Hi!  Lincoln East DECA wants to share a winning secret with you….family time is important time!!  There are so many distractions today, some of the biggest are technology based… texting, television, Facebook, all of these things are taking time away from the most important relationships in your life… your family. It doesn’t matter how we define family… we all need one.  A group of people that shares a great interest in the well-being of its other members.  High school is cool but there are important decisions to make each day and having a strong bond with your family will help you get through!  Being close to your family helps in good and tough times.  The love and trust you build will protect you against dangerous influences.

So many things need to get done each night like homework, chores, and activities.  It is easy to cross “family time” off the list but actually family time is the most important.  Because of these demands, families need to consciously plan time together.  If electronic gadgets become less of a priority, there will instead be more time for physical activities, reading, games, and meals with your family.  The memories you make and the bond you share will be more important to your future happiness than most any other obligation.

So, the first day of every month, we want you to ‘FIRST SHUT OFF’ all electronics and tune into your family!  

Maybe the first day of the month won’t work, so try in the first week.  The important thing is to shut off your electronics and put your family first.  We love our electronics just as much as you do, but successful students spend quality time with their families!!! 

 Family activities don’t need to cost anything.  You can…

     *play a board game

     *take a walk

     *have a picnic

     *learn a foreign language together

     *teach your parents the latest dances

     *fly a kite

     *carve a pumpkin

Did you know:

           *Kids are spending twice as much time on electronics as they are in school.

           *By the time the average American is 65, they will have spent 9 years of their lives watching TV.

           *According to AC Neilson research, kids spend 30 hours in front of the TV per week but only 3.5 minutes of meaningful conversation with their family each day.

I dare you to read The Fact section of this website and not think this is a crisis!! But there is something we can do to make a profound difference.

The benefits of quality family time are reinforced by research.  Kids with strong family bonds are less obese, happier, more successful in school, less violent and less suseptable to becoming involved with alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

 47% say that the computer and TV are the biggest reason they don’t spend time as a family.

70% say they are not spending enough time with their family and they want to do something about it.  So, LETS GET STARTED!

We will provide you with monthly ideas but what you do is really up to you…as long as it is a fun activity done with your family, without electronics!   

We hope you will share your fun times through the blog on this site and by sending pictures to info@firstshutitoff.com.