Last Sunday after the kids went to bed, I reluctantly taped a sign to our TV that read, “Sorry We’re Closed”. New Experience #17 was not going to be fun. There might even be a few tears. I was starting to have second thoughts, but I had already told the kids about our next experience and didn’t want to back down now. We were going to participate in Screen Free Week, the brainchild of a Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. For the entire week, the kids would not be able to use the TV, computer, or anything else with a screen. I was also participating, but in a modified way. I would not watch TV, use Facebook, or waste time on Pinterest, but I would still check my e-mail and update the blog when my children were not present. I braced myself for a tough week.
On Day 1, I was prepared to wake up at the crack of dawn. My children are early risers, so I usually let them watch a TV show (okay, sometimes 2 TV shows) when they wake up in the morning. I assumed the kids would be tugging at my sheets as soon as they woke up on Monday morning. I cannot express how surprised I was when I nearly overslept because no one came to wake me up. I peeked into the family room and found both Luke and Leah reading books on the couch. I swear I did not make that up. They didn’t even comment about the sign on the TV as I came down the stairs.
To my genuine surprise, most of the week went just as smoothly. I made an effort to make the week fun, as it is supposed to be a celebration of Screen Free time. I took the kids to Barnes and Noble to pick out a new book. We made chocolate chip cookies. I whipped up a batch of sidewalk paint that I found here. We had not one, but two Family Game Nights. We really did have fun spending time as a low-tech family.
Now, I don’t want to misguide you. The week wasn’t all hearts and flowers. There was one afternoon when Leah was ridiculously cranky. I almost caved. I was ready to rip that stupid sign off my TV and let her watch whatever show she wanted just so she’d stop whining. But, I stayed strong. After suggesting a million activities, Leah finally settled on feeding her Baby Alive. Within 5 minutes, her crankiness mysteriously disappeared and I was so proud I didn’t give up on our challenge.
The other thing that didn’t cooperate was the weather. New Jersey has gotten lower than average precipitation this year. You would have never guessed that during Screen Free Week. As luck would have it, it rained on four of our Screen Free days. To make up for it, I took the kids to an indoor playground with huge inflatable slides and bounce houses. It was the best decision I made all week. I think my kids ran the equivalent of a marathon. I just wish they let adults on those inflatable things. I bet it is an amazing workout!
Once Screen Free Week was officially over, I told the kids they could watch TV and play the Wii again, but we were going to continue Screen Free mornings. I expected a fight, but they happily agreed. I know that sounds corny, but it really is true. We survived Screen Free Week and actually changed a habit. New Experience #17 was a success!
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Love this! My son would hate it, but would be a blessing for me!
nice article
Congratulations on the screen free experiment! I would love to try it. Right now I’ve got a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old. On the nights I’m solo parenting, parking the oldest in front of the TV is sometimes the only way I can get a chance to focus on something other than the kids. I feel guilty about that on occasion.
I feel guilty about too much TV time, too. As long as you use it in moderation, you don’t need to feel guilty. Just find something to help you balance it. Maybe for every minute in front of the TV, you spend some quality time with your kids.
The kids are TV-free Monday through Thursday out of necessity. They weren’t getting ready without drama in the mornings. Afterschool, they have to do homework, read, chores, and play outside. If they want to watch something, they can DVR it for the weekend. Usually they get restless after a couple of hours in front of the TV and they’ll leave the room to play with their toys.
It was hard at first but they got tired of me saying, “How many toys do you have?” and “If you are tired of your toys, please put them in a bag and I will donate them to charity.” Lol! One day I’d like to be cable-free but I don’t think my husband could survive without Comedy Central and the History channel.
Alma
http://navywifechronicles.wordpress.com
For those of you who want to learn more about a TV-free lifestyle, I recommend this small forum which has a plethora of information about life sans TV:
http://whitedotboard.org
I stopped watching TV 9 years ago, and I haven’t missed TV a bit. You soon discover that you’ll find time for all those things you never could fit into your schedule before.
I was also fortunate enough to grow up without TV. We didn’t get TV at home until I was 12 years old. By then I was already an avid reader, and the love of books has followed me ever since.
