Screen Free Week Wrap-Up



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I'm sure you're all waiting on pins and needles to hear about how screen-free week went. It actually went really well. I expected the four year-old to have problems, but he didn't. Not once. He didn't ask for a cartoon, he didn't beg to watch a movie. And, when he saw me flip on the TV to check on some recordings, he reminded me that we weren't watching TV during screen-free week. One of the keys was that we had quite a few things planned that took us out of the house, but even when we were just hanging around at home, he found things to entertain himself or he brought out games for us to play.

I probably had a harder time than others in the house. As a stay-at-home mom, I often flip the TV on for company while the kids nap or while I'm working around the house. There were times when I felt lonely. I tried the radio, but it wasn't quite the same. It's not to say I couldn't do it; it just required more getting used to than I expected it to.

Overall, I felt like this was a great activity. I've always tried to limit our screen time, and will continue to do so. I don't see us going completely screen free for our entertainment, but this definitely reaffirms my belief that we can always find something else to do. As spring finally gets rolling here in Michigan (I hope) we'll be spending more and more time outside, so it should get easier to limit our screen time. Then, by the time the dark months of winter roll around, we'll be used to finding other things to do as our default reaction instead of hitting the power button.

Going Dark this Week

Like I posted last week, my family is going to be participating in Screen Free Week 2011 which runs today through Sunday, April 24th. Screen Free Week is an event designed to unplug our families from entertainment media. I still plan on checking my email twice a day and legitimate work still needs to get done, but using the computer, TV or handheld devices to entertain ourselves is out for the next week. I'm thinking of it like a cleansing fast. Once we realize we don't need the constant stimulation, we'll be much better prepared for limiting screen time in the future. Now, I debated with myself for quite awhile about what to do with the blog. Should I do a week's worth of posts in advance and have them post as usual? Should I spend some time every evening recapping the days' activities? Or should I just take a break for the week? I decided to do exactly that. It seemed hypocritical to tell you to shut off the screens and then post articles that I expected you to read on a screen. So, Living From Scratch will return on Monday, April 25th. I will recap some of the non-screen activities that we enjoyed throughout the week and, of course, I have a recipe or two just waiting to be shared!

For more information on Screen Free Week check out their website.

 

Next Week is Screen Free Week

My family plans on participating in TV Turnoff Week, April 18th-24th. I have some ideas for fun activities that will get us out enjoying the community. Are you going to do anything for the week? Will you be trying to spend less time with a screen? Let me know what your family is going to be doing next week!

SCREEN-FREE WEEK is Proudly Endorsed by the Media Education Foundation from Media Education Foundation on Vimeo.