We Have Gone Screen Free!
I think I have finally gone completely crazy! Yesterday I made the tough choice to remove the TV from the living room, hide all iPads, and remove all gaming systems from the upstairs. My children no longer have access to any screens in our home. I did not make this decision lightly. Screens have been my digital babysitter for when I just need a minute to breath or when I have to be on ZOOM meetings, but after the behaviors exhibited by my children yesterday I knew an intervention was needed. My daughter physically attacked me when I asked her to give me her Kindle. I let her know that she had the right to feel frustrated and angry that her screen privileges had been taken away. About 20 minutes later both of my children were playing happily in their room building lego creations. That's all it took, 20 minutes, to begin the screen reset. It's okay to be bored!
Their imaginative play lasted all the way through bedtime. They played doctor, store, and home. Today they both woke up and didn't even ask to watch TV or play games. They got straight to work building a fort that housed a kitchen and lollipops for pretend grilling. This is just the beginning of our journey with zero screens, but I am so pleased with the results already. I understand that this will be no picnic in the park (which with my children is stressful as is!), but I believe the benefits are going to outweigh the cons. My son has tried to play his Nintendo Switch today and after I kindly reminded him to turn it off he gave me his device. There have also been a few complaints of boredom today and I let them know that is is perfectly normal to be bored. Some of the best ideas come out of boredom.
From a photographers standpoint I now have more beautiful in home moments to capture that don't include a screen. I can capture my children playing legos in the beautiful light of our window. I can document them building, reading, and creating. I am excited for this new endeavor and for more practice capturing my own family. The most important part of photography for myself is making sure I capture true and honest moments with each session. A day in the life session allows me to capture your family just as you are and in your own environment. If you are interested in how our screen free adventure is going or you'd like to book your own day in the life session shoot me an email and we can chat! It truly takes a village to raise children. Stay safe and healthy!
