Summary: [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<br> “We want this party to be with all the girls being present and in the moment<br><br> with their friends.”<br><br> -Ashley, Parent<br> Ashley’s Facebook post caught my attention – it was a photo of the text she had sent to the parents of the 22 (yes, you read that correctly, TWENTY-TWO!) girls invited to her 12-year-old daughter’s sleep-over swim party.<br> I am sharing Ashley’s ideas here so that other parents can decide if a “phone vacation” might be a good idea for a future social event. Perhaps we can start a trend of parents setting limits on screens and media usage not only for their own kids but for other kids they’re hosting?<br> As soon as I saw Ashley’s post, I shared it on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SunshineParenting/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> with this comment:<br> “This is an absolutely brilliant way to set limits on phone use for a bday party! HOORAY, Ashley! I highly recommend copying her text for your child’s future events — what about even for when just one child comes over?<br> Until we parents decide to set limits and create space for our kids to enjoy each other and have fun without their screens, they will continue to follow the lead of the majority of the people in the world (adults and kids alike) and be glued to their phones and disconnected from real people. YAY for UNPLUGGED birthday parties! Let’s start a new trend AND applaud and support parents who insist on real connection. If I had a 12-year-old daughter, I’d definitely want her at THAT party! “<br> How, as a parent in this unbelievably screen and media-focused era, do we best supervise other people’s kids’ phone use when they are with us?<br> This is something we all need to think about and decide what action we’re willing to take.<br> Thanks to Ashley, we have some great ideas! First, we can let people know in advance about any planned screen-free time. Next, we can make it fun by having a “Phone Vacation” spot that makes it playful to give phones a break. (I’d like to use that one with adults, too!)<br> Ashley did a great job outlining her and her husband Chris’ expectations for their daughter’s party. Both the parents and the kids attending knew ahead of time what to expect – and weren’t surprised – that this was going to be an “unplugged” event.<br> Before the event, she posted this comment with a picture of the empty “Phone Vacation” basket: “Drew’s winter swim/sleepover party is on Friday, but my basket for the cell phones is already ready. I hope the girls who bring their phones are ready to send them on vacation for about 18 hours.”<br> I was not surprised to learn from Ashley that the typical pre-teen sleep-over these days includes a lot of photos, videos, and social media posting. By explaining the reason for the “phone vacation,” Ashley made it clear that this was to keep the party’s focus on the fun and real connection. According to Ashley, most parents responded positively to her text. Only one parent wasn’t happy about it, and they, of course, had the option of not having their daughter attend.<br> Because being <a href="http://sunshine-parenting.com/2014/01/31/5-reasons-to-unplug/" target="_blank">“unplugged”</a> is one of the central philosophies at my camp, I have done a lot of research on the benefits of screen breaks. I’ve also put a lot of effort into communicating our philosophy and policy to our camp community, including the details of how we stay unplugged at camp. (e.g. “No, e-readers are not allowed.” “Yes, your camper flying from another country will have their phone while they travel.”) Our campers and counselors willingly agree to give up their phones and any...
