Mari Meyers knows the struggle of screen time all too well. “It’s a big challenge for all of us,” the Woodbury resident says. “I have no judgment. My kids are terrible about screen time themselves.” Wanting to create more concrete memories with her children, Charlie (18), Henry (16) and Luke (12), Meyers started thinking about ways to inspire children to do other fun activities. This led to her self-published children’s book, Bye-Bye Wi-Fi.
Meyers, a self-proclaimed bookworm, recalls her time growing up in Winona checking out stacks of books at her local library. She used to read the books she grew up loving to her kids, and when she discovered that stack dwindling down, she wanted to do something about it. “I [wondered], ‘Could I do this? Could I do a better job and be a favorite author for someone else?’” she says.
Author Mari Meyers. Photo: Mari Meyers
She started writing the rhyming book and self-published it last September. Her goal is to inspire children and families to make memories and create opportunities outside of screens. Bye-Bye Wi-Fi is geared toward children ages 3–7, and it has interactive pieces where readers are asked to chime in with their own thoughts. “It gets them thinking about what they can do with their time, too,” Meyers says.
Meyers is penning another children’s book about the ups and downs of being a part of a sporting team and what you can learn about being involved in sports.
Bye-Bye Wi-Fi can be purchased on Amazon.
