A t.v. Free Summer; My Honest Review as a Mom

group of kids playing soccer in our forest adventure group.



TV Free Summer: My Honest Review of Going Screen-Free for 3 Months as a Mom of 2 and a Pediatric Occupational Therapist

In early May of 2024, I hit a breaking point. It was the end of a long school year, and my children were mentally and emotionally drained. Mom and Dad were feeling the same way too. After school each day, my children, ages four and six at the time, came home asking to watch a show. But it was more than that. They would ask to watch a show repeatedly. I would shuffle them outside and tell them they could watch TV later while Mom was cooking dinner, but over time that answer wasn’t good enough.

 

As a pediatric OT, and someone who has read countless bodies of research about screen time, I had been considering unplugging and removing the TV in our family room, wondering if it would help eliminate this constant seesaw battle between me and my children requesting to watch something on TV and me saying no. I was tired of saying no.

 

So that night on May 2, my children went to bed. I came down, unplugged the TV, and relocated it to the basement. COLD TURKEY – the TV was gone.

 

I bet you’re wondering what happened next.

 

The next morning, my kids came downstairs, and they said, “Where did the TV go?!” I told them that it was unplugged and now in the basement. Expecting a big emotional response… I was met with some blank stares and a “why?”.

 

So, I seized the moment to be honest with them. We talked about how Mommy and Daddy didn’t like saying “no” to them all of the time related to watching a show. We acknowledged that they had big feelings around TV time, mostly that ended in crying or big feelings, and we wanted to give their brains/bodies a break from feeling that way.

 

Initially, there was some whining and pushback, but after we digested it together as a family, we moved on and our day started.

 

To my husband’s surprise and my own, later that day, our oldest son, who was 6 at the time, told us he was happy the TV was gone. He said it made his eyes hurt and he always felt angry when the show was over.

 

Now, please keep in mind that we had strong boundaries around screen time – and around what they were allowed to watch. We do not own tablets or iPads, and my children rarely watched screens before the age of 2. They literally could choose from shows with real people about outdoor adventures, sports, science, or an area they were interested in learning about. And, we always set a timer so the TV would shut off after 20 minutes. On occasion, we watched a family Disney movie, but we prioritized family stories or games instead of movies.

 

Despite what we thought to be healthy boundaries, it was clear that even these were too much for their age, development, and personalities.

Over the next few weeks, we noticed such a surprising and welcomed shift within our children, and our family dynamic. The boys were arguing way less, they were laughing more, and their imaginary play together really skyrocketed. These were all skills that as an occupational therapist, I knew they already had, but were muted whenever screens are around.

Plus, I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as I was not telling them “no” every day. The mental health shift and social-emotional benefit of this was the biggest reward from this screen-free summer. It made more room for deeper bonds and connections within our family, and what’s more important than that?

From an OT perspective, I was able to see my children become more independent and attuned to their bodies; we call this Interoception. You see, screens are awful. They rob the brain and body of connection and communication. When a child is sitting down watching a show, their brain is getting an intense HUGE hit of dopamine, while the body is still. When the show is over, you have an over-stimulated brain and an under-moved body… resulting in catastrophe.

 

By eliminating screen time, my children were able to connect to themselves more. This was noted in their language, their ability to communicate their needs, their appetite, and their sleep.

 

Fast forward to the summer, where we spent a screen-free summer, ages 4 and 6 years old. It was the best! A true detox from screens, this allowed our boys the level of free play they deserved.

 

Screens feel like a prison sentence at times – you think you need them for a moment of quiet or free time for yourself, but that is not true at all. Your children will give you more time back when they detox and learn how to engage with the world around them.

 

The last week of August, we brought the TV back up from the basement after over 12 weeks without it. At first, it looked funny in our living room, and all of us weren’t even sure if we wanted it back into the family room again.

 

So far, my children have been able to handle the TV again in small increments. No TV during the school week, only on weekends. And, only after they’ve been outside playing for most of the day, completed their to-do lists, or we’ve had some family connection time first.

 

As I write this blog, I am positive I will remove the TV again. Likely in October. We will absolutely continue with screen-free months and detoxes, especially now that my children use Chromebooks in school!

 

If this blog resonates with you, maybe this will give you the courage to try screen-free living for a while in your home. It doesn’t have to be forever. It can be for a couple of weeks, months, or even 1 day per week.

 

Touching a bit on the negative side effects of screens on a young developing brain

Here is more research to help you understand how powerful screens are: