When Our Home Needs an Electronic Detox
There’s a moment I notice it almost immediately - the energy in our home shifts. The kids come in from school and walk right past me. No hello. No hugs. No “how was your day?” The bickering starts faster than usual. Sleep becomes harder. Voices get louder. Back talk sneaks in. And before I can even take my shoes off, they’re reaching for the iPad, the Nintendo, or the TV.
That’s when I know.
Our household needs an electronic detox.
I get it - we all need time to unwind after a long day. School is full, busy, and mentally demanding. Screens can feel like an easy way to shut the brain off. But there’s a difference between using electronics to relax and leaning on them so much that connection starts to disappear. You can feel when it’s too much. Almost like an addiction pulling at their attention.
When I notice that shift, that’s my cue to unplug. The screens get put away. Remotes go out of sight. Nintendos get moved. Not as a punishment - but as a reset. A pause. A reminder that rest doesn’t always have to come from a screen.
As my kids grow, I want them to learn when they need a break from electronics and how to take one themselves. I want them to know what else they can do when life feels busy or overwhelming. Because the truth is, these moments won’t stop as they get older - we just have to give them tools now.
So in this season, we play together.
We shoot basketballs in the driveway. We run around playing tag. We move our bodies together. Sometimes we make silly workouts. Sometimes we sit and just talk. It doesn’t have to be complicated - it just has to be connecting.
Today, when my kids come home, we’re officially in detox mode. iPads away. Remotes put up. Nintendos moved. And yes - myself included. When my kids are home, I want to be present too. That means off my phone, not half-listening, not distracted.
This isn’t about being anti-technology. It’s about balance. It’s about noticing when something that’s meant to help us relax starts pulling us away from each other. Sometimes the most powerful reset we can give our home is simply choosing to unplug—together.
