Yesterday, I noticed a sweet older lady sitting alone at the adjacent table. She ordered her food and I invited her to join my family and me at our table. To my delight, she obliged. Over a meal and a glass of wine, we shared a wonderful conversation. Turns out, she recently left her career…
Family Relationships
Parental Control Now Available On Apple Devices
Over the past few years, numerous articles and books have been written regarding the need for more parental control thereby providing for overall digital wellness. Apple’s Screen Time will let parents remotely manage their kid’s usage from their own devices. You are able to see how much time your kids are spending on their devices…
Screen-Free Zones: Ideal vs Reality
I felt like a fraud and hypocrite when my 10-year-old daughter called me out recently on the hours I had been on screens that day. Worse, I’d used “edutainment” for her as a babysitter that day too. But she had had enough. She wanted real life time with me, and trust me I wasn’t happy…
The Screen War: Reporting from the Frontlines
Do you remember the moment you realized there was too much screen time in your family? Do you recall when it first occurred to you that a digital device seemed to be permanently attached to your child’s hand, or that your spouse’s eyes were perpetually glued to a screen? You felt disconnected, concerned, maybe even…
How Social Media and Screens Changed the Way We Parent
A new decade dawned and life seemed almost perfect. It was the year 2000 and my husband, Jon, and I were enjoying life in our dream home. I was in my fifth year of homeschooling our daughters while my husband was happily employed. Together, Jon and I enjoyed mentoring and teaching couples how to be…
Hold Out As Long As You Can
Are you a digital immigrant raising digital natives? How is it going? (You’re thinking of giving a chipper, positive reply, aren’t you?) I want your honest answer. How’s it really going? For most of us, the answer is more along the lines of “Houston, we have a problem. A big one.” Deep in our hearts,…
An Inside Look at My Family’s Technology Guidelines
We all desire peace, especially in our home. Technology is often a source of contention in many households, including mine. Let’s face it, today we are barraged 24/7 by media exposure. From smartphones to social media, to streaming music, books, magazines, TV shows, computer games, and apps – all vying for our attention. If, as…
Does Summer Equal More Screen Time?
The weatherman was forecasting another rainy, July day and my daughter and I were locked in a battle of wills. She was desperately trying to get me to cave on the decision to have a screen-free day and I was trying equally as hard to stay strong. It would have been so easy to give…