Media Free Mondays - Day 1

As many of you know, I write a column for a regional parenting magazine, Coulee Parenting Connection.  Last week my editor and I were discussing possible topics for future articles, and I wound up volunteering my family for an experiment which should provide great material for my next editorial.

I had just finished reading a blog by someone who had instituted "Media Free Mondays" in their home, in an attempt to reconnect as a family.  They shut off all electronics - television, computers, cell phones, and Ipods - and substituted reading, board games, and talk.  In a moment of inspiration, combined with complete insanity brought on by sleep deprivation, I proposed to do the same with my family and then write about it.

My editor loved the idea.  My family?  Not so much.  They are good sports though, and lucky for me, they love me enough to try it.  Well, that, and I didn't exactly give them a choice.

In order to fully appreciate how difficult this might be for us, you have to understand how "wired" we all are.  We each have our own computer, cell phone, and music player.  The girls do not have TVs in their rooms, but there are still three sets in the house.  Our evenings are typically spent watching one of our favorite shows from the DVR, and it's likely that at least one of us will also be online or texting at the same time.  We do still talk to each other as well - we're not completely dysfunctional, or at least I hope not, but this weekly investigation may prove otherwise.  After all, we do tend to text one another from other rooms in the house...

On that note, I thought it would be funny to announce this brilliant plan to my family via Facebook.  Come on, you have to appreciate the irony!  And funny it was...here was the response:  

• Kelsey:  Can't you just pretend I don't live with you for this? Lol. Honestly I don't think it's gonna make much of a difference for me because I'll still either be at work or doing school on the computer.  (Note:  Exceptions are allowed for emergency or work-related phone calls or computer use for school.)
• Emma:  ~shoots you~ xD yeah this is the worst idea you have ever had. at least, right now, is a bad time, cause FF5 is supposed to be telling us new stuff, so ya. HORRIBLE TIME.
• Dan:  I am in. No texting, facebook, twitter, tv. That will be hard for all of us.
• Emma:  I am NOT in.  

It's easier for my husband and I to see how this could be a good thing.  Yesterday, in the midst of great eye-rolling coming from the 13-year-old, we reminisced about growing up with a rotary phone with a cord and a record player.  "Wow, Mom, you really are old."  Thanks, honey.

We tried to remember what we used to fill our time with back in those prehistoric times, and we'll try to implement some of those ideas into the vast hours of media darkness tonight.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Uh, tomorrow, that is...