Take on the 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge with your family!

Even if we are not totally against screens, we have to admit that they have taken a considerable place in our daily lives and that of our children , and that it is important to manage them responsibly in order to ensure that our children grow up in a stimulating family environment, that we have enough time to go about our daily activities and that we take the time to share real moments as a family. This is why, at Les Belles Combines, we created the “5 to 8 without screens” challenge a few years ago, a week-long break from screens that allows us to see the real place that technology takes in our lives and to realize that the few hours a day spent on our screens may be the ones we are missing in order to achieve the balance we dream of . Do you want to take up the challenge, but don't know what to do with all this time saved? Here is a suggestion for each day of the week:

Monday: Cook a quick recipe for tomorrow's lunches! Whether it's a pasta salad, a quiche or mini pizzas, use your imagination or consult our many recipes to find the one that suits you!

Tuesday: Take time to move ! Go for a walk with your family, visit a new park, walk to the grocery store, there are so many ways to get active without having to go to the gym!

Wednesday: Do some reading in an original way: read a book in several voices, play characters or read the same text several times while timing yourself.

Thursday: Take a few minutes to tidy up a specific area of ​​your home, like the utensil drawer, the pantry, your nightstand, or your makeup bag.

Friday: Develop your creativity by doing DIY with your family! Discover our fun little hacks or browse the web to find inspiration!

Saturday: Take advantage of this day off to discover new board games with your family or simply a card game found on the web!

Sunday: Try new variations of hide-and-seek , such as a dark version with flashlights or a variation where one child hides while everyone else searches.

Because you probably won't ban screens from your home forever, it's important to establish good screen habits at home and limit your children's access to them . To do this, here are some tips to follow given by Laurence Morency-Guay, a psychology professor specializing in child development and author of the book "Say No to Screens for Kids More Often."

• If possible, do not have a television in the family room . Either it is in a cabinet that closes or it is placed in a less frequented room. This way, turning it on at the slightest opportunity is less accessible, which will reduce the habit of watching it.
• Schedule specific times to watch a show (as a family) and stick to those times so you don't lose track of screen time.
• Schedule listening time when the children are in bed or when they are outside : this allows you to dedicate family time to more enriching activities and to fully enjoy this time for yourself.
• Keep computers in designated rooms such as an office, if possible. This avoids stretching out work periods and doing it in front of children.
• Don't keep phones within reach when you're at home. This makes you less likely to check social media and emails and handle devices in front of your children.
• Put the tablets in a drawer and don't let children under 5 use them to "play". There are no truly educational activities for toddlers on tablets, so we avoid offering them to handle them. School-age children will sometimes have activities to do related to school and can use them if necessary, but we prioritize activities in books, in notebooks or that allow real sensory exploration for little ones , since that's what will contribute to their healthy development.

Want to discover even more content related to screen management ? Discover our special “Managing Screens” file!

To set up clear rules related to screens, take a look at our turnkey “Before turning on a screen” kit !

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