Mission Impossible: Can we do it?

Meet Ryan and Zane. Ryan is 9, and Zane is 7. They are pretty awesome. Both kids are bright, athletic, social and a ton of fun. But we have noticed a trend over the past year or two: they increasingly gravitate toward screen time, and are increasingly belligerent when it is time to transition from screen time back to the real world.

We tried an experiment for the last month of the school year: no weekday screen time. Like, none. (Except what was required for homework). No playing games on their iPads, no using our iPhones, no TV. The works. This was met with bitter, albeit futile, resistance from both of them. And, internally, from me. The reality is that screen time for them equals time for me to get my own stuff done. It means no fighting. It means no whining. It means no interruptions.

It also means less time outdoors. Less creative play. Less original thoughts. Less conversation.  The days are long, but the years are short, as the saying goes, and their childhood years are zipping by with alarming speed. I want this summer to be one in which they enjoy the freedom of being a kid without electronic interruptions. I am all for technology. Truly. But not during summer weekdays. 

Can we do it? This remains to be seen! But wish us luck!