It's Time for a Tech Timeout. You up for the Challenge?

Have you seen one of those ecards that says, "Wow, Honey. The house is clean! Was the internet down today or something?" It makes me laugh. My family use to be that way. The only way I could get dishes done or the house swept was to let my kids sit in front of the TV and watch what they want to watch.

I will be the first to admit that I am pretty addicted to anything technology related. And I also consider myself pretty tech-savvy. I just bought myself a new cell and I find the night passing by as I download new apps, play with the new apps, and bury my head with all the new games I’ve downloaded.

But I’m not the only one. My boys are three years apart and with that age range comes a LOT of fighting. They fight over toys, they fight over food, they fight over who gets the last grape. But the thing they fight over the most is…. Yep, you guessed it. The television. The (almost) 3-year-old wants to watch monster truck movies while the (almost) 6-year-old wants to watch the Avengers. It’s a constant battle. I’m talking knockdown, claw the face, kick you in the head battle.

That is why I was eager and excited to participate in the new Tech Timeout challenge. There was no doubt it would benefit my family!

 

The Tech Timeout initiative started by Foresters encourages families to take a daily break from technology. Participating families are encouraged to disconnect from all things electronic with the goal of helping spouses, parents and children build stronger bonds, communicate more personally and get more involved in each others lives.

The reason? Although the evolution of technology in the last two decades has been nothing short of amazing, it has also helped contribute to a society where people are tethered to their devices, even when they’re at home with families. The average American household has 24 electronic devices and it’s not uncommon for every member of a family to be plugged in at once. The family is together, but isolated from each other.

One possible solution? Put down the devices occasionally and spend quality time together as a family talking, playing or finding other ways to have fun and reconnect. That’s where the idea of taking a Tech Timeout was born.

Here’s what we did during our Tech Timeout…
 

We went on a nature walk.

 

We looked at bugs.

 

And we acted like monkeys.

 

It was nice hanging out with my boys and reconnecting again.  As a blogger, I get so caught up on checking emails, writing reviews, hosting giveaways, and all that fun stuff. And sometimes I rely on the television to be babysitter so that I can get some work done.  By the time I finally get a chance to look up, the day is over and it's time to tuck my sweeties in bed.

 

Taking even just 1 hour away from technology a day can be a drastic change for your family ... for the better.

 

Are you up for the challenge?

 

Here are some ideas for a tech challenge for your family...

 

Disclosure: I was monetarily compensated for writing this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own and the quality time spent with my boys ... was priceless.

As always, The Procrastinating Mommy cannot be bought.