Good on you for trying this new thing!
We have been free from the TV for at least 7 years now. Occasionally I’ll put a DVD on. Maybe 3 times a year… we just don’t seem to find the time for it! Funny how you learn to live without tv so easily.
My youngest daughter, has already watched more tv at school than she has in her entire year at home last year when she was still home-schooled!
Yesterday at school , her friends were complaining because their parents would not let them watch some program they all knew about (except for my daughter). She listened to them and then she said it. “Well I don’t watch it at all” … ” poor you”"” said her friends. She replied straight away: ” no, poor you! I have more time to do the things I like doing every day. You like watching tv so I guess that’s fine but I get to do so much fun stuff all day , like exploring and creating things…”
At 9, she doesn’t know who Erny and Bart are, and that’s ok. She is one of the most popular girl in her grade despite the home schooling and tv free home. She doesn’t have a mobile, a wii, a DS and never plays on the computer.
If we can do it… you can.
She went from 6 hours a day when she was 2, to none by the time she was 3. I would never go back to putting the tv on to “nanny” my children. In fact, I threaten them to turn it on if they don’t behave! And it works wonders!! lol
They are very grateful to me for not giving in.
You’ve survived a week, please, do yourself and your children a favour: extend it! It’s easier than you think.
It’s great that she realizes how much more time she has! We are still watching less TV than before… maybe an hour a day unless we have a family movie night. I feel so much less guilty now that my kids spend less time in front of the TV.
That’s amazing. Really. Sometimes I feel like a HORRIBLE parent because I let my 2-year-old watch TV. I try to just let her watch Sesame Street and DVR’d versions of Super Why so she isn’t subject to advertising… but sometimes it’s just the kid and me when I get home from work, and supper has to get on the table, etc, etc. It’s really hard when my husband is working nights!
oh and I am definitely going to try that paint!!!
Don’t be so hard on yourself! Channel your guilt into something more productive. If you need to use the TV to get something done, so be it. Just follow it up with some quality time after that.
Oh, that paint was so much fun! Just be warned: it did take 2 or 3 rains to disappear!
Good for you! Children and families did without screens for thousands of years. TV and computers are pretty addicting. Studies have shown that children who watch more than 5 hours of TV a week have lower reading skills. When we were kids, we just played outside or with each other or in our rooms a lot. Lots of game nights, or music, or just sitting around together. Sometimes we were bored. That made us get inventive, trying to find something to do. There’s a wonderful book called “The Last Child in the Woods,” about nature-depravation in children these days. I can’t imagine growing up without playing in the woods, the vacant lot, down by the creek, whathave you, but children do these days. So congratulations on a great experiment and on being Freshly Pressed.
Gran reto el de esa semana…y muy duro de cumplir, así que animo y felicidades…
I have thought about doing this for myself – but I live alone and I don’t have anyone to talk to! At least the TV has some background noise for me, but maybe I’ll have to think about doing this again – or at least cut back!
You will not regret it if you try. Start with one day and work from there!
The way we avoid the TV is to drag our two kids on family death-marches in the mountains. Then when the 3 year old hikes 7 miles above 9000′ I can offer her a show or two when we finally get back home. Balance is a good thing in life and the kids are capable of so much more than staring at the TV (though sometimes I need them to stare at it for my own sanity and allow them to guilt-free)…really, when Mommy is happy, everyone is happy.
cheers!
LOL! You are right. Happy mommy= happy family!
Such an AMAZING challenge.
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do let alone the kids! Well done for staying strong….and you did all this with rain!
That’s such a great challenge. When I grew up, my family had a TV, but no one ever watched it. When we were little, we wouldn’t even dare turn it on.
Wow, maybe adults are more wired than children.
My family has enjoyed “screen free” so much that about a year ago we clipped the cable. Now whenever we are confronted by the Dish salesperson at our neighborhood Mega-Low-Mart, they don;t know how to respond when we tell them “no thank you, we don’t watch television”.
That is amazing! We did not watch tv much growing up. We were allowed to watch 2 shows after school and in the summer we watched a little more, but I am thankful for that because we got to do other things…playing outside and using our imaginations.
