Finding screentime balance with Circle by Disney

I had to let go of “the rules” for how much time is too much when it comes to the internet.
Jon has found plenty of studies supporting how screentime makes kids smarter + I’ve found just as many that support the exact opposite. You’ll always find what you’re looking for online! That’s A FACT. 🙂 But we’ve sat down as a couple + found what we feel is best for our family. I hope that you’re able to find a balance that is tweaked juuust right for your family as well.

I’ve realized really fast that it’s more work to sit down + entertain the boys than it is to put on an episode of Paw Patrol or Daniel Tiger. I work to establish a home where the boys are able to play together without instruction, channel their creativity with hands on activities, + yet still find true joy in just being together, ya know? It’s a tricky puzzle to balance, but somehow my parents conquered it + I’m determined I can too! We didn’t have cable as kids, but if saving my sanity means watching an extra round of Paw Patrol every other day — I’ll be first in line with remote in hand.

Do I believe we are addicted to the internet? Yes! Are we dependent on it? Sometimes. Especially in the car trying to find new places. I think I speak for the majority of us? We just upped our phone plan to unlimited data for heaven sakes so —- all signs point to yes in my life! Jon + I are both self employed, so we rely on the internet a lot. But as we work together (same team is key) to find ways to eliminate the unnecessary screentime, I can feel a difference in our home. I try not to put a number on it. The minute I do, the Digital dependence pretty much suffocates me. I am cautious, but knowing that my kids are everything like me, once it’s limited or taken away, we want it even more? My brain works backwards. Took me a couple years to figure this out — but I feel less judgement + more freedom with lose boundaries. Chores + homework + playing outside have to be done before electronic devices come out, but not letting it dictate our jobs has been key around here.  How many times do you flip unlock on your phone before you even realize you’ve done it?! GET OUTSIDE! *mental note*  It snaps me back to the present moment real quick.

I will embarrassingly admit that when Rigg + Jonah wake up before me — they RUN straight for their ipods. But this is where Circle with Disney hit the nail on the head with their new device. It allows me to set a lock timer in the morning on any specific websites/apps (*cough YOUTUBE KIDS *cough), that will remain locked when needed! Each device connected to our wifi has the opportunity to be controlled through the app. Super slick!

Jon + I go over our upcoming week together every Sunday night over a bowl of cereal. Proud to report that my screentime has exponentially dropped since we installed our Circle! (AKA plugged it in to the wall) #woopwoooop
This wasn’t the main reason we invested in one, but it has paid off ten fold. It’s helped me hone in on exactly where my phone/computer/tv time is going + when. It’s painted a clear picture of which hours of the day need some polishing.
I feel like I should mention that we’ve also been reading the book, The Effective Executive — WOW! Who knew so much time could be wasted thinking about the things I wish I was doing? Rather than just doing them? Game changer. Pretty cool book — I highly recommend it.

While I’m up on my media soapbox, I wanted to quickly tell you about the scale I saw in the store the other day. My MIND WAS BLOWWWWN guys. It connects to wifi + syncs all of your health stuff together? I guess?  Wait. What??? Have I been living under a rock? Why would anyone want a scale that connects to their wifi? I mean, it’s totally fine, but why? Growing up, we didn’t have a scale in our home — so this is a new ball game to me. My mom was on to something that mattered (queue the tears) + helped mold me into the woman I am.  I guess I didn’t realize how important this lesson was until I moved out + get asked on social media how much I weigh. I don’t believe beauty is measured on a scale. I’ve heard this my whole life without actually “hearing” it. Mom hit this idea home through her genuine example! I love her for it! And hey, if you already own one of these cool futuristic scales that connects through wifi, Circle’s definitely got your back. 🙂

All of these opportunities to consume wifi signal but Circle swooped in + gave me the help I needed. This unique little device sits on our computer desk. 🙂 It tracks the activity, filters content that shouldn’t be seen + has brought me major peace of mind as a mother. We used to have to turn our cell phones in on my parent’s dresser growing up + I hated it! But now I see why. Jon + I are trying hard as parents to keep the good in this ever growing scary world of the internet. Especially in our home!

Circle has some other features that will come in handy as the boys get older. We’ll just go ahead + cross that bridge when we get there. 🙂 Watch here.

Circle is available pretty much everywhere — including, Target, Amazon, Best Buy, meetcircle.com

I feel good with where we are at as a family for screentime. Like everything in life, it ebbs + flows with the season. What works for us, most likely won’t solve world peace in your family. But I think as long as we are working to create a unified environment in our homes we’ll all hopefully turn out A-okay!

Thanks for listening/reading my rants + thank you Circle with Disney for partnering with our family!

PHOTOGRAPHY by MORGAN BONE