Community Corner
Moms Talk: A Time to Unplug
Technology, including your daily dose of Patch, has benefits, but so does stepping away from it all for some quality family time.
I don’t make New Year's resolutions, as a practice. Instead, I prefer to take on monthly resolutions.
A month is a shorter time to focus on one thing, so it’s easier to achieve your aim. Also, after a month of doing something regularly, it becomes a habit. If the habit falls away at some point, you can revisit it. Each new month is an opportunity to work on things, make improvements and challenge yourself.
This month, I decided to designate a time to unplug. By unplug, I mean time free from electronics of all kinds. Technology has a way of taking over family time—at least in our house. Because I work on my computer daily, I had to get out my calendar to find a feasible time to unplug.
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I love my iPhone as much as my 9-year-old son does, but some separation time was way overdue. I picked a Sunday for my little experiment and also decided to designate one evening a week for unplugging. I envisioned family dinner, playing a game and reading together on our weekly unplugging evening.
Time away from technology can be a relief. Here are a few tips for helping your family to unplug:
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1. Take small steps. It will be harder than you think to get your family to unplug, so make sure you are prepared for the responses you will receive and don’t overdo it. Start with something simple, like one night a week.
2. Talk about it. Talk to your family about why you want to find unplugged time with them. They are important to you, and you want to connect with them. Why is it important to you? Let them know. Understanding what you hope to achieve may help them join in the effort.
3. Explore together. The sense of adventure gained from trying new things together will have your family feeling spry. Take up cribbage. Take a walk and learn about the trees, plants or wildlife in your neck of the woods. Try yoga. Read together. Pick up an instrument. Teach your kids to cook. Do the things you just don’t do enough.
Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and appreciate its ever-expanding offerings, but sometimes we need to evaluate our lives, set limits and make choices about what is healthy for our family.
