(Almost) Screen-Free This Week

Sometimes, many times, I find in mothering that my bad habits are most visible in my children's behavior. I've noticed that I've been relying too heavily on the computer to amuse the kids. This happens in the winter when outdoor entertainment is in shorter supply, but I am well into spring, nearly into summer and I still haven't shaken off my bad routines. A summer with less screen entertainment is completely possible, but this spring will provide necessary test runs for unplugging from the computer. 

We're observing Screen-free Week 2013, so that means we're not accessing any of the following for entertainment:

Netflix

Youtube

Other blogs

Facebook

On-line news 

We're still using the computer for "work," though, which means that we can access the following:

E-mail

J's math homework 

Our blog 

Sites that I use to plan preschool, primary, and art

Craigslist

The kids are, not surprisingly, up for the challenge and telling everyone about it. Here's the running list of things we did instead of turning on a screen:

Monday

Signed their "Screen Break" Pledges for the library

(We started officially at 7 pm)

Tuesday

Completed a crossword puzzle

Created their own crossword puzzle
Played outside with neighbor kids all afternoon

Played with Pokemon cards

Played catch with the football

Read ten picture books
Started Hugo Pepper
Wednesday
Read even more books
Played football outside
Finished Hugo Pepper (loved it!)
Got together with another family to celebrate a birthday
Thursday
(We were up all night with stomach problems, and I wondered how we would have a screen-free day and still recover. We figured it out.)
Took naps
Read more stories
Made a special trip to the library
Played outside in a neighbor's tree house
Friday
Dinner out with the family
Played tennis at the school
Enjoyed the swings at the school
Made arrangements of azalea trimmings
Saturday
Played tennis at the school
Took naps
Tossed the football
Visited a nearby town nearby
Sunday
Read from the Friend magazine