I am always worried about my kids' brains self-scrambling from too much screen time. I fear an imaginary future where somewhere during their childhood, they hit an irreversible tipping point, and their lives were ruined by electronics. I fear failing them as a mother. I fear fully grown adults living in my basement playing video games twenty-four seven. Nobody wants that.
I know all of you are right there in the trenches fighting this battle with me. After all, we were the last generation of children to know what it was like before hand held devices. Of course, we all want our kids to have that same childhood, and grow up as normal, fully-functioning adults. Unfortunately, the long, device-free summer days for kids are long gone.
So what to do? Well, if you search for answers online, you can find a different one for every mama willing to dish out advice. I've tried lots of ideas, ranging from completely banning screen time to allowing unlimited access, in hopes that the temptation of the "forbidden," that makes screens more enticing, is removed. Nothing seems ideal for our family. The older our guys get (they are eight and six now), the harder and harder this issue is to deal with.
Contemplating this summer, I think I've come up with a plan that will work for our family. At least, I'm going to give it a good try. Since I work from home, we have quite a bit of flexibility in our schedule, so that's good. But there's also the balancing act of providing the kids with a fun summer while also getting my work done. All without boring the kids to death or going insane. My plan is for us to get out and about in the mornings, and have entertain-yourself-so-Mom-can-work-time in the afternoons. Some days we'll be out and about for most of the day and I'll just work in the evening.
So for when we are at home, here is my School's Out for Summer Screen Time Battle Plan, including a printable version in case you'd like to try it out yourself. I'd love to hear how it worked or didn't, or if you adapted it and came up with a better plan!
School's Out for Summer Screen Time Battle Plan
Wake up and screens are ok for ONE hour (selfish reasons mostly here. Mommy MUST have coffee and get a little work done before entertaining, or refusing to entertain, anyone. Leave me alone people.)
After your first hour of screen time, screens go off automatically. If Mommy has to track you down and tell you to turn them off, you will lose your screen time for the rest of the day. You may have TWO more hours of screen time after the following tasks have been checked off:
1. Eat breakfast
2. Get dressed and brush teeth
3. Tidy your room (stuff put away, dirty clothes in hamper, drawers closed, etc.)
4. Tidy the playroom (toys put away, dirty clothes in laundry room, no trash/snacks/empty cups)
5. Complete one chore from chore list (I will have a list of things I'd like them to do during the week and they have to pick a new one each day)
6. Read a chapter book for at least 20 mins OR read at least 3 picture books. Feel free to read as long as you want!
7. Play outside for at least an hour (ride your bike, play in the tree house, swing on the hammocks, etc.)
I'd really love to add time to be creative (paint, play play doh or kinetic sand) or play board games, but honestly, if we can maintain this simpler plan, it will be a miracle. Add things that might require supervision and I know it will all fall to pieces. That is just our family though, so add in or take away what you think will work for yours! And wish me luck, because I'm going to need it!!
Thank you to the publishers of Macaroni Kid Highlands Ranch Parker for the inspiration! You can check out their printable School's Out screen time plan HERE.
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