The unthinkable happened last Sunday. The internet suddenly stopped working. AAHHH! My daughter wasn’t able to work on her homework and I wasn’t able to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime. We don’t have cable so watching regular television wasn’t very interesting.

Benefit of A No WiFi Day

The best part of not having WiFi for the rest of the afternoon and evening was that it forced my kids and me to do something outside of the home. We decided to go on a bike ride. The option of staying at home with no WiFi didn’t appeal to them. My kids also accompanied me on my errands like purchasing some office supplies.

Sometimes I feel that everyone is too connected on the internet mindlessly surfing or getting distracted from living in the present. In my family, everyone tends to do their own thing in separate rooms. Instead of spending time together as a family, everyone is consumed in their own world (playing games, working on the computer, or streaming movies on the television).

When I reflect on how far our society has come along technology wise, I sometimes wish that we lived during a simpler time when families played outside the home more frequently and weren’t so consumed with television, computers, or social media.

But the best part is that my family doesn’t have to live like that although my kids and I are homebodies. I have to consciously make an effort to disconnect from the internet at least once a week and hang out with the kids without the internet as a distraction. Nothing beats spending time with the kids and enjoying each other’s company—by playing a board game, building Lego buildings, or biking or taking a walk outside. Enjoy your family’s company and live in the moment because you don’t know how many more moments you get to spend with them.