I don’t have kids, but I think now that I am an adult and watch a lot more tv, I should challenge myself…but yeah, I would keep the email and blog too 
Yes, dropping TV is easy for me. The internet… not so much!
This is not just a good idea for kids – we’ve been without a television for 29 years and don’t long for one, there’s always so much we enjoy doing instead, how about cultivating the art of good conversation for starters, television seems to kill it from what I have observed.
thanks for the interesting post, will have a look at what else you’re up to now – Tina
Thanks, Tina! Hope you’ll be back again!
That’s cool! I lived without a TV for most of my childhood and didn’t mind too much … Also in my old house I had no internet connection. Now I do have it and spend most of my time online… I can’t imagine how I got by without it but I did!It just goes to show how quickly you adapt to things.
Nice post (:
That is a great idea. I’m inspired. My three kids are all home with me and they also like to watch an early morning show (or 2).
some great pictures keep it up thanks.
This is a great post, it reminded me of my childhood spent without tv. My parents threw it away when I was 7, and then it was life in a whole new way… I’ve nominated you for the sunshine blogger award, the details are here http://multifariousmeanderings.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/you-are-my-sunshine/
I’m not a parent, but I still love this concept. Sounds incredibly difficult, coming from a generation that has spent almost half of their lives in front of one screen or another. Must remember to try this once/if we have kids. Looking forward to more writing!
Thank you! We just completed another new experience and I’ll blog about it tonight!
Reblogged this on freethewick.
Ok I admit I use the Tv to take a break I would have had a hard time with it but, good job http://www.scentfuldiscoveries.wordpress.com
I have to say, your challenge is inspiring! I’m thinking about instituting a screen free week at my house and seeing what happens!
Weaning children off TV is only tough in the first few days. Then they naturally dedvelop the lively imagination which feeds and fuels their playtime.
I remember way back my younger years, during school days we can’t watch TV. I’m used to it, but now that my daily life involves internet surfing… it would really be a big challenge to shut down my PC monitor.
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colorado springs divorce lawyers
Brilliant post! I too am trying to cut back on the amount of screen time this summer, but am starting off with limiting my internet use. I’ll be writing about my experience in my new little fledgling blog, http://getyerwitsoutforthelads.wordpress.com give it a look if you’re interested!
Conor
Totally awesome! Thanks for an enlightening post with a good gentle reminder that we really CAN live screen free. Think of all the wonderful memories you are making together as a family. How wonderful! Congrats on your fresh pressed recognition! Enjoy your year of discovery!
Love the idea of screen free mornings!
What an amazing challenge! I love it! But I’m definitely implementing screen free mornings right away that is a FABULOUS idea! I will participate as well. No screens until noon. I may cave with Saturday morning cartoons, but no video games!!
Thanks! So glad you were inspired!
when i was a kid didnt watch tv for 7 months every year.. we were in hostel and tv wasnt allowed it was tough but we learned better things like reading a book even today i hate to read book on screen i need real books..
Reblogged this on terroraustralis.
Freaking brilliant. I was just thinking that we have too much tv time. My daughter is 3 and we have about an hour a day. It is Monday here and I am typing this while she watches Thomas. That’s it I think. TV off after I post this and computers when they are in bed only. Nice one! My daughter is here saying “Another one is going to come” as Thomas the tank engine is drawing to an end……ummm no! THanks for the inspiration.
So happy I was able to inspire you! We are not totally TV free, but I do continue to limit the TV. My kids really don’t seem to miss it much.
I don’t have children, but I have participated in this as a single adult. My TV actually broke in December, and I thought it would be a perfect time for me to do other stuff, and I did. I haven’t even thought about buying a new tv. I do use Hulu and Netflix for days when I don’t want to do anything and the internet to catch up on news, but no TV in this house. Great post.
Thanks! That is fabulous! I use the Internet quite frequently (probably pretty obvious since I am a blogger!) but I only watch about 2 or 3 hours of TV per week. I use it to entertain myself as I fold laundry- my least favorite chore!
Reblogged this on A Working Mums 1 Minute Blog.
