Rage Against the Machines

It started with Facebook. 

I kept seeing people walk away from it. After reading my friend’s messages, posts and blogs giving many good reasons, I decided it was my time as well. 

Time. yeah. I just waste so much time on it.

And it got me thinking. It’s not just facebook.  It’s my phone, the internet, my computer, the tv, our iPads and iPods and All THE HANDY LITTLE MACHINES. 

How do I want my kids to remember me? 

Ignoring them while I anxiously look for signs of life on social media, or play a game on my phone? Or how about getting irritated with them for "interrupting" my text conversations that could have happened later, because that is what texting is for? Yikes.

So, I am going on a crash diet for the rest of the month. I plan to malnourish the mindless addiction that is growing out of control in my house. Im not planning on swearing it off. I just need some time. And then I'll see how I feel.... maybe I will swear it off.

I may blog about it?

If I do, it will be mostly for accountability, and will fall within the guidelines below. 

Here is the plan.

Anything Television: Make it a tool for quality time- not a time waster or babysitter. I don’t usually watch until after bedtime to help make laundry more interesting, but the kids do watch a lot during the day/after school. Not this month. If they watch it, I have to sit down with them.  And I wont be able to have any of the below distractions…..

Social Media: Gone. Im going to have my husband change my FB password, he will give it to me at the end of the month. I don’t do instagram or twitter, but if I did, I would do the same. Pinterest is the only exception, because I (personally) use it as a tool rather than an outlet. However, to keep it from becoming that, time is limited to 5 minutes and a project or recipe must result.

Video Games: Gone. If you want to play a game, it has to be in person with at least one other family member.

Old Skool.

Internet: To be used for business and information only, i.e. Weather, banking, bills, blogging, emails, notes or Online shopping should be done in predetermined time segments, when children aren’t present (napping, at school, in bed).  

Phones: To be used as PHONES. Limit conversations to 20 minutes. For me, this means shut up and listen to your friends. J

Texting: To be used only for relaying information, not conversations. If you want to have a conversation, pick up the phone. But not for more than 20 min. J

So in summary… 

The only media I will be consuming this month will be to snuggle up with my kids to watch a movie, maybe watch an episode of Downton Abby or Bones after bedtime as I fold laundry, and to stay accountable in very short post-bedtime entries on this blog, if. I. so. choose.  My computer/internet can only be used for 20min at a time, when children aren't present. 

And.... Go. Or should I say STOP?

love, B