Unplugged

My Home Page is the Apple© home page. I don't know why, it just is. This little icon/video has been up on the right side of their page for a while. It got me thinking. "Apps we can't live without". Is it a food, clothing, shelter, God APP?

Um, no.

This is a subject that tends to be a strong and yet sore one in my household. With a daughter nearing her teenage years, she is less into "toys", a little more into boys, but mostly into technology. While I believe that their generation will be strong in technology, I don't believe it should define them. 

As I listened to Bella talk about her daily life and started to really listen to what subjects came up most, I came to an explosive conclusion....she is an electronic junkie. Statements like "I saw this Vine....", "On Instagram....", "My SIMS character is having a baby and I have to hurry up and get home so that I can get her to the hospital"...

As a parent, I feel like this is a HUGE societal issue. So often times, I see parents and kids at the dinner table with their devices out. I have noticed kids on devices in a multitude of situations. In fact, even in elementary school. Grant it, while there are educational APPS, games and sites, there should still be a limit, right? Are we using devices to babysit our children? Are we using them to quiet the room for our parental sanity? Guilty. Is our parenting getting lazy? What is it?

As I said, it is a constant battle in our household. So, I made a bold and outlandish decision. NO ELECTRONICS for 2 weeks. NONE. This final straw came when the girls, myself and Dude were floating on the river. Bella was less than thrilled to be at an almost standstill for several hours, under the artistry of nature and God's beautiful land. Bella pouted, was bored and tired of being in the river. Instead of enjoying the surroundings, she just numbed herself to it. Then, we had plans to head into Gruene for dinner and some fun, but Bella just wanted to go home. Why? She was having SIMS withdrawals!

That is when I made my decision. I put away the iPads, passcode locked the computer and the next day, broke the news to Bella. She didn't take it well at all. The negotiations didn't stop most of the day. I stood firm.

I told my children that there is nothing like falling in love with a good book. I strongly believe that a good solid reader creates a platform of intelligence. I also believe that if you are strong in reading comprehension, then most other subjects in school become less difficult. 

So....for the most part, we are unplugged. Connecting with real life. Drawing closer to God and family. Enjoying the simplicity of nature and a good book.