Want less screen time? Go Vintage 

As a little girl, I wanted nothing more than a record player. Santa Claus delivered one year. It was a year when bonbon pink was still my preferred color. Wearing pajama's in just this color, I ripped open the package under the tree delighted to find even more pink, in the form of a record player.

I toted that device all over the house. Downstairs in the family room, I built forts out of quilts and blankets and listened to stories. Cinderella was, without doubt, my favorite. "Could this be love..te de de dum..could this be love?" would play over and over again. My brothers would grumble, "Not again, Ali!" as I lounged in a daydream mode.

My kids loved storytelling CDs. Life is easier these days... you can just download them. 

My son, now a lanky teen, still listens. He recently bought a sound system and has a collection of vinyls. He sits, dances, and thinks in his room while he rocks to the sounds playing off of his much fancier...definatley not pink..record player. (He would hate the term record player — he is to hip for that)

I think going vintage in parenting is a good thing. Back to the basics. Okay, you might not buy a record player in pink plastic but go listen to some books on vinyl, old cassettes or downloaded, turn off the screens and build a fort. 

–Allison Ochs, Social Worker M.S.W. , Coach, Expat, Mother of three, Wife

Photo by Sara Rolin on Unsplash