Embrace Week 20: Strengthening Connections and Self-Discipline Through Screen-Free Time

Q: How long should we go without screens each day?

For the Week 20 challenge, start with about one hour a day. If that feels easy, families can try two or three hours. The goal is to make the challenge manageable enough to follow consistently.

Q: Does this mean giving up screens completely?

No. The challenge is about taking a short intentional daily break from media and devices rather than eliminating screens completely.

Q: Should the whole family participate?

The challenge encourages the whole family to participate so everyone can help keep each other accountable.

Q: Where should we put our phones and devices?

One option is to use the screen-free period as charging time and keep devices away from the places where family members normally reach for them.

Hello, lovely friends and families!

Can you believe we’re already in Week 20? As I sit here reflecting on the past 19 weeks, I can’t help but feel a swell of pride. Each week has brought new challenges, and if any of you have joined us on this journey, take a moment to celebrate yourselves!

It’s not easy to set intentions and muster the willpower to stick with them. Think of these qualities like muscles; the more we exercise them, the stronger they become. It’s never too late to cultivate self-discipline, and trust me, every little effort contributes positively to our well-being.

In This Post

The Week 20 Challenge
How We’re Doing It
No Screen Time Tracker
Building Healthier Screen Habits
Screen-Free Challenge FAQ

Family screen-free challenge for Week 20

The Week 20 Challenge: Take a Daily Break From Screens

What does this week hold for us? This week, let’s take a short daily break from our screens!

Yes, that’s right—let’s step away from media and devices for a little while each day. If you’re like me and use your devices often, consider committing to just one hour a day without them.

If that seems too easy, you might want to challenge yourself to go for two or three hours! The important thing is to make it manageable so that it becomes a successful and rewarding experience for you and your loved ones.

This is not about pretending technology has no place in family life. For us, it is simply about creating intentional breaks and noticing what happens when our attention is available for something else.

That same idea comes up in our Mindful Reading on Non-Electronic Devices Challenge, where we practice stepping away from screens for a few minutes and returning to something slower.

How We’re Doing It as a Family

Here are a few thoughts to ponder:

Where will you keep your devices during this time? Perhaps it’s a perfect opportunity to charge them away from your usual spots!
Is there a specific time of day that works for you? Choose a time when you can unplug and recharge yourselves instead.

Let’s make this a family affair to help keep each other accountable. It’s all about embracing moments that connect us rather than those that distract us.

If your family is thinking more broadly about digital entertainment, you may also enjoy reading Why Our Family Chose Not to Build Gaming Into Childhood. Our goal is not to tell every family what their screen habits should look like, but to think intentionally about what we are making part of everyday childhood.

A Simple No Screen Time Tracker

To make the challenge a little easier to follow, I created a printable No Screen Time Tracker for families who want a simple way to build more intentional screen habits.

Here They Grow printable No Screen Time Tracker

The printable gives kids, teens, and adults a place to set goals before using screens and keep track of screen-free activities throughout the week.

See the No Screen Time Tracker

Building Healthier Screen Habits

Do you have a preteen or teen struggling with video game overconsumption? Check out my class on Outschool, where we’ll explore techniques to practice balance and cultivate healthier tech habits.

Another helpful resource: The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a free Family Media Plan that helps families think about screen-free times, screen-free areas of the home, family routines, content choices, and how adults can model healthy media habits too.

Explore the AAP Family Media Plan

For us, creating healthy screen habits also means paying attention to what children are consuming, not only how long they are looking at a screen. I talk more about that in Children Become What They Repeatedly See.

Screen-Free Challenge FAQ

How long should we go without screens each day?

For our Week 20 challenge, I suggest starting with about one hour a day. If that feels easy for your family, you can try two or three hours. The most important thing is choosing something manageable enough that you can actually follow through.

Does this mean giving up screens completely?

No. This challenge is simply about taking a short intentional break from media and devices each day. It is not an all-or-nothing digital detox.

Should the whole family participate?

That is what we encourage. Making it a family challenge can help everyone stay accountable and turns the screen-free time into something you are doing together rather than something only the children have to do.

Where should we put our phones and devices?

One idea is to use the screen-free period as charging time and keep devices away from the places where you would normally reach for them.