.
So how has it gone? I ask her this in this week’s podcast.
I also talk with a mom in Alaska who prioritizes reading in her family in all sorts of ways including keeping screens at bay when they read. Hear from her and her kids about the ways they have stronger family togetherness through reading and how screens are put away during such times.
To listen to the podcast, go here — it is only 15 minutes.
A few weeks ago, a longtime neighbor, Jamie, who has become a dear friend, shared with me about her screen-free family Sundays with her twin nine-year-olds, 14-year-old and 16-year-old:
“About a year ago, we decided to start screen-free Sundays with the hope of unplugging and getting some family time. … because I felt decision fatigue. [The kids would say]... can I watch this? Or what about that? Or I've done my two hours, but it's not over? Or can I do one more? It just felt like I needed one day where I can just say no, we're not doing this. And you'll have to figure something else out. And I think as a mom, I like some sense of rhythm. “
Jamie explained there are some screen-time exceptions, but it is pretty darn screen-free for the most part. When Jamie started Screen-Free Sundays, they planned to just try it out for a month so she wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the experiment.
Recently, I spoke with someone who has decided to really cut down on their social media use and news feeds because they saw how it was impacting their mental state. I have written in the past and podcasted about how we help our kids recognize disinformation, but today I’m discussing managing the quantity of “bad news.”
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Today I share strategies to help parents in conflict over screen time limits. I know, generally, it is important to have a united front for our kids about things like rules, but what about the benefits of bringing some conflict out into the open at times?
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Spring cleaning time is here, and a spring reset is a good time to look at and make changes in your screen-time balance. I am not talking about some gigantic reset, just one or two small tweaks. Today I give 4 easy steps.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
