With the Summer holidays upon us, I do expect to be distracted from time to time. I become a taxi driver, driving instructor, an activity / event planner and I spend time just being with the kids.
As a self-employed person, often working from home, this can be a frustrating time unless it is well planned and embraced, for what it is – life!
So this week I have compromised and flexed my working hours, getting enough done, but at random, stolen moments.
I went for a walk with my son as he had requested. He had downloaded ‘Pokemon Go’ onto my phone and wanted to catch some “thingies”. We walked towards the park and, I noticed, he was talking a foreign language, I didn’t understand a thing he was saying! He stopped now and then, counted to 3 and whooped, before marching on again. He shared names of creatures he’d captured and I made the right noises, asked a few questions, but didn’t really understand what he was going on about.
He watched the screen intently, now walking towards the leisure centre and another pokestop!
I looked around and saw things that he missed, everything going on around him, the birds, squirrels, and the beauty of the day. He didn’t ask to take a football, want to sit on the swings or even use the zip line. Nothing else existed but my, slowly draining, phone.
I don’t see myself as a technophobe, but this has just taken things to another level. Yes, we walked (a tick in the wellbeing box) but he might as well been on a treadmill in a darkened room with virtual goggles on.
Having said that, the previous weekend we spent time in Wales, camping and doing activities like climbing, horse riding, fire building and playing games in the field. We still had some technology with us (Not my laptop though!) but it wasn’t used that much at all, they were too busy and engaged in doing real life stuff! – which I loved.
So having a digital detox is something I would recommend we all do, now and then, but getting the balance right does take effort. As a parent, with kids on a 6-week holiday, it is sometimes easier to promote ‘virtual living’ to preserve our precious time.
I often struggle to tear myself away from the computer screen, but it is so important that we demonstrate a balance, as parents, because we are the role models for future generations.
Family time, real activities and quality time together is so rare and needs planning. It creates the memories when our children talk to their children about their childhood. What stories will your Grandchildren grow up with?
Will it be ‘Pokemon Go’ or camping in Wales?
A word of warning..as with any detox, you may need to start with small steps or go for total absorption depending on your environment!