Ok... so as I type - My kids are all engrossed in tablets and phones. So happy that their dad bought them cell phones, tablets etc etc... Feel the love... I want to scream. PLAY OUTSIDE!!!!! USE YOUR TOYS!!!! I am so sick of my kids faces in screens. In desperation I signed them up for sports. But while one plays, the others occupy themselves waiting with - you guessed it. Tablets, screens.
Last week we had a homeschool kick-off picnic with friends. In discussion with the other moms (hi Emily and Jetaime ::::Waving::::) I hung my head in shame hearing how their energetic kids have nice little time limits on electronics. I excuse things by saying - well Alyssa has reached that pre-teen age where all they want to do is be in their rooms. Sure she is reading, drawing and more... but deep into the night hours, the glow of her phone while she surfs the web make me cringe. I know I know. All the internet dangers out there when kids have internet access in their rooms... that actually isn't my battle yet. yet. I know it is coming soon. So now I am begging myself, God and anyone who will listen - to help me tame this beast that has invaded my home now. Because once this battle is done - I know I have others I will have to move on to. But for now... Time. That is my issue.
I am so tired of having to TELL the kids what to do. What to play and set up their toys for them. Because if I don't they just - don't. Or fight or just annoy me until I let them back to their games and happy our house is. Oh don't act like this is a shock. It is just me being honest.
Sure my kids are still awesome and if given situations - they don't act rude or uninterested. But problem is - computers are so easy to be sucked into and while I do my morning stuff - Breakfast, devotions, dishes, laundry, bills, life... I look up and realize my 5 year old has been on the computer Minecraft for 5 HOURS! And it is just Lunch time! Well... I will make him get off after I am done cooking lunch... cleaning up lunch... bedtime!?!?!?
Help me Jesus. Please. Please.
So... I am annoyed I have to plan things. Tell them what to play. etc... But I realize this is a problem and just saying - ok no more you can only play so long... doesn't work. Cuz right now I tried that... and two hours later the boys are still on things... And frankly - I don't have the energy to set up toys, get ideas and things out and make them get off. I am tired. I am alone in fighting this battle. I worked all day and Just flat out DONT WANNA!!!!! WHINE WHINE WHINE POUT POUT POUT! It's not fair. Can't someone else fix this monster of a problem? I flip out. I shut off routers. They look at me like - moms lost it again. And the next day - same life. Same technology. Same problems...
AHHHHHHHH ok... so Guess even though I don't have time. Effort. Or the will to do this. I have to fix it myself. And the only way is to break the habits. And fill time so much full with other things that they don't realize they are not on the computer as much. So much I pay 3 times my Internet bill as "going over my usage fees" Blah.
So composing a list. I have to schedule my kids to play! This stinks. This is silly. But this is reality. And Frankly... Booooooo.
(Can you tell I am really annoyed at this and frustrated!?!?! my kids can tell. But yelling and lecturing and grounding hasn't fixed my problem. So here goes a game plan)
Things to do to fill our time:::::
1) Color (this only works for Alyssa and Wyatt. Tristan is NOT an art kid... sigh)
2) Playdough... See I can fill WYATTS TIME! And this kid just wants someone to play with him!!!
What to do with Alyssa and Tristan... Pray first cuz I just had to pause to yell at the boys again for fighting over a video game... But here lies my issue. Now Tristan and Wyatt are wrestling in the living room and I want them to STOOOOOOP before a fishtank gets knocked over!
3)Monster Slime
4)Ninja Stress Balls
5)Chain Reaction Popsicle Sticks
6)Pound Nails into Wood
7)Snap Circuts
8)Legos
9)Badmitten
10)Dominos
11)Laundry (yippee!!! I like this one) - from start to finish - gonna work on teaching them to load, unload and work on the laundry.
12)Marble Bowling
13)Make Plastic from Milk/Vinegar
14)Cup Stacking
15)Nerf Gun Shooting Range
16)Bowling with Cups
17)Plastic Fork Catapults
18)Ice Play
19)Drawing with wet chalk
20)Make a Marshmallow/PomPom Shooter
21)Mess Free Finger Painting
22)Styrofoam Painting
23)Water Gun Painting
24)Dominoes
25)Skylanders Pop It
26)Stamps (rubber stamps and paper)
27)GAMES - we do have a lot. Don't spill the beans, kalide, uno etc. Funny how new these games are... not used more than a handful of times themselves.
ok... so I gotta go put the kidlets to bed. Perhaps I can think of some more things to keep us busy tomorrow. Baby steps. I have a feeling tomorrow will be better because it is a full day of homeschool then Baseball. But today with work and no school, kids outta wack, mommy tired. No routine. I felt defeated. but Tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day! And a few ideas to start I can guide the boys to some of it to keep me sane and feeling like they are not turning into zombies.
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