Digital Detox

This was an excellent book. Full of wisdom, truth and encouragements for parents and educators alike. I have never been more convinced of our need to minimalism some of the screen use in our home. I’m so grateful for all the information DeFrank put in this book on why I need to get technology back in its place and especially for all the tricks on how to do it. It might feel like stepping off of a cliff if I were to detox my kids without the aid of this book.If you aren’t sure you need to detox your family, are a sceptic to the detox, get defensive when you even read the title of this book, or have said “hands down we need help”, then this book is for you. This book is full of practical advice, and steps on how to detox well. But for me the most important part was the encouragement she provides on why we are the perfect parents for our children to train up in the ways of the Lord and find their God given strengths. This book doesn’t shame us for the last several years of Covid screen indulgence but lovingly helps us get out of that hole. I just wish I had this book in my hands earlier!

Digital Detox is a practical and engaging guide to help you take back control of the screen time in your home.A couple years ago, we did this two week detox with our 3 kids (now ages 6, 8, and 10). We loved it! And continued with pretty minimal screen time. But our kids are now asking for more screens, so we needed to come up with a long term plan. This book was exactly what we needed!Molly isn’t advocating for total elimination of screens, but the research is clear. Our kids are spending an unprecedented amount of time on digital entertainment, and these habits are detrimental to their mental health and their real-life relationships. I found the research detailed in this book prompted some great conversations with my husband and with friends.The section about the importance of teaching our kids to negotiate their boredom really stuck with me! It’s so easy rely on technology to manage behavioral issues, but I am so encouraged by Molly to keep doing the hard and rewarding work of engaging and training my kids. They need our time and our attention!Molly’s writing is humorous and, most importantly, hopeful. It’s also intensely practical. Molly understands the challenges associated with parenting, busy schedules, and family dynamics, and she does a great job anticipating objections and excuses. She offers a ton of practical resources for family activities, schedules, and conflicts. She puts the responsibility where it belongs - on us as parents.Technology is not the problem. It is a tool that we need to learn to manage for ourselves and our families. And if that’s what you’re trying to do, this book will help.If you are a parent who sees the negative effects of technology in your home and feels overwhelmed by the challenge of breaking free, you should read this book. It will give you the motivation, principles, and resources to make meaningful changes in your home.-Sharon

One of the best parenting books I've read with the most universal insight ! There is so much practical advice, research/result based wisdom, and scary truth, all wrapped in one relatable, funny, hope-filled book! Digital Detox was so engaging, ironically, I couldn't put my phone down until I finished it! Molly DeFrank has managed to successfully combine facts, case studies, and personal experiences to show just how important it is that we learn to be intentional about our tech use and teach the next generations to use tech responsibly as well. I am so grateful for people and parents who have found healthy ways to navigate this tech-trapped world and who can teach me without shaming or guilt-tripping. I feel empowered to digitally detox my life and teach my kids how and when screens can be used as tools, not as masters. We're excited to start our detox and see fewer behavior battles, power struggles and melt-downs, and more cooperation, focused attention, and connection in our family.

The thought of removing screens from my children’s daily lives seemed terrifying. What’s more terrifying is seeing the short and long-term negative effects screens have on our children. We went cold turkey as Molly suggested, and I was surprised by the response. My kids began to redirect their attention toward other activities like reading books, drawing, and playing outside. Before long, they forgot about their devices. Reaching for that iPad when feeling bored is no longer an issue. I encourage all parents to invest in this book. I say all parents because I don’t know a single family who at some point hasn’t struggled with overconsumption of digital material. It’s time to reset and redirect our children for the sake of their health and well-being. Molly DeFrank has given us the tools to do just that. Thank you Molly!

As a great grandparent I have watched the aspects of parenting and child behavior evolve with each generation but never have I seen mechanical devices affect the family as much as new technology has. Children are connecting with inanimate objects and not with each other. Digital Detox addresses this universal problem in a workable, positive way and will help families restore that feeling of togetherness once again. I've seen it work first hand and highly recommend this beautifully written book.

Molly makes a really strong case for a tech-reset in the home. This book is well-researched, but also VERY approachable. I love Molly’s voice, she’s funny and relatable and inspiring. This book also practically equips you as a parent to navigate a tech-reset. Highly recommend to all parents.

This book was full of information and very practical ideas and strategies for helping families move away from screens. Can’t recommend highly enough.