Each day, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., we resolve to “Drop the Phone.” Let’s try it for one complete month. Will you join us?
Any one of us can make a resolution, on our own, not to be using our phones during those crucial hours when our kids need our attention the most.
There’s one thing that makes us fail, time and time again, when we try to put away the phone during that time.
Wanna guess?
Does that sound right? (That’s Fear Of Missing Out).
For those of us at Between Carpools, it’s our Between Carpools chats that are the most active. That’s where we discuss our ideas, plan our content, and execute everything you see going on here at BCP. It’s always so interesting to see what new ideas our friends have come up and to discuss.
But what if all five of us resolved to shut it down “Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.” ?
We knew, if we all did it together, it would be waaaaayyy easier to keep our phones away for those hours.
And what if we made the circle even bigger and did it with our readers? Then, we’d make it easier for all of you.
Shimi Adar coined the term “Drop the Phone,” and (with her permission, of course!), we’re bringing this message to all our readers. Instead of you getting acquiring this essential habit of “dropping the phone” all on your own, you’d be doing it with friends, family, and neighbors. You wouldn’t be inclined “just to check” because no one is sending you any messages during that time! (And if someone does message you…all that means is that they need to be told about BCP!).
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Our own children are the first generation to grow up during the phone era. Phones weren’t as much of a presence during that landline, flip phone, or even the Blackberry era, when any of us were growing up. And even though many of our phones are filtered, even browser-free, and “kosher,” it’s still a distraction because we’ve just become too available to anyone who sends a text or email. We don’t know how this will affect our kids. Even the best, most attentive parents are guilty of often responding to text messages rather than listening to our kids.
So let’s do this…let’s be completely present for our families during those hours. And, of course, doing this together with friends is always more fun. We’ll also be setting a good example for our kids.
“Phones are for communication and work. They’re for taking adorable pics of you. But they’re not for fun. They’re not what we ‘do’ when we want to unwind.” That’s what we want to convey to our children. Let’s prove that we value our conversations with our kids way more than the conversation we’re having with our “Neighborhood” on Whatsapp.
COMING SOON: We’ll show you how to shut down your apps for specific hours, while letting your phone remain on for phone calls.
Want to join us? Let us know below! All you need to do is commit to 2 phoneless hours per day (these should be the hours that are most important for you to be ‘present’ for your family).
This WEDNESDAY will be day #1 of Drop the Phone.
We’ll be counting how many of you sign up and will be sending random gifts to the participants! In addition, participants will receive a ‘Drop the Phone Habit Tracker,’ download. To read about how a habit tracker helps you ‘stick to a habit,’ click here.
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