FIRST WORD
A Digital Detox
PJ Feinstein
Managing Editor
pfeinstein@midatlanticmedia.com Facebook
@WashingtonFamilyMagazine​ Twitter
@FAMILYMagDC Pinterest
@familymagazine Instagram
@washingtonfamilymag Email us
Let us know what’s on your mind.

info@washingtonFAMILY.com “Can I have electronics now?”
That’s the question my two sons have asked
every day, multiple times a day, since the pandemic
started. (In our house, “electronics” is a catch-all
word for anything with a screen.) More often than
not, the answer has been “yes,” especially when my
husband and I are busy working from home.

But for nearly 72 blissful hours in August,
my kids didn’t ask for electronics. They didn’t
whine about screen time. They didn’t beg to play
Minecraft or Roblox with friends or to watch
another cartoon on their tablets.

Instead, they read books, played card games
and tied knots in lanyard (or “gimp”) during
their downtime. Because that’s what you do at
camp—and that’s where we were. Specifically, we
were at Capital Camps, unplugging as a family and
experiencing the healing qualities of nature for a
few days. Even I was able to disconnect, leaving
my phone in our cabin as we went boating, tie dyed
T-shirts and impersonated Hawkeye at archery.

Perhaps the best thing about our time at camp,
however, was that it proved to me that my kids
aren’t addicted to their electronics (as I was
beginning to fear). They can survive just fine
without them—and so can I.

My kids—and yours too, most likely—are about
to begin a new school year of distance learning.

In this issue, we wanted to explore ways to make
virtual school a success, from supporting children
with specials needs to setting up a learning space
in your home.

After my family’s experience at camp, I have
one more tip to add: Whether it’s every evening
or weekends only, find time for your family to
disconnect from electronics and connect with each
other. You can all use the break from screens.

Good luck this semester! And be in touch; I want
to know how it’s going. ■
Families need help now more than ever.

Adoption Competent
Mental Health Therapists
serving adoptive, foster & kinship families
via TeleHealth
Call us to learn more
866-217-8534 Inquire about fi nancial assistance
www.adoptionsupport.org/telementalhealth WashingtonFAMILY.com 5