I appreciate it Thank you!
Excellent idea–glad it went relatively well! If I had children, I’d try the same!
What a good idea. We monitor the kids TV time. I would say and average week we get by with only 2 good hours of TV, but sometimes it’s more.
This is a great thing to try…I don’t think people realize how much TV we actually end up watching in a week. For those that watch a lot it would be a good exercise to log how much they do watch in a week!!
A log of TV use is a good idea. Just like dieting, once you write it down, you really see what you are doing on a daily basis.
This really is a beautiful blog! I love the idea of it, and as a 22 year old let me tell you I could not handle being without a ‘screen’ for any prolonged period of time! Keep up the wonderful work.
Thank you so much! I think your age group really would have the hardest time– technology is so ingrained in your life and you are old enough to be set in your habits.
Without a screen for a week. Impressive feat!
Although it’s amazing how much you can get done when you give up TV
This is a step in the right direction. I don’t have kids, but I’d imagine it’s a challenge to convince them that they’re better off without TV.
That’s amazing! The TV was my main sitter growing up, so I could really try this on myself. Not sure if my man could take it. I was considering a camping trp with the same idea. I could turn of the data connectivity on my phone and party like it was 2009.
Loved this post.I have four grandkids and their mom is a teacher so tv is only allowed an hour a day and most of the time they are crawling on your lap with a book in tow because they love to read.They don’t know a lot about shows that their friends do but it doesn’t stop them from playing outside and pretending about sruff.Congrats on being FPed
Reblogged this on saymberblondi and commented:
Great article here and would be a great challenge for all of us – Screen free doesn’t have to be just for kids!
Thank you so much!
I liked your blog here so much posted it on my Facebook and reblogging. This was a great testimony on a challenge that would send most of us into shaking DT fits!
Just yesterday my 12-year ol daughter freaked out when she realized she had left her iTouch and her phone at home. You would have thought we were dropping her off in Siberia…instead of Grandma’s. I declared…”You need an unplugged weekend.” No..no…no..was the response. Confirmation received. Now just to find the right weekend!
Sounds like a screen free weekend would be a perfect idea for your daughter!
Most definitely…and every other techy device she has. Suprisingly…she won’t touch an e-reader. Has to hear the “crack” of a book when she opens it for the first time!
I am the same way when it come to e-readers! A real book just feels better to me.
It’s great to read all these comments & realise we’re not as odd as we feel. We haven’t had a TV for all but 5 years of our kids lives (they’re now 17, 14 & 12). It’s amazing how defensive ordinary people get about this. Our kids read & read & have always impressed new teachers with their range of vocabulary. We’ve backslidden in the last couple of years since broadband let us watch TV on the computer, but we try to limit that.
Thanks for the inspirational post. I’m going to go screen-free right now, shut down the computer & go out in the sunny garden with a book . . .
It is strange to me how people get upset when other people decide that they are going to limit TV or other technology. I wonder if it because they feel guilty about the amount of technology in their own lives.
Hope you enjoyed your afternoon!
Perfect! Absolutely have to do this for our family!
The girl is so cute!
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
awesome post!
Excellent post.
This is really a good work. I appreciate your efforts behind that.
Thanks for sharing.
Great job! Sounds like it was more difficult for you than them. LOL. Kids are really so much smarter and wiser than we give them credit. Look forward to hearing about your next experience.
Thank you! Yes, definitely more difficult for me! Thanks for following me!
WELL DONE!!! Isn’t it great, the way they are suddenly interested in all the books and toys we heap on them, when the square screen is removed? My mom is a bit more devious about this, sometimes she claims her TV is “out of order”. I’m colder – I simply lay down the law, and that’s that. Screen-free kids have more initiative, more imagination… they may even find the time to learn an instrument, or a hobby…
What a neat challenge, I think everyone should try something like this!
Thanks! So do I!
Great blog! Thanks for sharing. I recently wrote a blog linked to this very subject:
http://wp.me/p1ToOz-13
I love this! Congratulations on going screen free. I think that is lovely.
BTW, I know what you mean about the bouncy house. I recently went to a gymnastics b day party for a five year old and was having the time of my life… until I was told by an employee that grown ups are not allowed to play with most of the equipment.
