…It can be a real challenge in today’s world. We have so many things competing for our attention; email, text messages, phone calls, DVR, tablets, laptops, video games, etc. Many times, after spending the entire day plugged in at work, we find ourselves devoting our after-hours time to these items also, instead of focusing on what’s most valuable to us; our family.
In my household, we recognize that this is the case, but these distractions are doing more than simply keeping us from focusing on quality time with each other. They’re actually wreaking havoc on our efficiency, and creating a negative snowball effect on all of our commitments. They’re keeping us from staying on task, getting the kids to bed on time, organizing and preparing for the next day, etc, which adds to the chaos that mornings can bring, potentially further damaging our relationships.
To conquer this and get back to a time when our days started off at a positive pace, instead of a crazy scramble, we’ve decided it’s time for a Technology Basket, a place where all of our electronic distractions will go when we get home from work, school, etc, and remain until the littles are in bed. So, that was my weekend honey-do project, and here’s a quick run-down of how (simply) I made ours:
- After making a few measurements, I drilled two holes and (using plastic wall-anchors) mounted two wooden corbels that I already had, left over from a project years ago, to the wall behind our clothes dryer.
- I set a basket we already had on top of the corbels.
Yep, that’s it. It was that simple, and we now have a basket in the utility room, where we generally enter and exit the house. Cheap fix for sure! We wanted ours out of the way, in a place that we wouldn’t all be interrupted by vibrations, rings, dings, and the like.
We’re hoping this helps us all stay focused on each other and the tasks we need to handle around bedtime. Time will tell, but the first night was a huge success!
About Ryan Hukill
This sounds like a great idea Ryan. I have recognized the need in our family to disconnect from digital devices and try to connect with each other. I remember reading something about Craig Groeschel doing this for his family – a period each without electronic or digital media.
How has this worked out for you?