Dodgers Delay Newsletter

February 2025

Our group continues to grow with more members and community partners! Please share and continue to spread the word so that as a community we can DELAY together!

DELAY access to fully-loaded smartphones

DELAY access to social media

DELAY unfettered access to the internet

For more info, visit our new website www.dodgersdelay.com or email us at dodgersdelay@gmail.com.

We thoroughly enjoyed participating in The Support Network of Madison’s Weekend of Wellness last month. Dodgers Delay led a discussion group on Parenting in a Tech World, which was productive and helpful for all involved. The more we share our stories - our successes and our challenges - the more we help our families and children.

We are beyond excited to host our very first community event next week - Wednesday, February, 19th!

Then, join us next month on Tuesday, March 25th!

■ FORWARD TO FOUR! Please forward this newsletter to 4 others. Let’s keep this group growing!

■ Join us at our screening of Childhood 2.0 The Living Experiment on Feb. 19th! Bring a friend! Grab dinner before or a drink after to discuss. Help us spread the word!

Our eyes are fixed on the High School. There is a national trend for all schools to be phone-free. (See the article below about Governor Murphy’s 2025 State of the State where he entertained this policy shift for NJ.) We are so pleased that our elementary schools and Junior School have “phone away for the day” policies. We would like to see this same policy extended to the high school. In the classroom students should be focused. In the hallways students should be aware of their surroundings. In the lunchroom students should be engaged in conversation with their peers. Please reach out to our administration and Board of Education if you’d like to see this policy in place at the high school.

Tips from a local mom…

“Find activities and organizations for your kids that provide outside time, unstructured play and independence. They will be better able to self-regulate their screen time as teens.

It’s ok to drop your child at a play date and ask for it to be screen free.

Set your routines (no devices at dinner) or limits (no devices in bedrooms) early. It only gets harder.

If you are interested in a monitoring system, like Bark, get one sooner rather than later. It is easier to set up and grow with it when kids are younger, than try to get a teen to give you their passwords.”

-Madison parent of 4th and 8th grade children

We’d love to hear from you! Please email us to share your story.

■ The Raptor Trust is known nationally for rehabilitating wild birds and the conservation of birds of prey. The center is located near the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and not only provides avian rehabilitation but also offers educational programs about wildlife. The center is open 365 days a year to receive injured birds. Visitors are welcome to view hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls housed in aviaries on the property. https://www.theraptortrust.org/visit  

■ There are so many mountains within a short driving distance (less than 2 hours!) Bring the kids for a day of skiing or snow-tubing!

■ Take the self-guided “Big Tree Tour” at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morris Township. A beautiful space to explore, no matter the season!

■ Check out The Joyful Shoppe in downtown Madison. They host events for both children and adults! (Any little ones interested in learning to crochet?) Check out their events page for programs this month!

Email us with your creative and fun ideas to share!

“Governor Murphy calls for classroom ban on cellphones in N.J.”

-NJ.com, January 15, 2025

“10 Ways to Get Your Teen (and Family) to Try a Digital Detox”

-Connecticut Children’s, July 2021 (an oldie but a goodie)