raising off screen

Series 1: The Screen-Free Summer Reset: How To Make  This Your Most Intentional Summer Yet

If you had told me last summer I’d be voluntarily limiting screens in my house while working full-time from home with three boys, I would’ve laughed… and then turned up Pokémon to survive another Microsoft Teams Meeting.

But here we are. I’m calling this the Screen-Free Summer Reset—and while it’s not perfect, it’s already changing our home in ways I didn’t expect.

This is the kickoff post to a multi-part Summer Survival Series, created to help you master summer with intention—without losing your mind, your job, or your connection with your kids.

🎯 Why We Chose to Reset

If you’ve read my first post (the reason behind all this..), you already know what triggered this shift.

Screens were slowly draining the innocence out of my boys. They became less kind, less curious, more reactive—and truthfully, we were all more disconnected.
So we changed things. Heavily.
These days, they might get one hour of screen time a day—if the day flows well. And even though I only put them in two weeks of (half-day!) camp this summer—because #budget—I figured, “Why not start my own camp at home?”

And sis, that’s exactly what I did!

✨ We’re Not Screen-Free 100%—But We Have a Rhythm

I still work full-time, and yes, a one-hour movie break can be a life-saver. But we’ve created a daily rhythm that feels peaceful, grounded, and real.
Here’s what it looks like in our house:

🌅 Morning Reset (No Rush, Just Rhythm)

• We start slow: brush teeth, wash faces, lotion up, and change into fresh clothes (yes, even if we’re not leaving the house!)
• Breakfast together at the table—or on the back deck if the sun is calling
• Then:
  • 15–20 mins of stretching/Exercising – We love the Little Sports Youtube channel.
  • A short devotional and prayer time – We love the devotional book: A boy after God’s own heart from the
    Christianbook or from Amazon. We also love a devotional from the 5 minute family devotionals from the Minno – Bible Stories for Kids Youtube channel.
• This small start sets the tone for everything else.

🏃🏽‍♂️ Midday Movement + Learning

• 1 hour of outdoor time: scavenger hunts, sprinkler games, chalk art, nature walks (I’ll share a lot more of these in upcoming posts!)
• Lunch: Think kid-friendly meals – pizza, pasta, sandwich, Pattie, etc.. – with a side of veggies—always with veggies there is at least one that your kids will like. Two of my boys love cucumbers and bell peppers while the other love cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes. 😅
• Light academics: One worksheet or quick review—writing names, sight words, math facts, reading, etc.
• Activity block + screen time: We plan another creative activity here, and this is also when screen time happens—no more than 1 hour.

💾 [Dowload Free “Summer Activity Block Printable” here]

🍎 Afternoon Flow & Family Time

• Snack time + quiet play (think LEGO, puzzles, books) while I wrap up work
• Dinner around the table—no phones, no distractions, just check-ins and conversations about the day
• Evening: When Mom and Dad are off work, we let the day flow. Sometimes that means walks, spontaneous worship, sometimes just watching them be kids

⚠️ It’s Not Perfect. But It’s Real.

Some days we skip the worksheet.
Some days an activity turns into a wrestling match on the grass.
Some days one of us just needs a mental break and we pack up and hit a waterpark.

But even with all that—I can tell you with confidence:

This rhythm has brought peace back into our home.
It’s helped us feel more human, more connected, and less controlled by the screen.

✝️ Write the Vision…

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” — Habakkuk 2:2

This summer, I wrote our vision:
To raise boys who know how to play, create, connect, and grow—without relying on a screen.
To make memories instead of noise.
To be more present, even in the chaos.

I don’t want my sons to remember their summers by the shows they watched.
I want them to remember the scavenger hunts. The laughter at the dinner table. The way it felt when we sang worship songs together, even off-key.
I want to plant seeds—of character, faith, and joy—that will grow with them.

🗓 What’s Coming in the Series

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing posts that walk you through:

• Screen-free activities that actually work (even if you work full-time!)
• How I structure our day as a work-from-home mom
• Faith-based ways to build character this summer
• Printables to help you plan, prep, and keep your sanity
• Encouragement for the hard days (because whew… they will come)

💖 Final Words

You don’t need to have it all figured out, mama.
Just write the vision. Set the tone.
God will guide the rest.

I’ll be back next week with our first real-life summer routine breakdown (and yes—it includes time for YOU 😅).

With love and grace,
Michèle