This is a book I’m keeping on my keeper shelf because I know I’ll reach for it time and time again. It’s a great resource and reference for any parent or educator who is frustrated with screen time and is just out of ideas on how to proceed.
When presented with the opportunity to read this book, I wasn’t sure right away as I saw it was written for middle schoolers and adolescents. I have much younger kids but still see them on a screen way too often. And as someone who works full-time, I admit that occasionally it becomes a babysitter while I’m in a meeting or have to finish a task. My 6-year-old has lost his love for toys now that he has an iPad available at all times. But at the same time, I don’t want to shove a book in his hand and take away his willingness to want to read. So I figured it could be adapted to the younger crowd.
And it was. I love how it’s written for parents who have no background in education. I mean, I’m a book blogger and refuse to fall asleep unless I read first. My daughter has started to do this too. My son is harder to get through to. Now that he has started learning to read and can get through Dr. Seuss and Mo Willems, it’s more common but I still would like less screen time.
There’s a ton of recommended books that Newton provides no matter what subject matter or interest the child has. I even wrote a few down that sounded right up my alley. And she definitely provides outside-the-box strategies for encouraging reading at all times, even when driving in the car or there’s a group of kids together.
This book can easily be read in 2 hours and will even give you ways to encourage speaking about reading and gives gift suggestions. It can also appeal to those who love screens by making a movie date out of a book that is just recently adapted. I definitely recommend having it available or gifting it to a special teacher for the holidays.
About the author: Kaye Newton lives outside Nashville, TN with her husband, three kids, and two lively dogs. “Incision Decisions”, her first book, won a silver medal at the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Awards.
My thanks to the author for the review copy and for providing a copy for a giveaway. U.S. only, please. To enter, leave a comment answering “What is your struggle with screen time?” One random commenter will be chosen on Sunday, October 28.
About the author: GRETCHEN ANTHONY is a Minnesota-based writer and humorist whose work has been featured on scarymommy.com, medium.com and thewritelife.com. She’s also spent decades as a ghostwriter and has written for some of the best personal brands in the United States, from CEOs to doctors and start-up superstars to BBQ pros. Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is her first novel.