Ban the Crackberry! Mommy Greenest Checks Out
Last weekend I packed up the chemical-free bug spray (gotta love that citronella scent), zinc oxide sunscreen and four reusable shopping bags full of organic food and set off on a camping trip with six other families from my kids’ school.
“Camping” is really a euphemism—the cabins we booked were more like hotel rooms, with refrigerators, full bathrooms and daily maid service—although we did cook over a campfire, scared away some skunks and endured nightly visits from inquisitive mice.
We’re all pretty tuned-in parents, so my eco offerings didn’t raise any eyebrows—though I was a little dismayed to find that even the families who packed their kids’ school lunchboxes with BPA-free, stainless steel reusable water bottles stocked up on cases of eight-ounce plastic water bottles for the trip. As I was filling up my glass as the tap in another family’s cabin, one of their kids pointed to the plastic and told me, “There’s clean water over there.” It drove home the point that most kids see tap water as “dirty” and bottled water as “clean,” when the reality is just the opposite. What ever happened to the good old-fashioned canteen?
But I digress. My goal for this camping trip was to tune out of work and tune into my family. Because although I write about sustainability for a living, the truth is that lately my life hasn’t been all that balanced. I work from home, so I can take my kids to school and throw in a load of laundry while still managing to meet my deadlines. But I’ve gotten so overwhelmed these days that I can’t seem to turn off the work part. I leave my office door open so I can pop in and check my email while my girls are in the bath. I bring my mobile phone downstairs to text with an editor while I’m making the pasta. I put the kids to bed, then write copy until midnight.
And I check email. It’s the first thing I do in the morning, and the last thing I do at night. I check email in the car, on a walk, after yoga. I check email while talking to people. I check email while texting.
I noticed a few days ago that whenever I meet friends for lunch these days, we all put our phones on the tables so we can glance over as the messages come rolling in, and deal with whatever’s urgent.
But what’s really so urgent that it can’t wait an hour?
So after interviewing Mariel Hemingway a few weeks ago and listening to her talk about “showing up” in our lives, I started looking at the amount of email checking I was doing. I thought about how many times my husband has begged me to just turn off the phone when we go away for a weekend. And I realized that our luxury camping trip provided the perfect opportunity.
On Friday morning, I cut the cord.
I gave myself some back up, of course. An auto reply included my cell phone number, should anyone need to reach me. And I did keep my phone on, though email free. But you know what? I didn’t miss it, and nobody missed me. I spent three days just hanging out with the Barnacle (read: baby) and the rest of the family and relaxing (read: beer). My husband snapped this picture on Day Three. Do you see any electronic devices in my near vicinity? I don’t think so.
I came back to 200 emails, which I waded through for two hours on Sunday night. But nothing fell through the cracks. And this week, so far, I’m continuing to manage the addiction. The email function on my phone isn’t working, and I’ve decided not to fix it. I ate breakfast, took a shower, made lunches and read the paper before I checked my messages this morning.
I guess this stuff isn’t so urgent, after all.
“Camping” is really a euphemism—the cabins we booked were more like hotel rooms, with refrigerators, full bathrooms and daily maid service—although we did cook over a campfire, scared away some skunks and endured nightly visits from inquisitive mice.
We’re all pretty tuned-in parents, so my eco offerings didn’t raise any eyebrows—though I was a little dismayed to find that even the families who packed their kids’ school lunchboxes with BPA-free, stainless steel reusable water bottles stocked up on cases of eight-ounce plastic water bottles for the trip. As I was filling up my glass as the tap in another family’s cabin, one of their kids pointed to the plastic and told me, “There’s clean water over there.” It drove home the point that most kids see tap water as “dirty” and bottled water as “clean,” when the reality is just the opposite. What ever happened to the good old-fashioned canteen?
But I digress. My goal for this camping trip was to tune out of work and tune into my family. Because although I write about sustainability for a living, the truth is that lately my life hasn’t been all that balanced. I work from home, so I can take my kids to school and throw in a load of laundry while still managing to meet my deadlines. But I’ve gotten so overwhelmed these days that I can’t seem to turn off the work part. I leave my office door open so I can pop in and check my email while my girls are in the bath. I bring my mobile phone downstairs to text with an editor while I’m making the pasta. I put the kids to bed, then write copy until midnight.
