This is the first summer that screentime has been a real issue.\u00a0 Lex is SO focused on the computer and it’s all he wants to do.\u00a0 He was at the point where he would go wander around outside for ten minutes just to earn ten more minutes of screentime.\u00a0 He was tired of having to quit his game in inconvenient places just because a timer was going off, I was tired of the timer going off and getting reset (despite the fact that we agreed they wouldn’t do that), and tired of policing the whole thing.\u00a0 I was dreading going into summer with hours and hours each day to debate screentime.<\/p>\n
At family meeting this week I brought it up as a problem.\u00a0 My solution was a screen-free summer, and Lex’s solution was unlimited screentime all summer.\u00a0 We came to a compromise.\u00a0 Unlimited screen time AFTER they complete a list of jobs and activities.\u00a0 Lex loved the idea.\u00a0 I printed a few samples from the Internet (no idea is original any more!) and Lex made up our version.\u00a0 They have to do 30 minutes of something creative, one household chore, take care of pets, outside time, and more.\u00a0 So far things are going GREAT!\u00a0 We are only on day two, but I’m optimistic!\u00a0 Lex completes the jobs and (as I was hoping) it takes him awhile to get through the list so he isn’t on the computer at 9am for the entire day.\u00a0 So far it has been mid- to late-afternoon before he got things done.\u00a0 I don’t have to remind, he doesn’t have to ask for screen time, neither of us have to listen to (and decided how to handle) the beeping timer.<\/p>\n
So far, on day two, this unlimited screentime plan is fantastic!\u00a0\u00a0 I hope it lasts the whole summer through!\u00a0 :)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is the first summer that screentime has been a real issue.\u00a0 Lex is SO focused on the computer and it’s all he wants to do.\u00a0 He was at the point where he would go wander around outside for ten … Continue reading