A screen free week

This week, we somewhat spontaneously decided the kids needed a screen-free week, and potentially no screens on week nights going forward.

Enjoying some screen free activities.

Over the past few months, the kids screen time had crept up and Al and I realised that their lives seemed to revolve around Screentime. Each afternoon E, who is 7, would ask for the iPad (we used to have no iPad during the week, but we only have one TV and O was watching his show on it). The moment 3 year old O got home from day care at about 5pm, he would ask for Paw Patrol. Getting them off these screens a couple of hours later to start bath, bed etc was painful. On the weekend, they would start asking for screens already mid morning, even though they aren’t allowed on them to the afternoon. And again they would never want to get off a few hours later, no matter what other fun activity was on offer.

This all seemed rather too much like an addiction, and also there was some irritability, attitude etc from the kids which reduced everyone’s enjoyment at home. So on Monday after school, Al and I declared we are having a screen break. We need to break the addictions, give the kids an opportunity to learn again how to amuse themselves without screens, and give ourselves some time to work out what healthy, fun screen usage might look like going forward.

We’ve had three nights so far, and it’s going well. There have been some complaints but they quickly move on. There has been more outside play, puzzles and reading, and pretend play. More music and games. Al and I have limited our phone use as well (although not banned it completely). We have had to do a bit more active parenting, but not too much more, and some of that is actually fun and I’m glad we are interacting more with the kids.

I’m curious how other people with younger kids like ours handle screen time rules, both during the week and the weekend. We are ready for some fairly strict rules I think, but we do want the kids to enjoy some screen based entertainment, just not to the point where it because addictive. I will report back!