Childhood Was Never Meant to be Lived Through a Screen

Practical inspiration for raising preschoolers through play, real-world experiences, meaningful connection, and everyday wonder.

Welcome to the Intentional Childhood

My name is Mieke (pronounced Meek-uh), and I have been a preschool teacher for 26 years. This website, blog, and shop are the culmination of my years of experience working with young children and watching the authentic, wonder-filled childhood I grew up with in the 1980s gradually become less common as screens have taken on a larger role in children’s lives.

Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand the incredible benefits of imaginative play, outdoor exploration, creativity, boredom, independence, and meaningful family connection. I have also witnessed how easily these experiences can be crowded out by the fast pace of modern life.

The Intentional Childhood was created to help parents, grandparents, caregivers, and educators reclaim some of the simple joys of childhood.

What Is An Intentional Childhood?

An intentional childhood isn’t about doing more. It’s about making space for what matters most.

First, I want to reassure you that the goal here is not for parents and caregivers to direct every aspect of a child’s life. I know the word intentional can sound that way at first, but it’s actually quite the opposite.

Children need plenty of room to play, explore, make mistakes, solve problems, and discover who they are. As parents, caregivers, and teachers, our role is not to control every moment, but to thoughtfully guide and support children when needed.

An intentional childhood is not about micromanaging. It is about being purposeful in the choices we make as caregivers. It means thoughtfully considering how children spend their time, the environments we create for them, and the opportunities we provide for play, creativity, connection, and growth.

In many ways, an intentional childhood is about doing less—not more. It’s about making space for the things that matter most and trusting children to learn and grow through meaningful real-world experiences.

Why Screen-Light Living?

After 26 years of teaching preschool, one thing has become increasingly clear to me: children thrive when they have plenty of opportunities for hands-on play, meaningful relationships, outdoor exploration, and real-world experiences. 

First and foremost, the reason we want to limit screen use for children (and adults, for that matter) is because children learn best through direct experiences with the real world. We were all born into a world full of wonder. When you step outside, you see trees, flowers, water, sky, and dirt. More importantly, you can touch them, smell them, hear them, and interact with them in ways that simply aren’t possible through a screen.

As children, we learn about the world through all of our senses. We touch things to discover their textures. We listen to the sounds around us. We smell flowers, fresh-cut grass, and campfires. And yes, sometimes we even taste things we probably shouldn’t! Those sensory experiences help us understand and connect with the world in a way that screens never can.

To fully experience life, we need opportunities to engage all of our senses and immerse ourselves in the world around us.

So why not give up screens completely? Well, you certainly can if that works for your family. But this site is about balance. We live in a screen-filled world, and technology can be useful, educational, and enjoyable when used thoughtfully.

The goal isn’t to eliminate screens. The goal is to make sure screens don’t replace the real-world experiences that children need to thrive. We can enjoy the benefits of technology while still living in a wonder-filled world of play, exploration, creativity, nature, and human connection.

In other words, we can have the best of both worlds when we are intentional.

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New to The Intentional Childhood? Start with our most-loved articles about screen-light living, meaningful play, everyday adventures, and raising preschoolers through real-world experiences.