Why We Chose Sunlight Over Screens (And What Happened When We Took Them Away)

There was a time when screens filled our days. Not because I didn’t care—but because it felt normal. Screens are everywhere—restaurants, waiting rooms, schools, our homes. It didn’t feel extreme, it felt expected. And honestly, it made life easier. Quieter. More predictable.

But something felt off.

My kids could play at the park just fine—but at home they didn’t know what to do with themselves. No ideas, no initiative, no creativity unless I prompted it. Their minds were always occupied, and without that constant input, they just seemed… stuck.

So we did something that felt extreme at the time—we took the screens away.

And I won’t sugarcoat it, it was rough. There were tantrums, constant “I’m bored,” asking me all day what they should do. It honestly felt like withdrawal, because in a lot of ways it was. Their brains were so used to constant stimulation that without it, they didn’t know how to function.

The first few days I had to step in a lot. I helped them start games, played with them, guided them—but I was really intentional not to replace the screen with me. I didn’t want to become their entertainment, I wanted them to remember how to create their own.

And then something shifted.

It wasn’t big or dramatic, just one day they didn’t ask me what to do. They just started playing. And by week two, I remember thinking… are these my same kids? They were deep in pretend play, building things, making up games on their own. No one was asking me for help, no one was saying they were bored.

They started coloring more, drawing more, picking up books on their own. They were going outside without me telling them to. And just as noticeable as what was happening… was what stopped happening. The tantrums, the outbursts, the constant restlessness—it all started to fade. It was like their nervous systems finally settled.

That was three years ago.

Now my kids don’t need me to entertain them. They default to being outside, to creating, to moving their bodies. They’ll jump on the trampoline, swing, explore, or just sit outside and read.

We still watch TV, but it’s intentional. It’s after dinner, together as a family. On weekends we might watch more, but it’s still something we do together. We don’t do iPads or video games. The only exceptions are things like travel—airports or long flights—or small amounts for homeschool, like Night Zookeeper (about 20 minutes, three times a week), or the occasional video tied to a lesson.

Screens aren’t gone, but they don’t run our day anymore.

And I think this is the part we don’t talk about enough—screens aren’t just about kids, they’re about us too. We’re tired. Our kids are full of energy when we’re running on empty, and screens feel like relief. And sometimes they are.

But when they become the default, kids lose something. They lose the ability to sit in boredom long enough to create, to think on their own, to enjoy what’s right in front of them.

This isn’t really about screen time—it’s about what replaces it. Childhood isn’t meant to be constantly entertained. Kids need boredom, dirt, sunlight, space to think, and unstructured time to just be.

The goal was never no screens.

The goal was this—that the light of the sun would always outshine the glow of a screen.

And seeing my kids now, choosing outside, creating on their own, fully in their days… I can say it was completely worth it.

And if you’re in the middle of the tantrums and the “this isn’t working” phase—don’t quit there. That’s not the end, that’s the turning point.