I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I decided our family holiday would be tech-free, but as I balanced working from home with the kids, I couldn’t shake the guilt of being constantly tethered to my phone.

I foolishly deemed it critical for my job, and grew intensely annoyed at my need for Wi-Fi and at my kids’ frequent requests to go online. I despised everything about my phone, my laptop, and the kids’ iPads. I needed a break, and so I decided my family needed one too.

Saying goodbye to screens for nine days felt radical. Credit: iStock

My husband readily agreed to our upcoming holiday to Bright, in Victoria’s high country, being tech-free, recognising the same patterns of excessive connectivity. Unsurprisingly, our kids were less enthusiastic at the idea of having no screen access for nine days. While their reactions weren’t one of a world-ending catastrophe, they made it clear the plan to be without devices was a serious inconvenience to their lives.

You might assume that I’m one of those parents that rely on tech as a babysitter. But I assure you, I’m no pushover. If you asked them, my kids might even liken me to a benevolent dictator for my tight grip on screen time. And even though we’re an outdoorsy family, after a day hiking, riding or kayaking, we often offered the kids some downtime on their iPads before dinner.

But like many others, the notion that my mobile phone must always be near in case of an emergency is one that’s slowly grown over time, insidiously inching its way closer and closer to being in my hand at all times. But as much as we like to think something terrible will happen if our phone isn’t within reach, for me, there is yet to be such an emergency. The most urgent call I’ve received during a family dinner was from a telemarketer.

Perhaps embarrassingly, my husband and I prepared for our detox with a level of seriousness usually reserved for a military operation. Our agreed strategy was to leave all devices except our mobile phones behind, with the phones kept on silent and hidden away in a designated spot. Daily check-ins for missed calls or urgent messages were permitted only after the kids went to bed, and phones were to be put away again immediately – no scrolling or checking in.

When time for our holiday arrived, we armoured up with a stack of determination. And by determination, I mean a four-wheel drive packed to the brim with analogue fun. Bikes and kayaks strapped to the roof, stockpiles of books, colouring sheets, and enough Lego to build a fortress.

We played traditional road trip games on the drive. I grabbed my DSLR camera to capture the Insta perfect moments. During what we dubbed as downtime, the kids played with a handful of toys, or we competitively tried to win at family board games.