Too Much Screen Time: The Weekend Ansley and Kaylin Unplugged by Linda Moskovics; Live Life Happy Publishing; 2025; ISBN 9781998-724277, 36 pages; $12.99.
By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
Linda Moskovics is a retired former head librarian at the Benjamin branch of the San Diego City Library system. She has now written a children’s book, for ages 4-14, inveighing against “too much screen time [that] can quietly steal joy, focus, sleep, and connection. It can increase anxiety, harm social skills, impact brain development and crowd out important life experiences.”
Ansley and Kaylin are sisters of elementary school age who spend their waking hours watching videos or messaging their friends. They weren’t happy: their eyes ached; they got grumpy from sitting too long; they hated being interrupted, and at bedtime, their brains just couldn’t calm down.
When their mother told them that they would spend the coming weekend with “Grandma Linda,” they complained that grandma had a strict “no screens” policy, which meant they would be bored all weekend long.
Hah.
On Saturday, Grandma Linda took them first to the children’s section of the library where they giggled while reading silly stories. Then it was to the park, where a musical band played danceable tunes. Next it was to nearby woods where the girls soaked in nature. Then it was to the animal rescue center where they played with kittens and puppies. As a prelude to a home activity, they visited the garden center where grandma encouraged them to pick out one plant each to be grown in her garden.
At home, the girls painted birdhouses and helped grandma cook a meal that included foods they had never tasted before like yams and zucchini. After dinner, the girls played dress up, assembling costumes from the contents of a big trunk. And at night the sisters played inside an indoor tent made by draping a blanket over furniture.
Sunday morning, they played board games with a cousin who came to visit. Next, they went to the beach. After returning from the beach and showering, the girls gave grandma a makeover, pretending they were real stylists. Next, they chose flowers from grandma’s garden and presented a mutual friend with a bouquet. While driving to the aquarium, they questioned grandma about what her life had been like before cell phones were invented. Later, grandma brought out bubble solutions, which the girls blew through plastic rings. Next, they had an old-fashioned tea party. This was followed by the girls helping grandma wash, dry, and put away the dishes. Prior to bedtime, grandma showed them a yoga exercise to help them fall asleep, and a “gratitude game” in which they each named five things they were grateful for.
Monday morning, their mother came to pick them up. Grandma had to remind them to take their cell phones from where they had been stowed. The girls hadn’t missed them.
With simple illustrations, Moskovics makes a convincing case for the value of indoor and outdoor activities without any electronic screens. Grandma Linda had only a weekend to demonstrate to the girls many of the wonders they could enjoy (and benefit from) once they got unplugged.
Parents, still part of the workforce, obviously cannot devote as much time during weekdays to diverting the girls’ attention from their cellphones. But even one activity chosen from those enumerated in Grandma Linda’s book may fire the children’s imaginations so that they choose for themselves some screenless activities.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.
What a great idea for a book. I still enjoy using The Fiber Rich Kitchen Cookbook by Linda. And I would enjoy a weekend with Grandma Linda — who wouldn’t?