Gemma Last week was half term here in the UK. Like many families we took time off work and juggled our working hours to spend time with our children on a camping trip in the Lake District. My husband and I are self employed which allows us to enjoy some freedom and flexibility around where, when and how we work. Limiting our screen time is a subject we discuss often. Because as parents we see that connection is the key to a lot of our best experiences.
One of the tricky things about running a business is the temptation to never switch off. It is very tempting to check emails night and day and to be reactive when things land on our “desks”. But isn’t that true for most of us whether we run businesses or not? When you think of the words ‘screen time’ do you automatically think of your children or yourself? In this article I want to talk about the power of limiting our own screen time as parents and how we can benefit from disconnecting from screens and reconnecting with the simple moments in front of us.
Notifications for everything
Many of us know the experience of struggling to separate work and family life. Our emails, apps and systems are on our phones making it easier than ever to work and harder to disconnect. Notifications ping in our pockets and it can be hard to ignore them. But it isn’t just work: social media, whatsapps, online shopping, general notifications, alarms and reminders, they all keep our phones in our hands and our attention on our screens.
Screen time and my own wellbeing
I can see the connection between my own well being and my screen time. My phone makes so many things easier and yet too much screen time can drain my energy and keep me locked in a pattern of checking my phone even when I have zero need to. Like so many things in my life parenthood has lead me to discover more about what brings me joy and I can tell you, it’s not on my phone.
Setting intentions
At the start of half term I set a simple intention to create space for us all to regulate as a family. For us that means being outdoors, playing, cooking, camping and adventuring together. Life is so busy and especially so in term time. There is a constant churn of tasks and responsibilities that keep us in a low level of stress. So I wanted us to have the space and time to rest, regulate and relax together. Disconnecting from technology is a big part of that.
Setting boundries
There are a few simple boundaries I set myself before half term. You might set different ones, the only thing I would say is to keep it simple and sustainable.
Limiting apps – I chose to delete any none essential apps from my phone for the week. That included instagram but not email.
Keep my phone off the table – Where possible I kept my phone in my bag or in the tent. So often my phone is in my hand or my pocket when it doesn’t need to be.
Camera – I used my phone to take pictures and videos of the trip but next time I am going to be more organised and take our DLSR so that I can have my phone in my hands even less.
Flexibility and balance – this is a big one. Know what you want to flex on and hold balance as the goal. For example I chose not to flex on my disconnect from instagram but I did check my emails on car journeys (I wasn’t driving) or briefly when the children were in bed. We also took the iPad for the children to watch a Disney films on. Interestingly they declined the iPad on the two occasions we suggested it. I suspect because they were having so much fun outdoors and felt a greater sense of connection with us.
It’s all about connection
We had a brilliant trip. I felt energised and empowered because I had intention going into the week. I started a new crochet project, we played cards and games of tag, catch and eye spy. We had a BBQ on the beach, swam in the sea, went on a 14 mile journey on a miniature steam train and collected shells on the beach. Ultimately I felt more connected to myself, my family and the simple little moments that were right in front of me. This is not the first time I have limited my screen time with such intention and it wont be the last.
