Unplugged

Namastè!

Good morning-ness!

I'm preparing for another school term...and getting ready to buy some more board games, craft supplies, and books.

As you're well aware, we are a homeschool family.

As you may also be aware, we do things a lot differently. We absolutely do not buck technology, modern convenience, but we DO try to retain the old family feel we were raised with.

We unplug. As often as possible, we untether from technology and its appeal, and just enjoy each other's company. We are working to create a strong familial bond, and sometimes that means putting in real effort to connect to each other instead of phone screens, computer keyboards, and consoles.

How, in 2017?!

Well...

We don't have televisions in our bedroom OR our kids' bedrooms. (They watch their shows and movies, they just do so in the family room.) Video games, electronics, and cell phone use is kept to a comfortable minimum--the kids aren't glued to screens 24-7, and the parents aren't engaging empty mini screen time either.

Do I agree with screen time?

While it may appear that I don't, I very much do. We give the kids ample time to enjoy age-appropriate, developmentally-targeted technology. Age-appropriate means my ten-year-old is not watching reality television series on her phone. She's not in message boards or on social media apps being unbearable.

Note: I did not say she will never do those things--that is a trap. (Never say what a child won't do, say what you hope they won't and instill why they shouldn't!) I'm saying that right now, she is sticking to what she's been taught. That's all any parent can do, eh? She's a good apple.

I digressed, but only a little.

I refuse to spend this post harping on what we don't do or why, because that tends to divide. What I really aim to do is impart a viewpoint and perhaps a new understanding. Another glimpse into Lifestyle Namastè! I prefer to effect that by sharing what we do.

When people hear unplugged, they typically think a negative. Because we depend so much on technology and convenience, it is a scary thought to be without it and a crazy notion (sometimes) to be without it by choice.

But!

Think about your favorite childhood memory.

Mine is probably when I was about 9 or 10. I was sitting in the flowerbed with my Grandma (rest her soul, may she truly sleep in the sweetest forever  peace), and we were putting out gladiolus bulbs. She was telling me about how the soil has to be turned and aerated a few days prior, and how she liked growing flowers.

We didn't have a video of that afternoon. There aren't any pictures. But what there is, is a memory. Through head injuries, life changes, and the sheer fact that over 20 years have passed since that day, I still recall it vividly. I can almost smell the dirt. If I close my eyes I can hear her telling me about those bulbs and how pretty the blooms would be. It's as if I can almost go back to that exact moment.

...that should what I want for Kids Namastè. Videos and photos have their merits for sure--but nothing compares to being so invested in a moment that it becomes a part of who you are.

To this day I still turn the soil around my plants by hand, using only a spade and a little claw tool. (It's got a name but for me, it's a little claw tool.) I do not hire landscapers for my flower plots, and I plant every flower from either seeds or bulbs. Why?

Because it takes me back to those sweet, unplugged moments with my Grandma. It gives me the kind of peace I'd be hard-pressed to find doing anything else.

So...we do game nights. We have an assortment of board and card games, which we parents get in and play with the kids. We put our phones away, we get in the family room on the floor usually, and we laugh and create memories.

While neither of our kids is currently all that into gardening just yet, they each will have memories of their own. Maybe they won't close their eyes and conjure a warm afternoon, complete with grits fingers from turning soil, soil they can practically still smell. Maybe they won't get the rush of giddiness while waiting for seeds or bus to sprout, grow, then bloom.

But they will have real recollections of holidays spent with family, and fun reminiscences of vacations. Of course there are photos, but in none of those photos will you see a child on a screen. At no gathering have they been allowed to retreat into their devices versus diving into whatever activity or conversation we're checking out. They have photos with Grandma, but they also have had real, meaningful time with her.

Speaking of my dear Grandma... one of the main reasons we started the unplug periods was because I did not want the kids to be at Grandma's playing Angry Birds instead of bonding with her, gathering all that wisdom and experience. When we spent holidays there, we left our phones in the car. Because we did this, even Baby Namastè will have memories with her.

No doubt, photos, recordings, and videos will help make her legacy more tangible for them. These things have helped immensely in the healing process as we adjust to life without her physical presence.

So...when I say we live as unplugged as possible, I don't mean so in an unfair, overly restrictive way. I just mean this:

Life is very much about pictures, videos, and fun. But it is even more about being present in the moments to be inspired enough that a video or picture holds meaning! As parents we know our kids will grow from newborn to college student in the blink of an eye. Somewhere in that little bitty stretch of time, must exist moments that they can hold onto as life propels them forward.

We're not forcing Stepford-perfect, Kodak commercial moments...we're just providing opportunity for them to happen.

That's it, and that's all.

Namastè!

-- Tayè K. ♡