We encourage you to unplug and spend quality, technology free time with your family this summer! Technology can serve as a barrier to having fun and connecting with your family during your summer activities and vacations. In today’s blog post, we will be sharing some helpful tips to help you unplug and spend more face-to-face time with your family this summer!
Plan technology free activities. Planning activities that don’t require technology, such as hiking, going swimming, and playing in the park, can help you and your family unplug for a couple of hours. These activities are a great opportunity to connect with one another, while having fun and promoting healthy behaviors, such as exercise, within your family!
Set technology limits. Creating rules and setting limits about technology is key to unplugging and spending quality time with your family. Encourage your family to refrain from checking their phones and to leave other technology at home when going on vacation or when engaging in family activities over the summer. A great rule to help set limits around technology is the “inside/outside rule.” With this rule, family members can only use technology inside of the house or hotel room when on vacation. This will help your family stay in the present moment and connect with one another during family vacations. This rule can also look like designating certain times during the day as technology free, and only allowing technology use for short periods at night.
Model healthy technology behavior. An important part of setting limits around technology involves the adults in the family modeling the behavior they want to see. One way to do so is to refrain from checking text messages, emails, or working during vacations and family activities. However, we understand that sometimes it is not possible to be completely disconnected from work or personal matters, so if you do need to work or check your email/messages, try to set aside scheduled time that doesn’t interfere with family plans to do so.
We hope the tips we provided today will help you spend quality, technology free time with your family, while having lots of fun and making lasting memories!