--- title: "Small Success Thursday: A Screen-Free Day" description: What small successes are you celebrating this week? Join the fun and get some encouragement, too! --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/04/23/small-success-thursday-a-screen-free-day#) # Small Success Thursday: A Screen-Free Day Apr 23, 2015 8:00:52 AM  |  by [Sherry Antonetti](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/sherry-antonetti) [![Small Success dark blue outline 800x800](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Small-Success-dark-blue-outline-800x8001-400x400-48.png?width=400&height=400&name=Small-Success-dark-blue-outline-800x8001-400x400-48.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Small-Success-dark-blue-outline-800x8001-61.png) Today, I turned off the television, and the DS and the Xbox and the Kindles, the iPhone and the computer.  (Not all day, let’s not get crazy).  But I noticed these had become the preferred choice of leisure, even on a day with trees blossoming and sixty-eight degrees.  After turning off machines only to find them turned back on again by a different child, I declared the next day to be screen-free (during home hours not including homework).  There were the predicable bargains, groans and complaints. **Then everyone went outside.** At first, there was a listless “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do…” complaints, followed by the obligatory *let’s take everything out of the garage, skates, kites, bikes, balls, bats, skateboards, jump ropes, bubbles, waterguns, Frisbees, scooters, wagons, hula hoops and then declare, “We’ve done it all.*” I brought out ice cream in cups.  They sat together atop the plastic play house eating ice cream, doing nothing.  By the time they’d finished their treat, someone proposed tag and all the toys lay abandoned, as sure enough, the 11, 9, 8, 6, 4 and 13 year old played for a good hour before Mom required they stow the gear and come in for homework. Being unable to be distracted, my children rediscovered the joy of each other’s company to the point of not being concerned with time, only the ongoing of the game and each other’s presence. **So my small success this week,was to get the idea to turn off the machines.   We’ll see if I can remember to do it again next week.   Have a great week full of small successes!** [inlinkz_linkup id=518543 mode=1] *Copyright 2015 Sherry Antonetti* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F04%2F23%2Fsmall-success-thursday-a-screen-free-day%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F04%2F23%2Fsmall-success-thursday-a-screen-free-day%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F04%2F23%2Fsmall-success-thursday-a-screen-free-day%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Small%20Success%20Thursday%3A%20A%20Screen-Free%20Day) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F04%2F23%2Fsmall-success-thursday-a-screen-free-day%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F04%2F23%2Fsmall-success-thursday-a-screen-free-day%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Sherry Antonetti](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Sherry%20Antonetti.jpg) ### [Sherry Antonetti](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/sherry-antonetti) Sherry Antonetti is a freelance writer, high school teacher and a blogger at Patheos. She and her husband live in Maryland with nine of their ten children and a puppy named Pumpkin. [**](https://twitter.com/sherryantonetti) ## Related Blog Articles [ Small Success Thursday: Summer Vacation Special Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/08/11/small-success-thursday-august-11) [ Small Success: The Side They Pierced Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/10/27/small-success-side-pierced) [ Small Success and the Holy Spirit Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/04/28/small-success-holy-spirit) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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