2343: Post-Apocalypse News Flash: Four Young Boys Survive A Month Without Phones by Bradley Charbonneau on Parenting & Technology

[00:00:00] This complex financing talk is very challenging. Do I get my depot ever?

[00:00:06] But you already have a depot.

[00:00:08] No.

[00:00:09] Yes, you have the Vodafone Gigadepot.

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[00:00:15] Now with the Vodafone Gigadepot and the data volume of the next month. Go on in the 5G network of Vodafone. Vodafone. Together we can.

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[00:00:44] This is Optimal Relationships Daily. Post-Apocalypse News Flash. Four Young Boys Survive A Month Without Phones by Bradley Charbonneau of Pass the South.

[00:00:55] The

[00:00:55] Hello, everybody. I am Greg Audino. Welcoming you back to the show that's all about improving your relationships.

[00:01:02] But there's more than just relationships covered in the old network. So just a reminder that you can always come by oldpodcast.com or search for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're hearing this to find all of our shows covering a wide, wide range of topics.

[00:01:16] Today's post here is a reflection on four young boys being without their phones for a whole month.

[00:01:23] Oh boy. Curious about how this supports and strengthens family connections?

[00:01:27] I sure am. Let's get right into Bradley's post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:36] Post-apocalypse newsflash. Four young boys survive a month without phones.

[00:01:41] By Bradley Charbonneau of PassTheSourCream.com

[00:01:47] Quote, You know, Dad, I think that over the course of this month I've noticed that so many kids are just glued to their phones,

[00:01:53] and they don't experience anything going on around them. I just don't want that for my future.

[00:01:59] End quote.

[00:02:00] At least a few lifetimes ago, we decided to depart on our holiday without cell phones for the kids.

[00:02:06] We adults do have them, but use them for maps and reservations and photos.

[00:02:10] We're also more conscientious because the kids don't have them, so we're also not on them nearly as much.

[00:02:16] It's been brutal at times, but also gloriously disconnected and truly family building.

[00:02:22] Quote, I finally got to know my brother.

[00:02:25] I mean, yeah, I know who he is, but without a phone glued to my hand every minute,

[00:02:30] I never really knew him beyond just another player in our online game.

[00:02:34] Okay, he lives in our house, but, well, yeah.

[00:02:37] Mom, did you know that he has blue eyes?

[00:02:40] End quote.

[00:02:41] They played games at dinner, they talked about politics in the news,

[00:02:44] or at least what they could pick up from the Thai news stations,

[00:02:47] and even looked out the window on endless minivan journeys to catch a ferry boat.

[00:02:52] Quote, it's weird, you know.

[00:02:54] I mean, it's like I have so many friends, but then I think I only know them online.

[00:02:59] I don't really know them know them.

[00:03:01] I also realized that I wouldn't dare say half the stuff I do online with the person sitting next to me.

[00:03:06] It was crazy to see how people live who don't have phones all the time.

[00:03:11] Kind of weird, but kind of cool too.

[00:03:14] End quote.

[00:03:15] We traveled together with another family who also had addicted to their screen boys of 11 and 13.

[00:03:21] We tried to keep them busy with daily activities like a Thai cooking course and bamboo rafting.

[00:03:27] Quote,

[00:03:28] You know what was kind of cool about that cooking class?

[00:03:31] I didn't take a photo of every dish that I made and share it on Insta.

[00:03:34] I had to use my memory instead of the camera on my phone, so maybe I'll remember it better now.

[00:03:40] That was kind of weird if I have to be honest about it.

[00:03:43] End quote.

[00:03:44] They were allowed to read books on their Kindles, and they all have Kindles.

[00:03:47] They read lots of books.

[00:03:49] They read on trains, on buses, while waiting in line for a ticket, or even sometimes walking through a town.

[00:03:56] Quote,

[00:03:58] I saw the movie of the book I'm reading, but in the book I really got to know the characters.

[00:04:02] I mean, I really got into it, you know?

[00:04:04] Also, without my phone nearby all the time, I was able to focus for longer periods of time.

[00:04:10] When we get home, I think we should have a limit on screen time per day.

[00:04:14] I have to admit that I was pretty addicted to my screen and probably looked at it 329 times per day.

[00:04:20] But if we have limits on time when we're on them, and then times when we're all off,

[00:04:26] it'll probably be better for our whole family.

[00:04:29] End quote.

[00:04:30] Of course, there's going to be the inevitable harsh reality of peer pressure back home with friends who are logged in and checked out.

[00:04:37] But maybe we'll have this month to look back on as a time when we escape from the grip of the screen

[00:04:43] and can hold on to some of the positive aspects of a screen-limited life.

