Scream Time

I hope I never forget that Noah calls it scream time, which is hilarious, but also kind of true.  

Sometimes screens make me want to scream!

Jason and I didn't grow up with screens constantly attached to our hands and faces.  We barely learned about email in high school.  People on TV had bricks for cell phones, and pagers (which probably no longer exist) were super high tech.  We had TGIF family sitcoms on Friday nights, Saturday morning cartoons and the Wonderful World of Disney with Michael Eisner on Sunday evenings.  All family events, and if you didn't like what was on, you didn't watch anything.

Our children are of the generation that get all the shows, all the time at their fingertips.  We don't have cable or any way to stream TV, but there are still plenty of options on Netflix, Youtube, iPads and smart phones.  If they don't like their first pick, they pick something else, and there is literally no end to the entertainment they can access.

Of course, we don't allow much of that.

And we're always trying to figure out what the best screen time balance is.

We have rules about no screens in the bedrooms, bathrooms, or at the dinner table.  Screens never come out at church, or in other public places.  If we're at a soccer game, we're at a soccer game.  If we're at a restaurant or even at church(!), we're all there together, body and mind.

Any video games played on the Wii are done with Daddy.  Adam recently discovered that his best friend has basically unlimited access to the fairly harmless video games at his house, and the lure is strong.  We're trying to figure out ways to make sure they are still engaging in other meaningful play when they're together.

As we get closer and closer to having teenage drivers in our house, Jason and I are trying to shift our habits away from having our phones within reach while we're driving.  Too distracting, and we're experienced drivers!  I can't quite imagine what that distraction would be like for a brand new driver.... that's age 14 here in Iowa, heaven help me.

Whenever the kids ask when they can have their own iPad, Jason replies, "You can get get one at the same age I got my first iPad".  (Age 30, and I got my first and only, now 5 year old iPhone at age 31.)

We're just trying not to be in a rush.  Yes, we have to teach them how to handle technology responsibly, but we're trying our best to take it slow.  They've got their whole lives to binge watch Netflix (not that we've ever found time to do that) or care how many likes their latest social media post garners (I've always found it fascinating that social media gathers "followers", but that's a post for another day).

This is my kind of scream time though- 

Saturday morning found Leah snuggled up on the couch typing out her story for AELP- if she can develop it into 10,000 words it will be published!- Emma was working hard on a birthday card for her kindergarten teacher, Noah was assembling his dinosaur puzzle and Jason and Adam were poring over potential Cub Scout requirements they could work on after breakfast.  I took a picture of it all and then I sat next to Leah to read her story.

So yes, screens are in our lives, but not center stage, not keeping us from connecting with each other, and if anything, we're try our best to use them to bring us closer together.

And I'm especially grateful to siblings and friends that are traversing this path before us, so that we can learn from their lessons along the way.  I have a feeling we've got an uphill battle ahead of us.