We should get together and open a bounce place of our own!
Reblogged this on Anything Interesting on WordPress.
Excellent! You stayed the course. Actually, this is the best discipline for kids…staying the course. Good one for parents, too.
Our kids are now mostly grown, but we are glad that TV was not too huge an issue. There have always been specific shows they have liked to watch, but never threw a fit if they had to miss an episode for doing something else (of course, now we can catch up online). They never made it a morning priority…you know, eyes are open and TV must be on.
Kids are usually pretty good at entertaining themselves or one another if given the opportunity. Television seems to be a distraction from other healthy forms of play, occupation and/or entertainment.
Again…excellent.
Oh, and that NJ weather thing…gotta love it. Living in a jetstream just makes things so much fun and sometimes untimely. Even if they show the models and computer patterns, showing what is heading our way, until we stick our head out of the window, we don’t know what came past the Delaware River (we live near Cherry Hill). But, regardless of the weather, kids need to know how to keep occupied, even without the alluring glow of the TV screen.
Absolutely love the picture of your daughter playing with her doll! Congratulations on you TV -free week. I did this several times when the kids were young. It is rather amazing , isn’t it?
Great
Congratulations on providing your children extra time to play, use their imaginations, and develop healthy brains! It’s tough to do these days when screens are so available and easy, but kids really need to develop their own imaginations and be creative without out it being fed to them by a screen. Well done and great to hear that about the lasting change in your family from this experiment. As a Parent Coach I encourage this kind of change for my clients.
this is too funny! what a good idea!
When I was growing up we were lucky to get more than 2 stations and to switch you had to go outside and physically turn the antenna. Life has changed so much. I give you Kudos for taking it back to the basics. Parents really need to get their children to unplug more often.
Cell phones are my most strongly disliked, latest technology, items I would rather we would all try and give up ” needing to keep at our sides ….close by constantly…and think we can’t LIVE without…constantly, all the time, oh brother! Maybe we all ought to do with much less of ..or without…cells all together. Perhaps, they are ruining kids’s health, lives at school, I believe, and worth nothing, overall, but stress and wasting of time and money …yuck!
wow I would never be able to do it I have tried with my exams coming up next tuesday wednesday and thursday but I still haven’t survived a screen ban without it being extended because i have sneaked in to watch a little and just been caught, i admire your kids control!
yours sincerely Jacob Hopkins
P.S. great blog
Thanks so much, Jacob!
This is a great idea! We’ll have to try it. We got rid of cable several months ago but watch TV using an internet streaming device. The best part is that we see almost no commercials! Of course, the lack of a cable bill is awesome too. I think this summer we’ll have screen-free time for sure.
Congratulations on your successful week AND on being freshly pressed!
THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE! And smart to start when kids are still young! That is really the best time to condition them to spend time doing things non-technology based. Like anything else where you have to quit “cold turkey” – the beginning is the hardest part, and afterwards, it’s just about developing a “habit”. Congrats on being able to make your kids enjoy it! I imagine it will be a challenge for any parent these days!
Thank you ! So true– cold turkey does seem to work better than trying to ease out of a habit.
Really nice initiative….. much needed in today’s world where we all remain glued to screens for like 12-14 hours daily…. especially the ones with computer based jobs… You’re a good parent!!!
what a great idea!! i think i smiled the entire time i read this.
Reblogged this on Cop A Squat.
Good for you! I didn’t know it was screen free week but I should give it a try considering it probably doesn’t matter WHEN you do it, just that you do. I totally give in to that morning TV time. I’m not a morning person so I live for that half hour where my daughter is distracted and eating breakfast so I can check email and brush my teeth uninterupted. I think it would definitely be harder on me than my daughter.
Yes, it really was harder on me than the kids. But, if I can do it, so can you!
Cute ya….!!!!!
good on you! Kids dont need to watch TV as much as they want too!
It’s good to see that the kids divert their attentions to books while tv is not available.
Way to go! Our family hasn’t had cable for about 5 years now and we have one movie night a week. Good for you; sounds like your children had a blast!
