We often associate vacation as a time to re-connect, a time to get back in touch with the ones we love and with ourselves. We strive to spend our time disconnected from worries of work, home, and other stressors and come home recharged and ready to tackle the world with a fresh dose of optimism. Funny, though, that on our planet now, somehow the term “being connected” has become synonymous with “having a device in your hand.” Parents, you’re just as guilty of it as your teenagers. We are on our devices ALL THE TIME and do you really, truly, honestly feel like you’re connected with your spouse? Your kids? Your parents? Yourself?
We’ve all probably had to literally wrestle a device away from our child at some point. Aside from the last Oreo in the bag, there is not much our kids cling to tighter or think about more obsessively. Our kids would do anything and can block out anything for just one more minute to get to play that game. So how do we really, truly, honestly, reconnect when we’re on vacation? You PUT THE DEVICES DOWN, my friend.
It’s a hard thing to do, we get it. Research has confirmed that our brains respond to screen time much like they do to sugar or other addictive avenues. Each time we use it, we want to use it more. We think we need it.
But on this vacation, you don’t. You don’t need it to entertain you. You don’t need it to entertain your kids. Now, wait, before you get too worried, you will not have to give it up entirely while you’re with us, we’re just a family ranch, not a tech rehab facility. You will have access to spotty cell service and less-than-high-speed internet. You will be able to check-in at home and work if you need to, but, believe me, you probably won’t want to and you probably will realize you really don’t NEED to.
You have to let your travel here be your time to re-set. It’s your time to open yourself up to your family and to nature. Let it be the time you reset your child’s imagination and curiosity in the real world around them. Let them run, let them play, let them learn. And then talk. Talk to your spouse, the other guests, your kids. Look them in the eye and listen.
You’ve come to the right place at our little ranch in the rockies. Now just put the device down, walk away, and connect.
