Screen Time & Summer

I've had a few surprises lately.  The first one came when my husband said he thought we should cancel the TV and Internet for the summer.  The second came when our middle son, who is 11, brought up the same idea not knowing the discussion had already been started.  The third came when my oldest son, after realizing we were serious about no screen time, decided to use his newly found free time to pour over cookbooks and start baking insanely amazing things from scratch completely by himself.

For the past 18 months or so I've been increasingly concerned with the screen time in our home.  When I read the statistics out there I know we are well below the average on screen time, we do limit our children but still...

"Mom, can I have computer NOW?"

"Just let me finish my game."

"I just have 1 more level."

"But he had more time than me!"

"I'm bored, there's nothing to do."

"Just one more episode."

"But my friends are on Minecraft RIGHT NOW."

The list could go on and on plus it's hard to express in writing the whining, fussing and pre-teen eye rolling/sighs.  This is a challenging generation to raise.  When I was a kid there were no home computers, no DVR's, no hand-held electronics, no social media and limited game systems (& we never owned one).  We didn't even have a VCR until I was 16.  

My oldest two boys are 11-1/2 and almost 13, they are begging for a cell phone, iPod and anything with a screen.  I am amazed at how many of their friends have phones.  I've seen kids their age with iPhones and unlimited Internet.  All I can think of is hand-held unlimited p*rn.  I certainly don't want to sound like I am criticizing other parents, to each his own, but my boys are mine to raise and I am praying we are making good decisions for them.

At their age, they are struggling to limit themselves.  Screens aren't going away and we are trying desperately to teach them to be wise in their choices and time.  We go to our family cabin a few times each summer (it is our favorite place in the world) there is no electricity, which means no screens and they have SO much fun!  We decided we needed them to see that no screens at home can be just as much fun.  Therefore, we canceled the TV for the summer and tried to cancel the Internet.  We found out we are in a contract, plus I need Internet for Ethiopia stuff, so the plan is to unplug it & only plug it back in when necessary.  Thankfully, my boys sleep in so each morning I've been turning it back on, checking e-mail and blogging a little :-)  The rest of the day it's off.

We don't plan to completely limit screen time, we like family movie nights and I promised the boys that during sleepovers, they can have a couple hours of xbox time with their friends. I want to teach them that screen time isn't bad unless it becomes consuming and unfortunately, that's what had been happening in our home.  My husband and I both have iPhones, if I wasn't doing the Ethiopia stuff, I'd probably get rid of mine but I've found Instagram and the ability to check e-mail anytime extremely helpful.  However, I recognize my own struggles with screen time discipline and hope I gain as much as my boys this summer.  That is, gain from less screen time not pounds from all the yummy baking :-)