SCREEN TIME! Is this a dirty word in your household? We have a love/hate relationship with the screen.
I love the ability to turn on YouTube and get a quick and entertaining lesson for our music curriculum. I love making a blanket fort in the livingroom with the kids and watching a movie. I also enjoy playing some of those addictive games on the tablet (like Candy Crush, 3D Match, etc).
What I don’t love are the times that those electronic devices turns my family into a pack of “uh-huhs”. I’m sure you’ve witnessed it too. Someone will be on the phone, scrolling through social media, watching a video or playing a game and inevitably another family member will walk into the room and try to engage with them. Questions will be asked, discussions will be made, and all that is provided in response is an “uh-huh”.
I recently finished a book by the author, Jessica Smartt, “Let Them Be Kids”. There are so many great points in the book, but one that struck me the most is the screen time. Our children and our family overall is pretty much assaulted on a daily basis with information. Some of it is good, and some is down-right scary and would never be allowed in most homes if we really knew it was there.
My children will not be little much longer…our oldest just turned nine. This age hit me different this year…but that is for another post. The point is that they will lose their innocence soon enough, isn’t it my job to preserve that innocence for as long as possible?
If you have been following me, you know I love lists and calendars, so I have made a list of activities that can be done in place of screen time. My ultimate goal is that the boredom will creep in, and they will create their own entertainment (which they honestly do quite well), but it’s also nice to not have to think about it sometime and just have someone tell you what you should do. Don’t we as adults wish some decisions were made for us more often?
I’d like to share my list with you in the hopes that I can help in the “less screen time” revolution.
Enjoy!
