Less Screen Time, More Quality Time (OurPact)

Are you looking for an app that can give you parental controls and screen time management for your family? We’ve partnered with OurPact to share our experience using their app.

 

OurPact is just that, and it’s available on iOS and Android devices. You can find it in the App Store if you are on iOS and for Android users, you can sign up at OurPact.com. I’m not shy to admit that we all spend too much time on electronic devices. With OurPact I can block the internet for my whole family. I can do it easily with the touch of a button or if I want we can make daily time schedules.

Sometimes unplugging isn’t easy. I get constant notifications on my phone and sometimes missing an email means missing a huge opportunity. That being said, I’m missing precious moments, so I’ve realized unplugging must be done. That being said, it’s not so easy for my hubby and toddler. Our toddler loves games and youtube, like most toddlers these days. I used to turn the phone off for her and she didn’t know how to turn it on, well now she knows. If I’m doing the dishes or laundry, she will try to find my phone and turn it on. It’s like it’s better than all of her toys! My husband can browse news sites and videos for 2 hours and feel like it’s 5 minutes.

We miss out on so many moments by using our phones. I won’t say using phones are horrible, but I think that moderation is key when using them. They rarely serve their original purpose anymore, being an actual phone. This past week we used OurPact and left the house and went strawberry picking. When we got out we had so much fun! When we’re out we usually have our phone and it can be a huge distraction. I brought my DSLR along to take pictures too, but even that I only had out for 5 minutes, so it wasn’t a distraction of myself enjoying the moments.

First, I went on my phone to download OurPact. While it was downloading, I went to my desktop to register. In less than 2 minutes I was registered and taking control of our devices.

Here you can see my husband’s phone having free time and then I blocked it for 4 hours so that we could have some family time. He did the same with my phone.
It’s easy to use, and you just pair the FREE app with your child’s device. Pairing should take about a minute and they you’re set to start blocking out internet time. With the new 2.0 update, you can now access the app on OurPact.com too! This means you can control all the functions and features on practically any device, including your desktop.It’s easy to block time, for example, you can block 15 minutes or even an hour, or if you’d like you can make a schedule.
OurPact is reliable and making it a point to get more family time in. We’re attached to our phones and life is passing us by, we don’t realize how long we’re on the phone until we look at the time. By using this app, you can turn off apps, and they will disappear until you bring them back. While they created this app to be a bridge for parent and children, I think it’s also a great tool for parents as well. Children aren’t the only guilty ones when it comes to social media and internet usage.If you’re like me and you tried the timers, the phone box, turning off the phones, and it all just doesn’t work, try OurPact. It’s free, and it’s reliable.
As much as I love how far technology has come, I can say I never had all these devices as a child. I played with real toys. I played outside daily. I spent so much time with my parents growing up, we had no media tablets and phones like we do today. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but shouldn’t be overused. We’re all about family time, and now this is helping us stay on track.