Love, love, love the part about you finding them on the couch reading books! I can also relate to the whiny child who is not pleased with what seem to be endless suggestions to cure boredom. That was me and my daughter last weekend. I am trying to break her of the habit of turning to the screen for her entertainment, and that means saying no quite a bit. It’s frustrating for both of us. Summer break is almost upon us, and I know I’ve got my work cut out for me. I’m going to try allowing certain times of day when the screen is allowed.
Wasn’t that so sweet? They still like to read books in the morning, and it has been a few weeks now. I am sure you will have a fabulous summer! Check out my Pinterest board called “Things to Do with the Kids” and “Did With the Kids”– lots of fun things to try this summer.
Thanks, will do!
I moved my TV to storage in Feb. of last year. I’m about a $1000 richer because of no cable bills, I read lots of books and socialize in the evenings and I haven’t see a commercial in 15 months. I had forgotten about the Gieco lizard with the idiotic British accent and all of the other mind numbing things that scream into our lives from that ill mannered box. I haven’t seen a political ad or heard all of the lies about all the things I must have to live a happy life. I read what I want in the newspaper and skip the rest. My stress level dropped to near zero and I am happier that I’ve ever been. I can’t find a down side.
loved this post. ‘screen free week’ is such a great idea, especially if you have children. my wife and i have practiced for the last year and a half a modified version of same. we call it tv free week. the first full week of every month (sunday to sunday) we shut the tv off. no restrictions otherwise. we can watch movies, but as we are not big movie people, we usaually just read in the back area and actually talk.
yup, talk and reading, pretty boring to the ‘plugged in’ set, but we manage.
thx for encouraging us to continue.
ciao,
mike and brandy, check us out at our blog too…
I like the idea of the monthly TV free week!
People think it’s odd that I don’t have electricity at the cottage. No TV, computers or electronic devices. I love it and I spend my time reading, painting, taking walks on the beach and swimming. When the kids were young they didn’t miss the television. They became avid readers and found other ways to entertain themselves. Sometimes I wish I had enough electricity to run a fridge but the propane fridge works just fine.
Wow! That must be difficult at times! It is amazing how much we can do without sometimes.
Wonderful idea! It must have been fun to paint the driveway
congrats, my kbn friend!!!! freshly pressed! awesome post and awesome achievements!!!! tricia
Thank you so much, Tricia! Such an exciting day for me!
a stroke of brilliance. Perhaps its only the adults who feel they’ve had an arm cut off when electronics are takena way from them
It is really much harder for adults, isn’t it? I think we have less imagination than children.
That is awesome, well done!! I do try to limit screen time for my kids, but we’re far from screen-free!! I think I’d go slightly mad… especially as I study as well as parent; sometimes putting the TV on for the kids is the only way I can get any work done. LOL. Still, this is something I might consider trying sometime, just to see if we can.
I think that is a great attitude. Just try it! As with all my new experiences, I had no idea how this would turn out and it was great!
What an awesome and simply inspiring post! I boycott TV years ago in an effort to ensure I spent my time more productively, long before my three-year old Son was born. Now that his Mum and I are sadly no longer together (nothing to do with not having TV!), my time with my Son is always sans-TV, except for the occasional film on our widescreen iMac. We do so much more together than, I imagine, would be the case if we did have TV here, ensuring Father and Son time …is always quality time! : )
Congrats on inspiring so many with your new experiences!
- Joel.
Thanks! It is amazing what you have time to do when TV is no longer an issue.
Good for you Joel. No tv can make a child feel as loved as quality time can.
Many Thanks Renee! : )
This was a experiment in bravery. It is hard to imagine not filling some time with some cartoons for my Son, but if the TV is never turned on he usually doesn’t miss it. I commend the experience!
Thanks! It is funny how so many people have found this to be brave. It does take a certain amount of bravery to try something new, even if it is not scary. I just treat every new experience as an adventure!
Reblogged this on 8BIT.
Great stuff. Good to see. Liberation
This is such an awesome thing, especially for young kids. I think back about how much time I spent in front of screens when I was young and what I could have been doing with that time. Obviously my video game skills wouldnt be where they are today without that time, but being able to start your children young on thinking outside the “box” so to speak is awesome. Good for you guys and keep it up!
