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.
Hearing ideas from people in our circles can significantly impact us in many ways. For example, it might get us to try something new, and being able to follow up with the person who shared the idea can get us through challenging times. Parents often believe other parents are much more permissive around tech than they actually are. In today’s blog, I write about ways you can help instigate more sharing of screen-time parenting approaches with your friends.
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Everyone is trying to grasp where we currently are with screen time and kids and where we will be when the COVID crisis is more fully behind us. Today I highlight some of the key findings in a new report and what we can glean from the data to help in conversations with young people.
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Recently two friends of mine — a married couple — told me that they were just about to get their 13-year-old son his first smartphone. They explained that they told him that they would get him one once he reached 8th grade and did well academically during the first part of the school year. They explained to their son, I’ll call him Charlie, that they needed to set up expectations and ground rules around the phone, and they wanted him to write down the reasons he wanted a phone and why he felt he needed a phone. Also, they asked him to write some possible rules and ideas about good digital citizenship. They recorded the conversation and today I share some of it with you.
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.
