Sustaining Our Summer of No Screens

I’ll be honest, keeping the kids off of screens during the summer was a lot easier than I thought it would be. What’s turned out to be tougher? Sustaining the no-screen policy now that school has started. The kids are tired from school and after-school activities, and the recent rainy days are pushing them to beg – harder than ever – for more screen time.

It’s hard to resist.

Fortunately, a little prep work is helping me stand strong in the face of all that persistent begging, whining and “pretty, pretty pleases.”

Every Sunday night, I scroll through our Events Calendar and Activities Listings to find an active outing for the week. Sometimes it’s a surprise, sometimes it’s not, especially if I think the kids need something to anticipate.
Have some easy-to-make ingredients on hand: Even if they can’t help much with the meal, they are always willing to whip up an easy dessert. It may not always be edible, but there is way less pre-dinner whining for screen time.
Stay well-stocked on library books: This doesn’t work for everyone in the house, but if my son gets involved with a good book, he’ll forget about screens.

If all else fails, I start singing Disney tunes. Loud. Nothing clears a room of kids faster than me singing Let It Go or any song from Moana at the top of my lungs!