Screen-Free Week

This is our first year to try a truly screen-free week,  and the biggest challenge it could have been until now. My two older children have just now arrived at a point where they are using the computer on a regular basis for blogging, research and one beloved game. It is not going to be easy for any of us to tear ourselves away from screens of all types for the five days of a schoolweek we are pledging to undertake. (Hope I don't need the undertaker or men in little white coats by next Friday.)

This is an exciting endeavor. If I truly believe that we could be doing so much more for every hour we do not spend on the boob tube (now someone will probably take away my family friendly status for that, but what a great term!), the i-Pod or the computer, and not only that, but that doing so is detrimental to physical, spiritual and mental health, then this should be a week rich in meaningful activities and enlightenment. 

For more information on how screens affect both children and adults, as well as to find out more about Screen-Free week, look at the following links.

 http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/actions/announcingscreenfreeweek.html
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/AAP-Updates-Guidance-to-Help-Families-Make-Positive-Media-Choices.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token
http://drdouglas.org/http://drdouglas.org/

I'll be giving two updates, one Wednesday, one Friday. Now if it seems awfully  counter-productive, counter-intuitive and just plain hypocritical to blog about screen-free week...well, you are right. I had thought to skip blogging this week, but I am allowing for two posts in order to share our experiences, any insights we may garner and to provide inspiration for others thinking of following the same path soon. Remember, it does not have to National Screen-Free Week in order for you to put this into motion in your house (and if you turn off all screens, no one will be able to tell you you've got the wrong date.)

I plan to take advantage of the extra time to: read aloud with my kids, dye silks at our Waldorf homeschool group, take longer walks on the shores of our muddy creek, teach them how to play Gin Rummy, and use the memberships we have to two different museums. We will also dye Easter eggs and get ready for the weekend's holiday.

Enjoy your week!