Unplugged

No computer games or Wii "screen" time until the weekend.

This is our household rule concerning all the electronic games the kids love to play. And when the weekend comes. . . those kids crave their game time! Our home becomes an arcade!!!

Unfortunately, the screen time becomes an obsession. Frankly, it makes the kids cranky and selfish.

Today my husband and I announced:

We are all going to be "unplugged" today.

No TV.

No Computer games (or e-mail, or blogging. . . ouch!).

No Wii.

The kids' reaction? Shock! Whine! Tears! (It was really unbelievably sad!)

The repeated question. . . What are we going to do?

The emphatic statements. . . There is nothing to do. This is the worst day ever.

Their reaction only impressed upon me more their need to spend weekend time entertaining themselves without being plugged in.

Quite honestly, I was thinking. . . What am I going to do? I'm not going to clean the house and do laundry. That would be no fun! I want fun! I want a break!

What did I do? I played Bananagrams. I went for a loooong walk. It was very refreshing and indeed a break as I love my alone time. I then went down to my craft table and made a couple of cards. My kind of fun!

What did the kids do? They played Bananagrams and Battleship, looked at their trading cards, went cross-country skiing in the backyard, went sledding, and read the paper on the couch next to daddy. The best part was hearing the conversation that ensued before dinner. This included spiritual questions for daddy and his forthcoming, insightful answers. God honored our unplugged day. No doubt in my mind!

I think this may be a more regular Sunday happening around here.

Hope you had a blessed Sunday.

Heather