This post is sponsored by Pottery Barn’s Sustainable Collections
When school got out at the end of May, we decided we were going to do a screen free  summer for the girls. No iPads, TV, stealing our phone to watch a show at a restaurant (even the baby when she got fussy!). To be honest, I didn’t really announce it because I wasn’t sure how it would go.  It seemed to somehow become part of our and their routines. It started with just 30 minutes of screen time a day and then it grew to an hour. And then they’d sneak it before school. We noticed their moods weren’t great, their attention was worse and their creativity was plummeting. There was tension in our home and it was our responsibility to take a step–a leap, really–to change it.
At first we weren’t sure if this was the time to try it. We were moving away from all of their friends and Chris and I were going to be really busy trying to get settled in a new house, but I am SO glad we did and stuck with it. So much so that I’d love to extend an invitation to all kids: FINISH THE SUMMER SCREEN FREE! It took about a week for them to stop asking for shows and devices and their moods improved drastically almost immediately.
Our girls haven’t made many friends yet, but they are playing together now and rediscovering their toys and getting up and running outside. Our personal parenting style is not so much to create fun for our kids. We aren’t in charge of their happiness or boredom or creativity. But we do provide opportunity and tools and support!
Sometimes that looks like a pack of traffic cones that they could set up and create a course for their bikes. Letting them help make meals. Giving them opportunities to earn money (we pay a quarter a chore around here!). Unpacking the craft box before anything else. Teaching them how to play sardines or a fun card game and letting them loose. Lessons for something they’re really interested in (Greta is taking Horse Back riding this summer!). A blow up pool! FREE TIME. Like literally schedule nothing. A library day once a week and a new lounger under the trees to read.
Isn’t it amazing what a piece of furniture in the right location or even a new location will do? (Seriously, go move a chair into a new corner and I bet everyone wants to sit in it!) We got two of these Indio Mesh stacking outdoor chaises last month and put them under one of the trees on our property and it’s like we built our family a clubhouse. They are perfect for lounging, reading, chatting, warming up after the pool. And Chris and I love to relax after work (screen free ourselves!) and just watch the girls play. The chaises are a beautiful part of Pottery Barn’s sustainable outdoor collection.
We can change our homes and the world by making responsible decisions one at a time. Pottery Barn is watching out for their family (and ours!) by consciously choosing to shrink their ecological footprint and protect the health of their customers and factory workers — from sourcing reclaimed and recycled materials to partnering with organizations that restrict the use of harmful chemicals.
The list of environmentally friendly products is constantly growing and Pottery Barn is keeping up, selling sustainable products including organic bedding and bath textiles; recycled PET flooring and rugs; reclaimed-wood furniture; eco upholstered beds and sofas; and lighting made from recycled glass, to name just a few.
Here are a few favorites from their outdoor collection (bonus: most are on super sale now!)
1. Indio Outdoor Sofa $1,004
2. Rectangular Outdoor Umbrella $331
3. Indio Occasional Chair $535
4. Indio Storage Bench no longer available
5. Indio Buffet $561
6. Hampstead Painted Stacking Dining Chair $92
7. Hampstead Painted Extending Dining Table no longer available
8. Ibiza Occasional Chair $286
9. Bamboo Kitchen Compost Bin $39
10. Indio Extending Dining Table $799
11. Indio Porch Bench $374
12. Indio Side Table $224
13. Ibiza Sectional Set $1,457
14. Indio Coffee Table $336
15. Round Outdoor Umbrella $104
16. Hampstead Painted Occasional Armchair $465
We’d love to have you on board for the screen-free kids challenge for the rest of the summer–let me know and we can all support each other. And hey, maybe treat yourself to a new sustainable piece to celebrate with. ;)
I love this idea! I am wondering if you would do this in the winter when your outdoor time is more limited? We live right outside Phoenix and most days right now are 110+ and I’m trying to figure out how this would work for us in the summer- when it’s cooler and the kids are able to safely play outside, they naturally use less screens. (With limited money to “entertain” them I always cave with the screens during the summer.) What a blessing this new home is for you all and your girls are going to make so many awesome memories together playing in that backyard!
Screens are such a loaded topic. I have a 4 year old and when I tell people we “don’t do screens” they look at me blankly, then get defensive about their own choices. *I strongly feel that each family should do what’s right for them at that time.*
For my family, being screen free right now works. We give her an option of 15 minutes a day of educational apps but she usually wants to do something else, and we wait for her to ask instead of offering it. However, I feel like I’m the last parent on the earth(!) that isn’t allowing screens and feel self-conscious when I talk about it. My reasons for not using screens are that when we’re passively being entertained, it’s more about what we’re not doing: interacting with humans, using our bodies, problem solving, exploring, etc. Also, ALL the research shows the effects on mood and development are negative. She can stare at screens the rest of her life, but I feel it’s important for her developing brain to avoid the effects of screen time during these years.
Regarding using screens so we can “get things done,” sometimes I put my 4 year old in the Ergo because she’s clingy. Sometimes it takes twice as long to cook dinner because of interruptions. It’s a trade off. But let’s face it: the chores will never end, but teaching my kid to entertain herself while I bust out a meal will last her entire life.
That’s great this is working for your family! Of course this wouldn’t be attainable for all families (but like… what would? nothing’s a one size fits all… so I totally encourage parents to share their ideas and successes!), but I think even implementing little bits can be really helpful. Also, LOVED this – “We aren’t in charge of their happiness or boredom or creativity. But we do provide opportunity and tools and support!”
I’d love to hear how people do this with one child. Mine can be self-directed for a time, but I have some mom guilt about her playing by herself ALL the time (secondary infertility does not help my mom guilt), and my stay at home husband also can’t be the “entertainer” a big chunk of the day. I feel like having siblings makes this a bit easier. I totally agree on the mood improvement with less screen time, but it’s a struggle to work it out. Anyone have experience to share? Thanks!
I suggest researching the Montessorri method in regards to self directed play/independent play.
Let go of that mom guilt; it’s been researched and it is really good for their confidence, focus, gives them some calm, allows them to self soothe and cultivate a sense of self, teaches them how to have fun independently, grows their imagination among many other benefits! These are all skills you’d be giving your child that last a lifetime and contribute to their becoming a better person, no guilt necessary.
I’d like to know as well. We also live in a condo so sending my little one outside is something I can’t really do ????
What a great idea to use a move as a reset!
For those thinking going screen free is impossible as your child’s sole caregiver, I’d like to offer the encouragement that going screen free might actually make life easier. This has been my experience as a SAHM to two very energetic little boys. When screens are available, they want more endlessly. Which makes sense bc very smart people design these things to work just that way. When screens aren’t available, they find ways to entertain themselves all day long. They do occasionally complain of being bored. I then follow my dad’s tried and true technique of listing of chores they can do. As he would say, “If you’re going to be bored, you might as well be useful at the same time!”