The inspiration for Square Eyez came one Friday afternoon when my mother, sister and I decided to bake my late grandmother’s infamous rock cakes. I have always had very fond memories of baking with my mom, licking the bowl, showering the kitchen floor in flour and watching our creation rise in the over. So with the intention of spreading these memories to my niece (8) and nephew (12) we enlisted their help. The power of a screen and its impact became very real for me when my niece, who is an unrelenting screen junky, was more interested in Hannah Montana than baking rock cakes with us.

First, I must confess I am an absolute TV addict, so if anyone understands the lure of a screen, it’s me. But my love of vegetating in front of a TV and my niece and nephew’s inability to go without access to a screen has also shown me why screens can be dangerous. Too much time spent in front of a screen can rob you. It can rob you of imagination, creativity, interaction and most importantly time, time that could have been spent doing things and making memories.

Secondly, as a screen junky who works long hours for the advertising industry, I am also aware that time is scarce, especially for working parents wanting find time to spend with your children. So sometimes it is just easier to leave the screen to babysit their children, keeping them occupied so you have time to breathe. But let’s face it, especially on the weekend, 20 minutes is easy to find.

So, I have created Square-Eyez to help parents find ideas and ways to spend time with their kids without asking for too much time or effort. I also hope, that by making these activities fun and quick it will help other screen addicts take a quick break from their screens. A break that will give them the necessary time to play, create, laugh, mess and share.