Real Mom Talk: Disconnecting from Technology

Unfortunately, today is not so much of an advice blog, but rather a confession and seeking advice from you. I have a confession to make, I LOVE technology. Big surprise, right? I am, after all, the social media coordinator. I've spent years of my life online in some capacity. I've always had a bit of an issue taking the time to disconnect from the online world and focus on the real world. These tendencies are only amplified by each new digital device that fits in the palm of my hand. The truth is, it's not just the internet that is an issue, it's texting and e-mail too.

It's not just me either, my husband works in technology too, so were both available practically 24/7 and could work any hour of the day that is required. The problem is, we are beginning to see how it is affecting our children. It's not unusual for me to find a child on the computer before 7 a.m. at our house, or to have to threaten discipline to get them to save their video game and shut it off at any given time of day. Video games aren't really my thing, but since my husband grew up with them, it's a passion he loves to share with our children. With technology creeping in to so many areas of our life in recent years, how do we carefully draw the boundary lines? Especially when it affects our parenting and our children's future?

Clearly, if you are a blog subscriber or a Facebook follower, you spend a fair amount of your time online too. When your work revolves around technology, it takes it to a whole new level. My question for you today is, how do you disconnect? Do you set up rules for yourself, like you do with your children? Do you limit how many hours a day you are online? Let's chat honestly about what technology means to us and our children today. What's a healthy medium in 2011?