This year, Christian and I decided to make some New Years Resolutions for our marriage. I had suggested this before, but he resisted last year, fearing (correctly) that I had an agenda. And because I knew he was correct, I also knew I couldn’t force the issue. So this year when I brought it up again, I made very certain that I didn’t spend any time thinking about it ahead of time, so I couldn’t corrupt the process with my own agenda.
We decided to commit to two technology-free nights a week. On Tuesday and Friday nights, the computer powers down at 5, the TV goes off, and we spend time as a family and (after kids’ bedtimes) a married couple.
It hasn’t worked out quite as we envisioned yet, because a couple of times we’ve spent that family time dealing with sick children, and last night Christian had to return a phone call that lasted half an hour. Nonetheless, it’s been a good experience.
Last night, while Christian taught lessons, I sat down at the kitchen table with the kids and we colored on Julianna’s Crayola mobile set she got for Christmas. Alex drew a portrait of the family; Nicholas scribbled on scratch paper, and Julianna showed off her ability to make straight lines and circles without anyone guiding her hand.
We went upstairs and got ready for bed, read Farkle McBride and Cowboy Katie, and then, when Christian got done with lessons, he came up to tuck the little ones into bed while I read Laura Ingalls Wilder to Alex. And when the phone call was done, Christian and I sat on the couch and talked till time for bed.
A simple night, nothing fancy, and I can’t tell you how many times I wished we could run over to the computer and look something up. But the trouble with technology is that it’s so hard to pull away from it once it’s on. I get on the computer to look up some store hours, and then I think, I’ll just check email while I’m here, and oh, I haven’t done Facebook much today and Mom said she was putting pictures up, and suddenly I’ve spent half an hour there. And every night, Christian flips through channels and says, “There’s really nothing on,” and yet continues to flip through them.
It’s good for us to turn it all off. Break the addiction. Reconnect. It may not have a hook and a page-turning plot, but it works for us.
Kathleen M. Basi 
Sounds like a fabulous plan!
And wondering how well it would work in our technology-obsessed household…. we’re both terribly geeky; conversations about Star-Trek brought us together in the first place. 😛
Usually when the kids are sleeping, our “couple time” consists of watching a mutually favorite Sci-Fi series or cheesy made-for-TV movie.
We do engage in discussions during the show, especially if the script was poorly written! hehe
We’ll try to rewrite the plot, or imagine what we’d do in a similar situation.
So there is some intellectual bonding going on… although it’s a bit of a stretch. 😉
But as you say, more often than not, one of us will jump online to see the director’s filmography, and wind up checking e-mail for the umpteenth time.
But I do miss that pre-kids couple time, too!
Congratulations! I love thinking back to our coloring days. In our house now, we schedule family dinner’s with all 4 of us together. The best is when our 17yr old spontaneously engages in mommy/daddy time with lots of freely given hugs and talks!