And I check email. It’s the first thing I do in the morning, and the last thing I do at night. I check email in the car, on a walk, after yoga. I check email while talking to people. I check email while texting.
I noticed a few days ago that whenever I meet friends for lunch these days, we all put our phones on the tables so we can glance over as the messages come rolling in, and deal with whatever’s urgent.
But what’s really so urgent that it can’t wait an hour?
So after interviewing Mariel Hemingway a few weeks ago and listening to her talk about “showing up” in our lives, I started looking at the amount of email checking I was doing. I thought about how many times my husband has begged me to just turn off the phone when we go away for a weekend. And I realized that our luxury camping trip provided the perfect opportunity.
On Friday morning, I cut the cord.
I gave myself some back up, of course. An auto reply included my cell phone number, should anyone need to reach me. And I did keep my phone on, though email free. But you know what? I didn’t miss it, and nobody missed me. I spent three days just hanging out with the Barnacle (read: baby) and the rest of the family and relaxing (read: beer). My husband snapped this picture on Day Three. Do you see any electronic devices in my near vicinity? I don’t think so.
I came back to 200 emails, which I waded through for two hours on Sunday night. But nothing fell through the cracks. And this week, so far, I’m continuing to manage the addiction. The email function on my phone isn’t working, and I’ve decided not to fix it. I ate breakfast, took a shower, made lunches and read the paper before I checked my messages this morning.
I guess this stuff isn’t so urgent, after all.
Tags: tmfc, tmparenting
Add a Comment
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Comment by ecostilettor on June 15, 2009 at 10:10am - good for you!
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Comment by Shawnasie Shear on June 15, 2009 at 7:55am - My only place to check email is via computer and I keep it that way. I don't want to be bothered by unnecessary emails & phone calls when I am not at my computer. If I receive a call from someone other than friends and family during my family time, I ignore it. If it's really that important, they can leave a voice mail. I am a mom and wife before anything else.
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Comment by gemgh on June 15, 2009 at 3:07am - Way to go Lena. I hate being interrupted by cell phones. I do think it is rude also. I never carry mine to work although others do and it is annoying. Takes away from their work. I don't think that is a great way to score points as a worker and I stay away from that. I only make emergency calls and ask the children not to call me if it isn't an emergency. I think sometimes our curiosity overrides everything else.
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Comment by ecostilettor on June 12, 2009 at 8:44am
- you know, i finally fixed the email on my phone yesterday but i still haven't used it. the addiction can be broken ;-)
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Comment by Dawn on June 12, 2009 at 8:39am - Good for you! You inspired me to try it this weekend. No email for two days. I hope I can make it, it is like a serious addition. I know it's getting bad though because my kids and husband are starting to comment on it. Thanks for this post.
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Comment by ecostilettor on June 12, 2009 at 8:21am
- That sounds like a DREAM!
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Comment by ECHOage on June 12, 2009 at 5:46am -
Hi Rachel,
Good for you. Good for your family and good for everyone.
Our cottage in Canada has no hydro, no phones and we have to get there by boat so for 1 month we are relatively media free (cell phones and blackberrys work intermittently) - it is just the break we need after the crazy hectic year that we have all just had. Can't wait to get there.
Roz
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Comment by ecostilettor on June 11, 2009 at 12:17pm
- i think we're afraid of missing something, but it's positive reinforcement when you do shut it off and everything still manages to get done! good for you lena ;-) thanks for the comment!
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Comment by Lena on June 11, 2009 at 10:34am -
I also work from home and refuse to get a crackberry, because I know I will be checking e-mails when I am spending time with my kids. It is so anoying and disrespectful when people do that. I agree e-mail, texting, tweeter are all addictive. And I am trying to manage it the best I can using my willpower :), but just like you I end up checking e-mail first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I am wondering if a time will come when all of us will rebel and just cut the cord on all of this stuff altogether.
Lena
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