If you’ve been following our family for awhile, you may know that we made some big changes a little over a year ago. I’m not talking about moving to England. I’m not talking about following the prompting to homeschool either. I’m talking about our shift from a screen-indulgent family to a (mostly) screen-free family.
Let’s face it. Screens are so convenient. They entertain our children for us. Often they babysit for us. Sometimes we are just craving that momentary silence and deliverance from the messes. As a military wife, I’m often solo-parenting. Screens lightened that load tremendously.
However, when I decided to accept the call to homeschool, I felt a pull to detoxify in many ways. Detoxify my life from the socially-accepted norms that I don’t agree with. Decide to swim upstream from culture. To put it simply, I felt determined to shift myself away from the paradigms that tell us our children are a burden and learn to fully embrace my calling as a matriarch.
Part of this shift was learning to embrace the companionship of my children at (almost) all times. Even when the messes may be multiplying, even when the chaos is engulfing me. Learning to interact with them more. Be with them more. Enjoy them more. For me, that meant reducing the things I used to pacify them. Number one being the screens.
Detoxing from screens can be difficult, but it can be done! A screen detox can mean whatever you need it to mean for your family and your scenario. We are all at different times and seasons of life.
One of the first steps to removing screens was replacing that stimulus with podcasts.
I found out that my children love to listen and learn through podcasts and audiobooks. We have fallen in love with so many heart-warming podcasts that have enriched our lives.
A new one we’ve been introduced to is Melon’s House Party from Wondery. So far I am loving the musical themes and the upbeat tone of the show. Episodes, that release every Wednesday, are about 30 minutes and, of course, a great alternative to screens!
If you want a family-friendly way to take that first step to reducing screens, check out Melon’s House Party!
