I can't speak for anyone else, but in our house, electronics do hold a very prominent place in our daily life. Yes. It's true. Princess spends the majority of her time on one device or another.
We don't have separate rules for kids and adults in our house. And so, the Lizard King and I don't have limits on our "screen time" and neither does Princess. We each decide when and how we use our screens/electronics. I have to admit, we all spend a lot of time with some sort of screen.
While there are many times that Princess will turn off the *insert device here* and play or help in the kitchen or . . . , there are definitely more times she is working on at least one device, often more than one. She is big on multi-tasking. Not all of our time is at home. We are often in the car or at Village Home or running errands. And while devices are portable, devices aren't used during classes. She loves her classes too much to even think of pulling out something electronic.
To be honest, I do wonder sometimes if it's too much. This is one of my recent struggles. This is one of the things that has had me questioning things...worrying about things. The thing is, I really believe that there is value in everything Princess does. Yes, even and maybe especially her "devices", as she calls them.
I've been known to say that everything is educational. It's time to put my money where my mouth is. I think I have some exploration ahead of me. And now, I think it's time for me to get off the computer and go watch some TV. ;)
I struggle with this because my son would spend all day on the computer if I let him. We have to set some limits.
ReplyDeleteThat is the choice you make. You choose to set limits. I'm not saying it's wrong, I am saying it is a choice. You could also choose to let him spend all day on the computer.
DeletePrincess does stop sometimes, but honestly, the majority of her day is spent on the computer, Wii, DS, iPad or TV. Thinking through the last three days, almost all of her time was spent on these devices, except for about 30 minutes when we baked and a couple of hours at the roller skating rink. This is the choice we make. It's all about choices.
Great post. And you're so right, it isn't a matter of right and wrong, it's a choice. We too choose to not put limits on Daughter's screen time and often this results in her spending, what seems to some, an inordinate amount of time in front one kind of screen or another. She also hangs out with her friends and plays board games, she involved in sports and she takes personal interest classes. Over the years she's taken pottery, several kinds of theatre, cooking, music, visual arts and even martial arts.
ReplyDeleteEven though it may not appear balanced on a daily basis, a quick overview of a couple of months and it becomes clear that she is getting exposed to plenty of varying activities.
There's a whole other aspect to the screen time...I won't hog your blog but let's just say, it's interesting to note what skills kids are learning while playing video games. There's plenty of discussion out there about it. :D
All very excellent points! I think that because of the negative connotation, we often focus on the screen time and worry about it. You are right, there are amazing skills kids learn from video games! I'm enjoying sitting back and observing more. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts here. Very helpful, informative and enlightening!! My favorite part was this "Even though it may not appear balanced on a daily basis, a quick overview of a couple of months and it becomes clear that she is getting exposed to plenty of varying activities." Beautifully said!!
DeleteI agree with you on separate rules. For most things this sends the wrong message.
ReplyDeleteNow how did I know you would agree with me on that? ;) I have heard that you're the best mom ever...
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