Kathy commented, on June 24, 2008 at 6:25 a.m.:

During the summer, we have media limits. The children are now old enough to know what to expect. All electronic devices are off from 8am to noon and from 1pm to 4pm. Maybe that doesn't sound like much, but it makes my children play together and invent games and things to do. My daughters have started knitting, and my son spends more time on music than he otherwise would. We allow him to check his email, because his friends communicate with him that way, and he's also allowed to use the computer to look up guitar TABs of songs to learn.

It's not a total blackout, just a system that they can understand. It brings joy to my heart when I head out to the grocery store, and there's a card game in progress.

Another rule is no TV on unless someone is actually watching a specific show. It's dismaying to come into a room and see 2 children reading and another looking at something on a computer while the TV provides background noise. The TV has an off switch!

Thanks for this topic!
kb

Heather commented, on June 24, 2008 at 8:45 a.m.:

Yes we are a media Fast as well, although somewhat not by choice. We did it in effort to save money in my current career transition. But it has been great. We are doing the summer reading program at the library and I have read 4 or 5 books myself that had been sitting there waiting to be read.