Screen Time

Have you seen the movie Wall-E?

The humans are practically glued to their chairs, never leaving (and probably too weak to support their own massive weight in any case). A screen hovers in front of their faces, blocking their view of their surroundings - what isn't blocked is unnoticed. Speakers on either side of their head blast their hearing with continuous input. They're automatically ported about, completely oblivious to everything except their screens. They consume food, consume drink, consume media, contribute nothing. It's... horrifying. Horrifying because it's a terrible way to live, and horrifying because some days I resemble those folks a lot more closely than I'd like to admit.

One of my major changes during this Radical 21 Day Challenge is to drastically reduce our screen time. I haven't quite decided whether to allow my 3.5 yr old a little screen time in the evenings, or just shoot for absolute zero. The 13 month old doesn't need any at all, that's for sure. It's funny because I kept wanting to talk myself into allowing my big kid "just _____ each day" and I kept asking myself, "How does that help him? What value does it add to his life?" Yes he has learned a lot from various YouTube videos and educational shows, BUT couldn't he have learned that stuff from a book? Museum? Me?

For myself, I've been feeling so convicted about disconnecting from the kids by using my phone in their presence. I notice it most when I see my (wonderful) spouse use his phone - I constantly want to say, put the phone down and watch the kids! Talk to them, observe them, engage with them. I don't say it because a) he is a fantastic father who spends a lot of quality time with the kids and he's doing just fine, but mostly b) I do the same thing all the time. I'm good at still hearing and responding to them, and keeping track of them, but I think of how it feels when someone else is looking at their screen and I know it makes me feel disconnected. So. No phone in front of the kids. Period. I don't think I need any additional screen time limits for myself because as a stay at home mom with two young kids, 98% of my day is "in front of the kids". This single rule will drastically cut my screen time.


So there you have two of my big decisions:

- Little to no screen time for preschooler, zero for baby

- Never use my phone where the kids can see me


Oh boy!