hands-free mama

I just read this post, "How to Miss a Childhood," and felt really sobered by it. We've always been really careful about our kids' screen time. Of course there are days when five back-to-back Curious George shows seem just about right, and I freely admit that the kids are playing games on pbskids.org right this very minute. (How else do you think I'd find the time and quiet to write this, or, when they were little, take a shower or go to the bathroom?) But in general, given that we got rid of our TV long before appleTV became trendy, we try to keep a limit on screen time. It's an addictive trap for them and us. The more they watch, the more they want. We find that if a show isn't an option, they rant and rave for a while and then they sink, Zen-like, into real life. They start building forts and playing elaborate imaginative games together. They fight and whine less. I stop thinking of it as a free babysitter. 

Meanwhile, I'm a recent iphone convert. I have to say, there are many things I absolutely love about my phone. However, I find it ridiculously rude when people walk around with phones glued to their hands, play games in public or check texts while having dinner with friends. 

But guess what? I'm guilty, too. Maybe not in public, but at home, I have to ask myself: how often do I jump up to check every incoming text, or sneak away from lunch or another round of Dino Bump to check email?

Two weekends ago I was at a retreat center in the mountains. I had zero cell service so I made sure Daniel had the number to the place and turned off my phone. I don't have a laptop so there was no computer to distract me. Bliss. Sheer heaven just to TURN IT ALL OFF and sink in to the actual sights and sounds and feelings around me.

I'm not sure how to do this at home this summer, in a practical way. Sometimes checking email is the thing that saves me from completely losing it. I mean, seriously, how many rounds of Dino Bump can you endure before your eyeballs start to unhinge? Sometimes laughing at someone's cute text or witty facebook post is what keeps me from feeling like my brain is turning to soggy cereal. 

Still, there's got to be a better balance. How do you manage your screen time, your phone availability? Do you take media breaks? Turn off all devices at set times?