Our house has never really had the television on much during the day. During the week, I try to keep my son and I busy so we don’t fall back on watching any kids shows when boredom strikes. On the weekends, we might have sports – the Bearcats and Bengals – on, but it’s typically always on silent. But of course, there are days where the TV is on too much, and parts of the day when we typically take a mental break and watch an episode of Paw Patrol or part of a Disney movie with our son.
One weekend, we happened to not turn the TV on at all. At the end of the weekend, I thought to myself, “Wow, the TV wasn’t on at all this weekend! Let’s see how long we can make this no TV streak last.”
After a week of no TV or screens while at home, I started to notice how well-behaved my two-year-old was.
We had very few struggles with listening. It was much easier to get him to cooperate to get dressed, clean up toys, take a nap, etc. He shared his toys with much more ease when we were with other kids at our MOMS Club events or play dates. He ate full meals instead of picking around what I fed him. We had real conversations in the car and listened to music together. We read books for hours instead of just at nap and bedtime. And he spent really long chunks of time in independent play while I got a few things done around the house!
I couldn’t believe it. I was sure that these new interactions with my son were due to the fact that the TV hadn’t been turned on in days! Now, I do think everything in moderation is key. After this experiment, the TV has been back on in small bursts here and there throughout the days and weeks; however, as soon as I see my son’s behavior become more difficult and he starts testing my patience, I know it’s time for us to have a screen detox!
Have you ever done a week or more without any TV or screens? I challenge you to give it a try and just see how your daily and weekly dynamic changes!