Lovely photos.
Wow, most moms would never have even thought about it. Great job!
It forces you to expand your creativity.
Good for you – and your kids! Maybe every family should do this, at least annually! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Was there ANY complaining from the kids about the lack of screen time?
The kids complained the day BEFORE Screen Free Week much more than the week itself. Luke came home from school saying none of his friends had ever heard about Screen Free Week. A little complaining that day. Overall, it was a positive week.
I think this may be something I could try myself. TV is easy…I have gone for weeks without switching on the TV…but the laptop…that would be real hard! But it would force you into doing things… Great idea!
As a blogger, it would be really hard to give up my computer. I did a modified version for myself, but I think I may attempt the totally screen free time one week this summer.
What a great idea! Congratulations on lasting a week without a screen and on being freshly pressed.
Thanks so much!
My wife agreed to do this our first year of marriage…until she “found” a CBS-TV affiliate on the radio! Come check out our blog at OUR POETRY CORNER…a week without poetry is like a week without…?
Cool. Can you send a link to your blog?
Oh I think I found it already!
That’s awesome! I think it’s so important to teach kids that life is not all about being glued to technology. We adults are bad enough and I don’t think we had even as much of it growing up. Imagine kids of this generation when they’re older! Good job staying strong and teaching your kids an important lesson!
Technology is so pervasive in our culture. It’s just about impossible to get away from all of it, but it was fun for a week. We will definitely do it again!
It’s definitely impossible at this point! haha
Have fun in the rest of your new experiences!
Kudos! We’ve toyed around with the idea of unplugging the TV for a time, and I think we’re ready to do it…now that we’ve seen all the season finales of all our favorite shows.
I don’t think we’re strong-willed enough to just hang a sign on it, though. It’s going to have to move somewhere far, far away…
LOL! Summer is a great time to turn off the TV. We’ll be doing it again in July. Nothing good on TV anyway, and so many things to do in the evening.
I loved your post and your experience as a screen-free family! I don’t remember tv being much a part of my life as a kid; there were so many other things I would have rather done, and it’s great to hear that you’re sharing those screen-free options with your family!
It is truly so great to hear that you’ve kept some of your screen-free experience in your lives! Great post!
Elaine
We are definitely watching less TV than ever. I am so glad my children are able to amuse themselves without it.
What a great idea! We’re living almost entirely screen free right now– no cable, no tv in the house (it’s in storage). We only watch tv when we visit Grandma’s house!
Kudos for real entertainment!
Wow! That is great. We are still pretty far away from the average, but not totally screen free yet. Maybe one day!
Standing up applauding you and your children. Bravo!
What an achievement! My kids might be able to pull one off in summer with some outdoor activities, but winter months the only they can survive without screen is if we become clowns & entertain them!
Thanks! Your children might surprise you. Why not try a Screen Free Day and take it from there?
Part 2 of the challenge should be to keep all those fun and family activities going even if the television is running in the background 24/7. Even (or especially) if it is there how irrelevant can it be made?
I don’t keep the TV in the background. We only turn it on for specific shows. I like it that way, but since my children are not used it on 24/7, they have a hard time ignoring it at other peoples’ houses.
Oh I didn’t mean to imply that you might, I apologize if it seemed that way. I only meant to point to the opposite extreme.
I understand now
That challenge would be difficult for my kids and nearly impossible for me!
That’s a great idea and I’m glad it worked out for you. I think you handled it really well.
In my experience, as long as there are other things to do, kids will not systematically go to the TV/Wii/iPad for fun. I guess it’s more about showing them that there is a whole universe of games to play and stuff to do.
The problem is, as adults, we usually rely on the kids’ tv or movie time to get our things done in the meantime….
Yes, I do use TV as a babysitter sometimes, but I don’t feel guilty as long as it is a high quality show and I don’t use it all day.
great post. We participated in screen free week too. It was similar to how you described and I was shocked at how much more balanced my boys were with their emotions that week. Also, if they were troubled it was resolved much more quickly and didn’t linger like usual. It was a great week of connection, play and less stressful days…thanks for sharing.
