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thriving

What happened when we traded screen-time for quality-time for 14 days

By Tineke Ziemer

September 3^rd, 2019

buh-bye screen time, hello family time

For those of you who don't know, our family experienced a very scary event this June when my husband was in an accident at work that left him burned over 24% of his body. Needless to say, most of our summer plans were put on hold while we cared for him and dealt with the physical and emotional affects of such a traumatic injury. He has had an amazing recovery and is doing very well.

With his body was healing up nicely, we decided it was time to work on his mental health, as well as building up his stamina so he could go back to work without complications. At the same time, as a family, we were noticing that being home all the time was leading to more and more time spent in front of screens. Ugh. Not this momma's idea of quality time!

So, we decided to ditch the screens for the last two weeks of summer. We traded screen-time for family-time, challenging ourselves to do something different every day, big or little, as long as we got out of the house.

We weren't perfect at it. Sometimes not everyone could make it, sometimes we were joined by other friends, but what we learned very quickly was this: we didn't always feel like going, but once we got off our butts and got out there, it was EXACTLY what we needed. You will never believe all of the amazing places we went, the new things we tried and the priceless memories that we made in just 14 days.

p.s. In case you are wondering how we managed to convince our kids to go without screens for two weeks, the deal was, they could do their gaming and social media AFTER 8pm when it was getting dark, as long as chores, music practice, family time and summer school work were done. Truth be told, they ended up looking forward to family time and it didn't take long before they started suggesting the activities.

day 1 - wine glass falls

A gorgeous drive, peaceful walk through cattle-lands, and a cave that goes behind a waterfall?

Yes, please!

day 2 - cottonwood River

Reading by the riverside, finding amphibians and digging to China. After a summer stuck inside, it was time to visit our favourite swimming hole.

day 3 - girl time

With my the rest of my family busy with youth group and errands, I was thrilled to spend my afternoon with some of my closest girl friends enjoying tea, treats and a sun-filled walk around a beautiful farm in West Quesnel. Heavenly!

day 4 - walking the trails at west fraser timber park

Beautiful trails with crunchy fall leaves underfoot, critters of all shapes and sizes, and time at the end for an evening swing. I'm not sure if dogs are allowed on the playground equipment, but no one was around and Freesia felt like the queen of the castle up there!

day 5 - railway & forestry museum in prince george

Old locomotives to climb inside, old stuff to take photos of, and an old guy who loves all things train-related. Happy man, happy me!

day 6 - did someone say sssssnake?

The boys were off on a super fun baseball trip to Seattle, so us girls got to spend a few days together. After striking out at the Fall Fair, we hit the park for some BFF sillyness. Found a snake at the pond and Mikayla was thrilled to hold one for the first time.

day #7 - volleyball

Mikayla was invited for a spirited game of volleyball with a group of her friends from church. I got to practice my action photography while they played!

day #8 - farwell canyon

A car full of girls, incredible scenery, a sand dune to climb (hypothetically without passing out), a homestead to explore and gorgeous weather = ONE PERFECT DAY!

day 9, 10 & 12

Get rid of excessive screen time and suddenly creativity abounds. My kids spent long days with their dad and their cousins filming a super epic choose-your-own-adventure movie that will be available on YouTube eventually. I didn't get photos of it, but I did create a collection of my son getting ready for his star role. His hair is his most prized-possession.

Day #11 -sunset at lebourdais park

A beautiful walk across Johnston Bridge and the twirly train overpass, to Lebourdais Park for a rowdy game of "Hit the Bat you're Up" before having a picnic under the most gorgeous sunset sky.

day #13 - biking the riverwalk

Can't complain when you can bike from home to the gorgeous riverfront trail on a stunning sunny evening. Just me and the girl, today.

day #14 - pickleball

A brand new super fun game, an acrobatic teenager and a beautiful end to our 14 day challenge.

what are you waiting for?

Here you have it - undeniable evidence that there is SO MUCH to do in and around our amazing city of Quesnel. Undeniable proof that when you intentionally set aside time to be together as a family in the great outdoors, you will go from surviving to thriving. Undeniable proof that screen-time could never compete with finding critters, walking behind waterfalls, exploring deserts, marveling at sunsets, and sharing it all with the people you love most. And we barely scratched the surface!