Kids, Screens & Campfires: Our Approach to Family Tech

Let’s be honest:
Raising kids in the digital age is complicated.

Screens are everywhere.
They’re fast, shiny, fun, and—let’s face it—convenient.

Especially when you’re parenting on the road.

But living nomadically taught us something unexpected:
​The less we default to tech, the more connection we create.​
Not because screens are evil—but because presence is sacred.

And every time we reach for a screen without thinking, we trade presence for convenience.

We’re not anti-technology

We use GPS, Starlink, online learning tools, music, and digital books.

We FaceTime family.
We work from WiFi.
We watch movies together on rainy nights in the van.

But we don’t let screens lead.

We use tech as a tool, not a babysitter.
As support, not as a substitute.
As something we choose, not something that chooses us.

And that single shift has made a massive difference in how we experience family life.

Here’s what we noticed about our kids (and ourselves)

When screens are the default:

• Everyone’s more impatient
• Conversations get shorter
• Play becomes performative (or disappears)
• Imagination drops
• Gratitude fades
• “Bored” becomes the first word out of anyone’s mouth

But when we lean into slowness—campfires, hikes, chores, unstructured days—something beautiful happens:

• Eye contact comes back
• Stories start flowing
• Siblings connect
• Laughter increases
• Silence gets comfortable
• The space between us feels alive again

Our approach isn’t perfect. It’s intentional.

We don’t use time limits or screen trackers.
We use context and conversation.

Here’s how we guide tech in our family:

1. Screens don’t open the day

Mornings start with each other, not a glow.
Coffee, conversation, light, and breath come first.

2. We ask why, not just when

Before giving a screen, we ask:

3. We plan analog before digital

Every day includes non-screen activities:
Reading, nature time, art, rest, chores, play, campfires.
Screens are the add-on, not the structure.

4. We create shared tech moments

If we’re watching something—it’s together.
And we talk about it afterward.
That makes it relational, not isolating.

5. We lead by example

The hardest one.
But our kids know when we’re checked out.
So we check ourselves first.

“Boredom” isn’t a problem—it’s a portal

One of the best gifts we can give our kids (and ourselves) is the space to feel bored.

Because boredom leads to:

• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Stillness
• Self-regulation
• Problem-solving
• Wild, unstructured imagination

Screens numb the discomfort.
But discomfort is where growth lives.

Let them be bored.
Let them build from it.

Campfires > Screens

We started this mantra as a joke.

Every time we caught ourselves reaching for screens instead of making a moment, we’d say:

It reminded us to choose connection.
To sit a little longer.
To go outside.
To light something real.
To create space for the unexpected.

Now our kids say it to us.

And we never regret the trade.

This Week’s Shift:

Replace one default screen moment with a connection moment.

Try:

• Telling a story from your childhood
• Starting a “first to look up loses” dinnertime game
• Inviting your kid into your work or hobby for 15 minutes
• Making a fire, lighting candles, or eating outside
• Choosing silence over scrolls

One moment. One switch. One ripple.

Because your kids don’t need a tech detox.
They just need more real-time with you.

—Indy & Kitty
​Nomadists