Mark your calendars because March 1-2, 2019 is National Day of Unplugging. This holiday, consists of a 24 hour period from sundown to sundown, to unplug, unwind, relax and do things other than using today’s technology, electronics, and social media. Does the sundown to sundown concept sound familiar? Shabot? Purim? Pretty much any Jewish holiday still celebrated today. This project is an an adaption of ancient Jewish rituals which carve out one day per week to unwind, unplug, relax, reflect, get outdoors, and connect with loved ones. Even though I am not Jewish, the thought of joining over 112,000 who are already planning to unplug this year sounds powerful. Of course you don’t have to be Jewish to join, just simple decide that you or that you and your family are going to go cold turkey for 24 hours. Need some support? Find an event near you and get involved!
What are some reasons to unplug for one day?
Discipline
In a day and age where we can get pretty much anything we want if we simply find the right website, training ourselves to wait, be patient or slow down is not always necessary. If we are hungry, we can find premade, precooked food and fast. If we want to know when those homeschool materials will arrive that we ordered from Rainbow Resource Center we can check our tracking info or if we want to know what time our husband will be home from work, we can call him and talk to him even while he is stuck in traffic. Unplugging for a day is an excellent way to discipline yourself and prove to yourself that you can in fact exercise discipline in your life. If you choose to have your kids participate in this then this will be a great opportunity to teach them that they can indeed do without even if they think they can’t. There is nothing more powerful than the sense of accomplishment a child feels when they set a goal for themself and attain it. Setting a goal like this is both doable and will teach your child powerful life lessons.
Example
If your family chooses to partake in a challenge such as this, then think of the example it will set for others. When our family chooses to fast something together, it draws us closer together. Media is a powerful thing to fast and there have even been times when certain children in my family will request to fast it. I don’t know if it is because they remember the times when we fasted it before and enjoyed the closeness we felt as a family or if they are simply understanding that media and technology is not what will ultimately make them happy. What I do know though, is that when my older ones recognize this, little eyes are watching and they are being a powerful example to them.
Exploration
Sometimes it is just easy to get caught up in routine. In our home we have certain days and certain times that we allow media use. Even though it isn’t much compared to some, it does exist and my kids get used to it. Switching things up and having my three-year-old play with puzzles instead of watching Paw Patrol is good for him. It helps him be comfortable with breaking away from the routine so if he has to break away from it unexpectedly another time, it isn’t a difficult transition. Taking away media and technology for a short period of time isn’t saying that it is evil but rather it opens up doors of exploration. Your child (and you!) will see what else is out there rather than being bound by routine.
If have been considering doing something like this with our family, then join thousands of others this March on the National Day Of Unplugging!
