The Experiment

The Problem:

A family that is "teched in and tuned out"

Kiddo - addicted to videos

Mom - addicted to the Internet

Dad - not addicted, but gets sucked in to TV and/or internet like there is a force field

The Hypothesis:

Removing the TV, Videos, Internet, etc for 1 day a week will improve

the family connection and decrease the addiction on the other days.

The Results:

I checked emails and Etsy (my work) before either Thomas or Kiddo woke up. I was on for less than 10 minutes total. And yes I Twittered and Facebooked.

On Saturday we did not plop Isa down to watch "Dora" while we made breakfast and did our morning routine. Kiddo asked for it once or twice, but the response that the TV was broken seemed to suffice.

Thomas did go on the internet in a non-approved time (before Isa wakes, Isa's nap, and bedtime), but he jumped off right after getting the phone number he needed.

The Star Wars force field did not suck him in.

We had a fabulous time at Thomas' work carnival in the morning.

In general, Isa loved the undivided attention and did not seem to miss her videos.

I checked emails and Etsy again for about 10 minutes while Isa napped.

We did not sit Isa down to relax with a video before bed.

I read her a large pile of books and Thomas got her ready for bed.

We did awesome!

There were plenty of times I could have snuck on the Internet without notice, but I didn't.

There were times that Isabelle got bored,

but rather than a quick TV fix she found something to do.

I felt less guilt as a parent.

*****

We're hoping to do this 1 day/week for the foreseeable future.

We are going to reduce our cable service to the bare min and HBO

(come on, let's be realistic - I NEED HBO!)

Today, Isabelle was beezerko to watch some cartoons, but

our total TV time was at least 1/2 of what was the norm.

I didn't check my laptop every free second I had.

I feel good about this.

Technology is not the enemy, but it can quickly and easily consume us.

It breaks my heart to know there were times that Isa was tuned it to a video

and both Thomas & I were sucked into our personal laptops.

Our time together is something we should never take for granted.

It's important to balance the power of technology

with the power of a REAL connection.

If you're reading this and telling yourself that it sounds great,

but your family couldn't survive tech free for even a day..

I say to you, that your family may have the most to gain from it.

You won't die.

You're children won't die.

It will be okay.

It's 24 hours.