[00:04:48] Quote,

[00:04:49] Dad, I hate to admit it, but I wanted to thank you for not letting us bring our phones on this vacation.

[00:04:55] At first I was really mad at you, but now I see that it's really opened my eyes to a whole other world out there.

[00:05:02] Thanks, Dad.

[00:05:03] I love you.

[00:05:04] End quote.

[00:05:05] I am overjoyed at how the month went, introducing the boys to media they hadn't experienced since maybe kindergarten,

[00:05:12] drawing with pencils on paper, reading books at all hours of the day, building sandcastles, playing frisbee,

[00:05:18] and even playing tag in the ocean.

[00:05:20] There is hope that just this experimental month could possibly make a dent in the depth of addicted screen kids.

[00:05:27] Tomorrow is Judgment Day.

[00:05:29] Wish us luck and send us a note on a postcard.

[00:05:32] And now the final section.

[00:05:34] It's completely optional.

[00:05:36] It's even a little dangerous like those movie reviews where they warn you in the paragraph with spoiler alert.

[00:05:42] In fact, if you're sobbing even a little at the beauty of the reconnection of our family values,

[00:05:47] dear unconditional love for one another,

[00:05:49] and purely sappy and gushy dreamland of a family fantasy,

[00:05:53] just stop listening right now and go enjoy the rest of your day.

[00:05:56] Fill it with hopes and good cheer,

[00:05:58] and try to play Monopoly with your family.

[00:06:01] Now, wipe away those tears of joy from the hope that you might again dream of a chance that you connect with your kids again.

[00:06:08] Are you sitting down?

[00:06:09] Do you have some more tissue?

[00:06:11] I'm just going to lay it out for you straight.

[00:06:13] Most all of what you previously heard is a complete fabrication.

[00:06:18] The quotes are about as authentic as a Louis Vuitton bag at the night bazaar at Chiang Mai.

[00:06:23] Yes, they read books.

[00:06:25] Sure, they played in the ocean.

[00:06:27] They even talked to each other more.

[00:06:29] But offered the choice of a trip to the moon on a rainbow unicorn,

[00:06:33] or getting a phone back in their hands for an hour,

[00:06:36] passed the charger.

[00:06:38] Quote,

[00:06:38] Dad, see the family over there?

[00:06:41] Seven of the nine people at the table are on their phones.

[00:06:44] End quote.

[00:06:45] By an 11-year-old phoneless boy.

[00:06:47] This one is real.

[00:06:48] It did open their eyes to a screen-free world,

[00:06:51] even though they would, with all of their heart,

[00:06:53] rather be back in the screen world.

[00:06:55] Full disclosure,

[00:06:56] the month actually went well.

[00:06:58] Really well.

[00:06:59] My mom reminds me that I played the Atari 2600 until my fingers were sore.

[00:07:03] We, as parents, have to choose our battles but win the war.

[00:07:07] If my 13-year-old son picked up the tiniest of new habits in the past month,

[00:07:11] it was a win for us all.

[00:07:13] I'm also pretty sure that if you asked my son what color his brother's eyes are,

[00:07:17] he would have no idea.

[00:07:19] But hey, he's a boy.

[00:07:20] He's 13.

[00:07:21] And that's his brother we're talking about.

[00:07:27] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:29] Post-Apocalypse Newsflash.

[00:07:31] Four Young Boys Survive a Month Without Phones.

[00:07:33] By Bradley Charbonneau of PassTheSourCream.com

[00:07:38] Oh, Bradley.

[00:07:40] Always with the humor.

[00:07:41] Another fun and informative post from him.

[00:07:43] I hate feeling as if I'm not buying the posts we share.

[00:07:47] And halfway through this one,

[00:07:49] I was like, there's no,

[00:07:50] there's zero chance that these pubescent and prepubescent boys

[00:07:54] are coming out with quotes like this.

[00:07:56] So I was very happy to find that they did have some healthy realizations in the end.

[00:08:00] And Bradley's right.

[00:08:01] That's all you can and should expect.

[00:08:04] There is a great victory in even having kids that age re-evaluate things in a healthy way.

[00:08:10] Doesn't mean they have to become these mindfulness masters over the course of one trip.

[00:08:14] So a good reminder from Bradley to celebrate the small wins

[00:08:17] and aid your kids into creating good values from a young age.

[00:08:21] With that, let's sign off on today's episode.

[00:08:24] Thank you so much for joining me here once again.

[00:08:27] I will be back tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.

[00:08:30] Let's go.

[00:08:30] Thank you.