The Disconnected Dad: Moment by Moment Abundance

Hey, guys! I’m Seth Dahl. I am a husband, father of three young children, and pastor at a large church. If you didn’t already know, I’m on a journey to becoming “The Disconnected Dad.” I set apart 30 days where I lived without the internet in my home, logged the effects it had on my connection with my family, and now I’m sharing it with you in a podcast. The Disconnected Dad podcast is available to download on iTunes.

After completing my eye-opening 30 day experiment with no internet or social media at home or with my family, I shared my plan of action. The connection I gained with my family during the last month has been irreplaceable. It has no become my mission to find the healthiest way of using my phone.

I now have been finished with experiment for one week. I’m back on my phone, internet, and social media at home, and I have implemented the plan I told you about.

The first thing I noticed is that I’m using my apps, especially Instagram, significantly less. I’m staying off Instagram’s “discover” feature, so I avoid getting lost in the suggested photos and videos.

I’m still behind on emails. I need to find a way to tackle those, as well as my texts. I’ve struggled to find a way of not falling behind without spending too much time on them. I don’t want to check them more than a few times a day. I’ve been checking my texts a little more frequently than I intended to, but I’ve already started to change that.

The app “Moments” has been a huge part of me becoming healthier in using my phone at home. I’ve been completing in app challenges, and they’ve been very helpful and eye opening. One of them, for example, is to leave the room when you use your phone around people. Mentally it’s what you’re already doing, When you use your phone around other people you disconnect from them. Leaving the room is simply a more respectful and self aware thing to do.

Consistency and follow-through are so important as I move forward. Consistency builds trust. When my kids and wife see that I am consistent, it creates connection. My family wants my attention, so I will continue to give it to them.

Thank you all so much for following along this far! I give more details in my podcast. Subscribe to hear my entire journey to becoming the disconnected dad. In my podcast, I explore such topics as prioritizing connection with my family over connection with my phone. Be sure to download the entire podcast on iTunes. While you’re there, subscribe, rate, and review. Thanks again!