Let’s Celebrate Screen Free Week by Setting Media Goals As a Family
At Marin Waldorf School, we take a slow approach to tech. Our families are conscientious about screen time and aware of the negative effects of mass media on children’s minds and development. Even so, most of us could make some adjustments to our use of screens at home.
Knowing that children model our behavior, parents can and should make thoughtful decisions about how and when to use media and technology at home. Maybe you want to stop bringing your phone to the dinner table. Maybe you’d like to buy an alarm clock rather than using your phone to wake up. Maybe it’s time to cut out weekday screen time for your child, once and for all.
Let’s celebrate May’s Screen-Free Week by setting media goals together. We’ve got resources to help. Let’s do this!
What is Screen-Free Week?
Held annually during the first week in May, Screen-Free Week is a global invitation to take a break from entertainment on screens—and, as a result, to experience more peace, connection, and fun at home. Sponsored by Fairplay (formerly Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood), Screen-Free Week is a response to overwhelming evidence that child-targeted marketing— and the excessive screen time it encourages—undermines kids’ healthy development.
Resources for Parents
In today’s world, running a household with no or limited media isn’t easy. We encourage you to review the attached resources from Waldorf teacher and tech educator Ben Klocek, which include an overview of appropriate tech/communications activities for each age group, a useful worksheet called the Family Screen Culture Plan, and the Slow Tech Media Diet for Children, developed by Patti Connoll and Diana Graber, a frequent speaker at our school (you can watch Diana Graber’s most recent presentation to the MWS community or download resources from her presentation here).
We also encourage parents to open an honest dialogue with their children, other class parents, and their child’s teacher, who can offer support in making these guidelines realistic in their household.
Tell Us More!
What are your family media goals? Did you try something different this week or have advice to share? Share your screen-free stories!