New Years seems to be a time where we all look at our life and evaluate things. Some make resolutions. Others do not. I’ve been on both sides of the fence. This year though I found myself looking and evaluating my own screen time.
We hear a lot about screen time and kids. And for good reason. Studies show that it’s not great for those little developing minds. My public school teacher friends, back up the findings.
For us, our kids are all but screen free. Aside from an afternoon movie so I can write these very words, we don’t watch much, they don’t have tablets, we don’t have games on our phones. It’s just how we roll around here.
I’ve found that if for some reason my kids do watch more tv, I like them less. That right there is enough evidence for me to not introduce anymore media than already consumed!
But for Mama? Well I need to get some rhythms in place. Coming off a Holiday season at Flyaway and the pandemic which caused us to adjust how we do business and become more virtually available, my brain felt like mush, my eyes not very clear, my attitude sour. Yet, my hand was still reaching for that iPhone.
Being a new to this iPhone game I did what any Instagrammer would do, and I held a poll in my stories and posted some thoughts. Productive right?
Actually it really was! Most answered that they do monitor their own screen time. Glad to know I wasn’t the only one doing so.
I then asked for their techniques. I love learning what’s working for other people.
Here’s the responses I got:
- Phones go away after work until after kids go to bed.
- Setting timers for social media time.
- Turning off notifications.
- Deleting apps until you want to see them.
- Setting time limit on phone for social media apps.
- Not looking at phone for first hour of the day.
- Reading Bible before opening phone. (AMEN TO THIS!)
- Mute IG stories that I don’t want to see-helps not waste time on things I don’t care about.
- Don’t hit the “explore” button unless I’ve actually got the time to watch lots of videos.
So many good suggestions!
A while back I also read some business advice that included the suggestion to “Picture your ideal day, then work towards achieving that.” This home, these babies, this life, is my work. So I decided to apply the suggestion. Immediately, I knew scrolling mindlessly through feeds, stories, and videos for hours on end isn’t part of my ideal day. A way to pass a short amount of time? Sure. But not in excess.
I also had one person mention that there will be times in our lives when we care more or less about social media, so it’ll all work out in the end. But that there are times to intentionally take breaks from it too. It should never become a forbidden fruit–that will probably backfire. I love this grace-filled mindset.
In the end, here’s what I’ve come up with for myself:
- Check social media after breakfast is made and eaten.
- Phone is in kitchen during school time.
- Nap time is when I check Flyaway things. (email, orders, messages, invoicing)
- Plug phone in at 8:00 for the night and leave it in the kitchen. (phone calls and test messages will still be answered)
So there you have it. And I have to tell you, even just posting the questions and having the conversations has lightened my attitude. I’ve been able to come up with some perimeters that work with our daily rhythm and don’t require anything more from me.
Maybe you don’t feel like you need to make any kind of boundaries. That’s great for you! Maybe you have a new idea I haven’t thought of. Please share!
All in all I just want to make sure I’m present for today. For these people in this season. While still keeping the other balls in the air. Oye, it sure is something being the mom and CEO of a household isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by!
Jess