I Broke My Screen-Free Rule for the World Cup
Here's why...
A little while ago, I heard an interview with Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, where he talks a lot about social media and screen time and the effects it’s having on all of us. He says something really interesting: in short, there is a big difference between scrolling through short videos that are nonstop stimulation versus sitting down and watching a long-form show. And what’s even better is, if you do allow your kids to watch every once in a while, you should sit down with them and make it a family experience and another opportunity for connection. In general, anything you can do as a family, making mundane things feel special, is always a win.
Anyway, this all comes to mind now because I’m sitting here watching the World Cup with the kids :)
We have been a screen-free family for many years. I don’t shy away from talking about it, and it’s definitely not my goal to convince you one way or the other (unless you really want me to :)). We are screen-free not because I think any amount of screens is bad. Trust me, if we could handle boundaries and moderation, I’d be all in, but we can’t, so here we are. It’s actually been interesting to see how this develops as my kids get older. We have tried incorporating some versions of screen time (no phone whatsoever or social media) here and there. It’s a work in progress.
Back to the World Cup… definitely an opportunity to make an exception and for me to make an effort to be a part of it. They just love it when you’re with them. It was fun, although watching a game that took two hours for a goal to happen takes a lot of patience :). But we got into it, and I enjoyed taking time to engage with what they are interested in. I did try to sneak some writing in, but in the end, I gave up, decided to be fully present, and came back to it now that it’s over.
It was quite the experience, with Menny rooting for Argentina and Chana Laya, probably to be contrary, rooting for Spain.
Any time that I spend with my kids, even if it’s watching a game, I glean insight into where my kids are at. It’s pretty fascinating. And I hope they are taking notice and absorbing all the many lessons a team sport has to offer, especially watching the team that you hoped would win lose, and how they handle that with grace.
No surprises after the game. We had all the behaviors that I expected (but was secretly hoping this time would be an exception), but I feel good about it anyway. First of all, you can’t be too rigid. That doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s important to have flexibility and exceptions to rules. Also, it helps me keep tabs on where my kids are at. Have they made any progress? Can they tolerate more than they used to, etc.?
If you want to hear more about our screen-free journey, let me know. I’ll be happy to fill you in :).
Chavie
If you didn’t have a chance to listen to last week’s episode with Sonia, I highly recommend!! Next week we are celebrating EPISODE 50 and I have some surprises in store for you, stay tuned.