Unplug The Kids This Summer

 

Growing up, I loved the long, lazy days of summer.

It meant the county bookmobile would arrive each Wednesday in front of my house, virtually delivering books to my front door. Books provided a great form of escape from summer boredom. Books opened up new worlds and places to me, and introduced characters I never would have imagined on my own.

Summers were also spent balancing barefoot on a fallen log while crossing the wide creek behind my house to a place of endless adventure: the woods.

Summertime was visits to Johnny Mercer's Pier and renting a red raft for fifty cents to ride the waves at Wrightsville Beach.

It meant catching fireflies under a starry sky.



Summer was time spent with friends plucking blackberries and dodging sandspurs from the large ditch beside the corner Methodist Church.

The long days of summer also allowed my mind to dream and my soul to still itself.

This was before modern technology.

I worry about our kids today and the isolative consequences of technology. I worry about stifled dreams and cluttered minds.

In this media-driven culture where young people always seem to be plugged into some sort of technology, whether it's a tablet, cellphone, laptop, TV, whatever the device, summertime should be a time where kids unplug and be a kid for a change!

Here are a few tips on how we limit technology and keep our granddaughters reading and physically active during the summer months.

1. To earn technology, i.e., TV, tablet, computer, video games, it requires one hour of reading each day to earn one hour of technology. No reading. No technology.
2. A reading journal has to be kept along with a one page summary of each book read.
3. Also, by keeping a Bible journal and following a daily reading plan just for kids, will help instill healthy devotional habits for a lifetime.
4. Whether it's swimming, riding bikes, fishing at the lake, or playing a friendly game of soccer with friends, our granddaughters must find ways to enjoy and explore the great outdoors.
5. Crafts are also a great creative outlet. Kids enjoy the creative process and sense of accomplishment. Grace and Bella are making paracord bracelets this summer. They hope to sell them at a local craft fair.

It's important to balance technology. By balancing technology (I promise it won't kill them!), kids will become more creative and learn to connect face-to-face, thus cultivating healthy relationships.

Looking for things to do this summer with the kids? Google "fun things to do" in your area. You'll be amazed at all the fun and exciting things your community has to offer. Movie theaters often offer kids specials during the summer. Local museums and aquariums are great resources as well.

Unplug this summer. Read and explore your world instead. Who knows what you may discover!



What about you? What suggestions do you have to get kids unplugged, motivated, and connected with the real world this summer?

-Beth