How to Have a Screen Free Summer (and why on earth you’d want to even try) with guest Meg Martin

We’ve kicked off our Summer series on the Family Brand Podcast, and guess who’s back? It’s Meg Martin, our first repeat guest. Meg and her family have this fascinating tradition of Screen-Free Summers. She’s here to share all about it, including the reasons behind this decision and the amazing impact it’s had on their family life.

Now, Screen-Free Summer isn’t about completely ditching screens. Instead, it’s about cultivating a thoughtful and intentional relationship with technology. Meg was genuinely concerned about the possibility of screen addiction, especially in young boys, which sparked this unique tradition. She was determined to prevent her home from turning into a nest of ‘screen zombies’, and that’s how Screen-Free Summers began.

Meg embarked on this journey as a preemptive measure, aiming to address screen addiction before it took hold in her children. Like many of us, she was aware of the unsettling statistics on children’s screen time and noticed similar tendencies in her own usage. Being a proactive person, she decided it was time for a change.

Meg highlighted the addictive nature of screens – something we can all relate to when we find ourselves absorbed in social media or binging on Netflix. But it’s this very challenge that transforms Screen-Free Summer from a protective strategy into an exciting family adventure.

Transitioning into Screen-Free Summers wasn’t an overnight process for Meg’s family. They used incentives like LEGO sets or a ticket to Hamilton to make the shift more appealing. 

Recognizing that changing behaviors, especially regarding screen use, is no easy task, these rewards helped to not just make screen-free time bearable, but something the kids would actually look forward to.

There’s more to our chat with Meg than just being screen-free. We also shared some of the fun activities Meg’s family engages in when screens are off the table. So, hit play to discover more about this screen-free journey. Here’s to a wonderful summer, perhaps with a bit less screen time! See you on the next episode!

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The Martin Family Story on the Family Brand Podcast: https://familybrand.com/help-your-kid-deal-with-their-mental-health-and-depression-with-guests-justin-and-megan-martin/

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:00 Show introduction + we love the Martin family
• 4:00 How Meg started doing a “Screen free Summers” 
• 6:38 How to plan your own Screen Free Summer! (Incentives are key)  
• 14:10 When buying them off doesn’t work
• 16:21 What a screen free Summer is like as a parent
• 19:45 When you should and shouldn’t break the rules 
• 25:42 Learning how to love your life outside of screens
• 28:22 How the Martins are living out their family values 
• 30:51 Their boredom is fine
• 34:40 It can look however you want it to look and kids will start to self regulate
• 37:53 Decisions are so much easier when you know your why
• 41:11 Final advice for a screen free summer