5@8 Screen-Free Challenge interview with Dominique, co-founder of Les Belles Combines!

Dominique is the mom-teacher behind all the Les Belles Combines tools. Between 2010 and 2018, she took 5 maternity leaves, gradually leaving teaching behind in favour of her little tribe and her wonderful business. People often say she doesn't belong to her era! Between their country house and their log cabin camp (no electricity, no running water) with her husband and children, she enjoys life in simplicity. She is the one we have to thank for the 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge awareness campaign. Also on the blog, read the posts 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge and Taking a break from screens during the 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge, but what about afterwards?   How many children do you have, and how old are they? 5 children, aged 8, 7, 4, 3 and 1   How many screens do you have at home? 2 tablets, 2 laptops and a cell phone! One of the two tablets is hardly used anymore; it's the first-generation iPad. It's been dropped everywhere, even down the stairs, and I can't believe it still works. Apple has definitely changed how it designs its tablets over the generations.   On a “normal” weekday, how many hours do you spend with your children? I'm lucky to work from home and set my own work hours. With the older ones I spend 1 hour in the morning and 4 hours when they get back from school. I spend more time with the younger ones who don't go to school. They're home with me and/or my partner 3 days a week.   How many hours a day do you spend on screens?  All day long! From 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Since the “5@8 Screen-Free Challenge,” we've kept the screen-free rhythm from 5 to 8 p.m. But I have to admit that as soon as they go to bed, I open a screen to do a bit of monitoring of Les Belles Combines' social media and watch a TV show. So, if I only count the hours outside of work, I'd say 2 hours.   What habit have you lost because of (or thanks to) technology? Reading the print newspaper! Since La Presse+ appeared, I only read the paper on my tablet. In fact, it's the one and only reason I have a tablet. I find that sad... I really loved having my big Saturday La Presse delivered! My husband and I used to settle in with a coffee in the morning and share the different sections of our paper. Also, I hardly ever consult a recipe book anymore and find all my culinary inspiration on the web. What I find unfortunate in all this is that my kids see me behind my screen without really knowing what I'm doing on it. It's harder for me to pass on certain important values, like the importance of staying informed and following the news.   What's the one app you can't do without on your cell phone? Maps! I've never had a good sense of direction. Don't ask me why, but I especially have trouble finding my way on the South Shore of Montréal. The GPS on my cell phone makes my life incredibly easier!   Which app should you delete? Facebook! Before starting the Les Belles Combines business, I hadn't had a Facebook account for several years. I started using it again for professional reasons. But since this platform is essentially designed to make you spend a lot of time on it, I get caught, like everyone else! I really have a love-hate relationship with this social network.   Is it hard to manage your own screen time? Yes. I do a bit too many things thanks to the internet. Reading the paper, finding recipes, shopping (I never go out anymore to buy clothes), looking up information, contacting friends, taking photos. Of course, that makes my life easier in many cases. The challenge is not to veer off from what we're doing and end up on time-sucking sites like Facebook, YouTube or Instagram. I don't want my kids to always see me behind a screen.   Do you have a screen rule at home? There are several. No screens between 5 and 8 p.m. unless there's a special privilege! No screens before leaving for school, because they need to save all their attention capacity for the day ahead. No more than 30 consecutive minutes on a device unless they're watching a movie! I also monitor everything they watch on YouTube! Finally, the people around you are more important than what's happening on your screen. If someone talks to you, pause everything and answer!    Are you more airplane mode or FOMO (fear of missing out)? When I started the business, I was in full-on FOMO mode! The 5@8 Challenge made me realize that everything could wait until 8 p.m.! Now I'm much more airplane mode.  

Rapid-fire round:

   Your favorite board game? I like card games. Crazy Eights, “Asshole” (I really did write that word in a Les Belles Combines blog ;) ), War, Pass the Ace and many more!    Your favorite children's book? Tough question; I'm a compulsive buyer of children's books. Lately, I've started reading them all sorts of classics in young-reader novel format. They love it. We're currently reading “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne. I'm discovering it at the same time as they are.    Your favorite app for little ones? “C'est moi” by Tinybop! It's really great. It's like a diary for kids. They can write things about their life, add pictures and photos, their likes, their dislikes, their feelings, etc...    Your favorite family outing? Weekends at the cabin! We watch the beavers, build fires, paint pieces of wood, cook, and just be together. The big bonus: there's no internet connection, so we don't even need airplane mode!    The toy that can captivate your kids for hours? The toy my kids have used the most is wooden blocks. It's amazing what they've done with those little pieces of wood. Towers, pens for their animal figurines, houses, etc. They've carried them around in toy truck beds, doll strollers and backpacks.   To take part in the 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge and not miss any of the activity suggestions, tips and tricks for better managing the whole family's screen time, click “Going” on the event's Facebook page! Don't hesitate to share photos of your 5@8s on social media using #Défi5a8sansécrans