What Happened When my Family Unplugged the TV #UnPlugNPlay #Killerspin

How often are your kids buried in electronics?

With 6 kids in our house, and everyone with their own crazy schedule, we have been resorting to electronic babysitters more often than I would like to admit.

We used to be so good about limiting screen time — we even went for years without having a TV with any service so it was only used for occasional movies.

Then the twins came along. Between bedrest during my pregnancy and living in survival mode after they were born, we spend a lot of time letting the other kids watch TV or play video games.

During that time, my oldest son became a teenager and I have two tweens who aren’t far behind him. The trend of resorting to electronics whenever they were bored was not something I was happy about.

I knew I was responsible for it, but I didn’t want to continue.

So we unplugged the TV.

My kids were not happy about it. AT ALL.

But I had a secret weapon up my sleeves.

What is UnPlugNPlay

When I talk to other parents, finding ways to entertain kids without electronics is always a hot topic. The problem is, kids are used to using electronics as entertainment. It takes no effort for them to be entertained. The electronics do all the work.

That means the more time kids spend using electronics, the less work they want to put into being entertained. It’s a nasty cycle.

The idea behind UnPlugNPlay is designed to help you get your kids (and let’s be serious, probably you too) to put down the phone, pause social media, step away from the computer/console, and truly enjoy some family time.

At first, my teen started by challenging my 11 year old to a match. I quickly learned that my teen is super competitive and after winning his first game, he didn’t want to stop.

It was so fun to be able to get in on the action with our kids. My husband and I have a bit of a competitive streak ourselves so it was fun to really be able to play together, without the distraction of electronics.

My kids thought it was funny to beat me. Of course, I didn’t let them win. After they lost a game they instantly demanded a rematch.

Even my little girls got in on the action. Watching my two year old twins try and join in resulted in lots of laughs and helped us remember how much fun it is to play together as a family.

I saw something interesting happen the longer we played.

My kids, who had been fighting constantly, were slowly starting to get along. Instead of avoiding each other, they were seeking each other out so they could play a game of ping pong.

Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of playful jabs, but they were actually playing together  . . . and enjoying it!

Soon they were playing games with each other without me prompting them at all.

The MyT4 BlackPocket Ping Pong Table from Killerspin can be converted to a one player play option by flipping up one side of the table. I learned this when I came downstairs one Saturday morning and found my teen practicing by himself.

On a typical Saturday, he would have been watching TV. He always wakes up earlier than everyone else and that was his go-to entertainment option. I smiled when I came down to him playing and he immediately wanted to show me his new serve that he had perfected (he scores on me every time with that now).

Does your family need to UnPlugNPlay?

The holidays are so busy but they are also the perfect time to UnPlugNPlay as a family. It only takes a few minutes to challenge your kids to a quick game of ping pong or sit down and talk about their day. The memories that you make are so worth it.

Killerspin wants to help your family have a little fun. We have a set of JET400 paddles to give away to a lucky reader. These are tournament quality paddles that are perfect for perfecting your ping pong game.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. Winner must be 18+. Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions  for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.

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