That is interesting that your boys’ behavior was better!
Good for you for being able to make it! And lucky that your kids were so compliant. I’m thinking about my family and how there’s always yelling going on about who’s watching what at what time and which shows are getting prerecorded since you can only have so many at once. I highly doubt we’d be able to make it through a day, let alone a week.
As for those inflatable things for kids, I definitely think there should be an adult size version put in the gym or something. I would much rather do that than go on a treadmill.
I totally agree about the inflatables! I think you should try the Screen Free time in a smaller increment and see how it goes. I bet your children will surprise you!
I don’t have any children, but I live at home and have 4 younger siblings. Which is worse in a way, because siblings don’t listen to you. But I do think we ought to try it at some point. During Lent, usually one person would give up TV, but end up failing because another one would be watching it.
Such a nice post!
http://journeythroughhtml.wordpress.com/
Fantastic! Somehow I also missed that there was this screen-free week action going on, or I would have jumped in too.
We’ve been without TV service in our house for over 10 years. I don’t think the kids have ever “watched TV” actually, except for the time we went to our grandparents to watch the World Cup.
Wow– no TV ever? That is quite an accomplishment!
Awesome idea — what a great way to appreciate time with your kids…and make them appreciate time with you!
Great idea, And a fun week with your kids judging by the pictures!
Yes, it was a great week!
We loved screen-free week – here is my post about it: http://greenmommaadventures.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/screen-free-week-success/
loved this! they look so happy – what great pics to document their week without tv. g
Thanks so much! I am looking forward to doing it again!
Congrats on making it through the week. We did a modified version – I’m not sure we could have done a completely screen free week. We still made so great changes.
Modified is better than nothing at all. Congratulations for making it through the week!
That’s great! And I’m happy to hear that they were reading. I am such a reader and I love seeing young people reading. It is such a pleasure to sit down with a good book and get lost in another time and place. Congrats to you and the kids.
Thank you! I am a reader, too, and am so glad my children love to read!
Love reading your success story. We had a modified screen free week…and I have to say that we actually had a lot of fun doing activities and just playing together, it was refreshing for sure..
It was refreshing, wasn’t it? I think we’ll make this an event that happens a couple of times a year!
Your week sounds great! I find out days go much better when the kids watch books in the morning than when I turn on the TV.
It really does go more smoothly. I am so happy to have broken that habit!
I really love the whole concept of your blog. It’s just fantastic! Well done on surviving
Thank you so much, Deborah! I appreciate it!
What a great result from your screen free week! And well done for sticking to it
We did it too (much like yours) and found it to be easier than expected and really fun. I like the idea of having screen free mornings, might try that our here too – thanks for sharing your idea 
You are welcome. It is only the first week, but our screen free mornings are still going strong!
What a great thing you did for you and your family! Good job.
Thanks so much! Less screen time and more family time is always a good thing!
You made it! Looks like you guys had a great time! I’m posting about our screen free week on Friday. Love the pic of her feeding Baby Alive! We have a similar dress…is it from Costco?
Yes, you spotted it. That Costco dress is her favorite!
Aw. congrats to you and your little ones for making it! We tried. I caved when my daughter came down with a stomach bug half way into the week :/
So glad you had a great experience with screen free week and found something new worth keeping (screen free mornings). We stopped watching TV a few weeks ago. At first my son requested TV, but now he just requests to read or play.
That is wonderful that he will request to read! I hope he keeps it up!
I am so glad to hear the week was so successful for you. Bouncy places are a godsend for burning energy when there is poor weather. And, yes, they do give a good workout. My daughter won’t let me get away with not joining her, and our bouncy place doesn’t have a rule on age for most of the bounce houses.
Love it!! I hope this means that this thanksgiving’s black friday they will also participate in Buy Nothing Day!
I think we can manage that! I can’t stand fighting the crowds anyway, so we can skip the mall and do something outside instead!
I would have DIED as a kid without a screen, but what an amazing challenge, and even more amazing that you’re kids were up for it too. Fun.