On A Personal Note

It’s incredible how convenient it is to turn on the the TV and pull up our favorite show. It’s so easy and appealing in fact that children can perform this action almost as soon as they can walk.

I’m noticing myself starting to develop a habit of watching shows every evening! I can even justify this action by saying that my kids are more than happy to watch shows with me every evening as well. Win, win right! . . . ?

As this habit is starting to develop, I can feel this nagging feeling inside. A feeling that begs the question, “Is watching shows or movies every night really a habit I want to adopt? Well, this burning question is the reason I’m writing this post. This introspective look at my own habits has me confessing that I’m very tempted to adopt this habit sometimes!

Something that encourages me and gives me hope is the realization that, when I refuse to let screen-time be my default, I give myself time for so many other things. I can take time to do other hobbies I love. I can do so many more activities with my family and friends. I don’t need to ban myself from watching movies or shows. I mean, I can even plan three evenings per week where I watch shows and movies and still make great use of my other evenings doing other things. There are so many more options I have when I am intentional with my habits.

If you’re reading this you may be wondering “well, that’s great for you, but what about my kids! How do I help them with screen-time?

Well, I’m getting to that . .. without a doubt it’s a challenge to guide our children toward healthy habits with screen-time . This challenge becomes insurmountable if we are practicing poor screen-time habits ourselves. I believe leading by example is the first step to teaching our children healthy habits with screen-time. So getting real with where we are at with our own screen-time habits is, well . . . necessary. An honest, introspective look at our own habits prepares the way for change in ourselves and in our children.