So it turns out we are the ones addicted to video games, not the kids
As I posted here last week, we took a few days over our spring break to rent a cabin on a chain of lakes near Orlando called Lake Louisa State Park. The park makes a point of not outfitting its cabins with telephones, televisions, Internet connections or radios. "The cabins were designed without these amenities to encourage guests to explore the natural beauty of the state park."
A friend of mine actually considered joining us until she read that. She didn't think it would be too relaxing to have a bunch of bored kids underfoot whining at her.
That gave me pause, but I was determined to go gonzo. No GameBoys, no DVD players. I made a point of turning off my cell phone when we arrived. We went on a hike and the kids tried to catch bugs with a net and we scooped up some baby fish in a jar (and put them back, of course). That night, we made dinner together and played Scrabble and Uno and had a fine time.
The next day we rented a canoe and headed back to the cabin for a late lunch. It was later that afternoon that I realized I was the one who missed the blinking screens. The 6 year old was pouting that no one wanted to play chess with him. I had yet to sit down with that stack of books I brought because I had replaced the entertainment system.
"I guess that's the dirty little secret," I told my husband, "that it's the parents that are addicted to the video games to give them a break from the kids." To which my husband said, "That's a secret?"
My friend Ad Hudler, a novelist who also maintains a thought-provoking blog, recently imposed a week of Internet absinence on himself. He wrote that during that week "The days seemed longer. I had no idea how much time, cumulatively, I spend online. ... I hazard to say I spend at least 90 minutes a day online: facebook, email, websites. All added up, that's an entire work day every week!"
I agree with Ad that I read a lot more and felt like I had more time without the electronic chains. I was actually in no hurry to get back on the grid once we got back. The kids didn't seem to miss it much either, so maybe we need to start a ritual of unplugged weekends every now and then.
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
Amy Hollyfield is a workaholic mother of two young
daughters, blessed to have a work-at-home husband who makes their life possible. She was born in Detroit and moved around a lot as a kid (read: Air Force brat). She has lived in Florida since the month after she
graduated from Northwestern University. She lives for the yelps, hugs and kisses that greet her on nights that she makes it home before bedtime.
Sherry Robinson was born in the Sunshine State but she feels more comfortable inside a mall than outside at the beach -- thank goodness her husband is the outdoorsy type. He takes their two sons on night hikes, beach runs and bug hunts while Sherry does her best to take care of the homestead -- and find out what is new on the store shelves. A graduate of the University of South Florida in 19noneofyourbusiness, Sherry has been at the Times for nearly 20 years. And with nearly 10 years of parenting experience, Sherry is eager to offer up some great dish on raising kids and keeping your sanity.
Guest blogger Tracey Henry, a.k.a. Suburban Diva, is a frantic, slightly frazzled mother of four. She is a freelance humor writer and author which is the only thing that parenting four children ages 12-1 trains you for, except perhaps court jester and professional bull rider. She and her husband have lived all over the country, but settled in Florida eight years ago because the beachcombing is so much better here than on the banks of the Mississippi. Their family time includes a lot of sport -- both watching and playing -- and fun in the sun and surf. Catch her in Whoa, Momma! and on her site, 
Sherri Day and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world in early 2008. So far, she describes parenthood as exciting, exhausting and exhilarating. A self-described Southern belle with small-town values and big-city idealism, Sherri was born in rural Georgia. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from Clark Atlanta University and her master's of journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She is the Brandon bureau chief for the Times. Sherri moved to Tampa from Brooklyn four years ago.
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