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melanie
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| Posted: March 09 2010 at 5:30pm | IP Logged
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What limits do you all place in your house for screens? Right now we are at this unsatisfactory "do what you want to do during your freetime" thing, because mom is very pregnant and has been unmotivated to do more about it  , and now I'd like to change something up. Because of course, they all are now slowly getting to the point where they choose to spend ALL of their freetime in front of a screen of some kind. I feel like some electronic noise is always going on in the background here, always. We don't have a den or anything, just a living room, and there is a tv/dvd player/wii in here, as well as the computer. Even a modest amount of screen time per child a day means that someone has something on in the living room a *lot*. I do have a small tv/dvd player upstairs in my bedroom that I got to put on a signing time dvd for the toddler while I'm showering, or to use when I want to do an exercise dvd, that kind of thing, and sometimes we let the big kids watch a movie up there that I don't want the littles to see. Well, that has gotten out of hand too. Today I was upstairs resting with the toddler and putting up my weary feet before going to start dinner, and I had both older kids irritated because they wanted to watch a movie and I was so rudely using my own bedroom.  We do have a playroom/schoolroom. My mom has suggested putting the little tv in there instead, but I think it could really get abused in there. But it's a thought. I still need to re-do some kind of limits though, and I thought it'd be good to hear what others do.
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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kristacecilia
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| Posted: March 09 2010 at 5:59pm | IP Logged
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In our main living area we have a TV/DVD/Wii combo and my laptop. We do also have another TV/DVD and DH's desktop in our partially finihsed basement, but that's only for adult use (on the treadmill or whatever).
I try to limit my kids (6 and under) to half an hour a day on most days. Sometimes they watch none, sometimes they get a whole kid's movie (like today). Luckily they are close enough in age that they will watch the same thing.
Screen time is something I always feel guilty about letting them have...
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juststartn
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| Posted: March 10 2010 at 11:23am | IP Logged
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Well, our tv died in October. ANd the twins destroyed the dvd player in the computer (pushed down on it). So all the children have had is computer games (pre-approved by us).
Our #2 plays them the most. She also reads like a fiend, too. They are not allowed on the computers until well after DH is home (he usually gets home about 4, and they are on from about 5-6). They aren't allowed on after dinner.
I figure with those boundaries (not til dad is home, and only until dinner, it works). We're going to have to change that up, since DH is getting ready to go through some changes with his job, and will be going back to shift work. But I'm sure we will come up with something similar.
Rachel
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Michiel
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:30pm | IP Logged
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This has been such a hard one in our house. My older ds, 11, is a screen fanatic. He really, truly would be on a screen all day every day if I let him. His younger brother, 9, just doesn't have the attention span to consistently watch something all day. So I have different plan for each kid, unfair as that might seem.
Younger ds gets all he wants, because he is self-regulating. And "all he wants" is a misnomer. We have time controls on the computer starting no earlier than 8 am and no later than 10 pm. Then there are morning chores, lessons, meals, time outside. So the all he wants happens when there is time for it.
Older ds was put on a very strict regime until very recently, limiting him to 7 hours per week, not counting family viewing time together. Made tick marks on the calendar for every half hour, and if 14 marks were on before Sunday, that was the end. After I noticed SEVERAL weeks going by where not all the marks were being used, and I felt that he had discovered other things in life to do and was willing to do them, I told him that we would try letting him regulate himself. So far, so good, but I still think he needs to be reminded of all the other things in the world there are to do and also on my part to make these available and enable them.
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melanie
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| Posted: March 27 2010 at 10:03am | IP Logged
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Well, this has only gotten way worse since my original post.  I am two weeks from my due date, very uncomfortable and hitting that "baby limbo" stage already where I'm just struggling to keep up with meals, laundry, and math. As a result, screen time has evolved into a free for all. Even my oldest, who has always self-regulated these things pretty well, is always in front of a screen. My 5yo is always in front of a screen, which means by default that the toddler often is too. It drives me nuts, but I've been so bad about keeping their days structured during this time that I've just been letting it go, which I know I shouldn't do...oy. I had no contingency plan for these last weary weeks of pregnancy. You'd think by now I'd learn. Note to self...start "maternity leave" by week 37 next time. I know it's hard to find a new normal after baby comes, but frankly, I always feel much better and more energetic *after* baby comes. So,,,I'm just riding out the storm until baby comes and I feel ready to tackle our routines again. Hopefully he's not late!!!
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: March 27 2010 at 1:20pm | IP Logged
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Melanie, just now seeing this. It's probably wise to simply ride things out until the new baby arrives, but later, when you feel up to tackling this issue, here are a couple ideas that have worked well for us. One really small and simple thing which has helped us in limiting screen time is covering the screens when not in use. We have pretty quilted pillows shams draped over the front of our TV and over the extra computer in our office/spare bedroom, which serves as a study for our oldest. Out of sight, out of mind seems to help a lot. We have established time limits on video games....none during Lent, then the rest of the year only with a set time limit of 1/2 hour or 1 hour on weekends, after studies are completed for the week. Movies are limited to evenings, with parents (since our only TV is in our bedroom), or occasionally in the afternoon, after studies, while folding laundry. Thankfully we haven't had cable or watched regular TV for 15 years, so that's not an issue. Your children are young enough that you could present any new limits as positive things you want to do to make your home and family life more quiet and peaceful for the new baby. Substituting positive things like board games, children's audio books from the library or other family activities can also be helpful. Perhaps you can engage your oldest dd in helping with some of the things you're concerned about....she might enjoy coming up with crafts or games for the younger children and it could make her feel important to be so helpful to you. Praying for a grace-filled delivery and a peaceful babymoon for you and your family. One last idea...we used to play peaceful music when our babies were little and it always seemed to put the entire household in a positive, peaceful frame of mind.
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Topic: screen time
