For those of you who have been in this community for any amount of time, you probably know that lately, I’ve been thinking about, talking about, asking questions to anyone who will listen (HA!) about, the use of technology with your kids.
Here’s the thing… I am using technology RIGHT NOW. This is the constant conundrum.
Technology has become a constant part of our lives. We are connected to our devices no matter where we are. Most of the people I know don’t even have a land line anymore… did I date myself? Do ya’ll know what a land line IS? it was a phone connected to your house. You couldn’t take it with you… Which brings me to my point… my brain… many of our brains were able to develop without a constant screen in our faces.
We don’t yet have any idea what the ramification of all this technology is going to be and what if it goes the way of cigarettes… my grandmother was “prescribed” cigarettes by her doctor to manage her stress.. Say what? And now that we know better, we can do better.
I will be the first to admit that letting my kids use devices was… easy. They were quiet, contained and entertained… but then I saw them NEED the device. They would take it to the bathroom, eat dinner and play side by side with a friend with a device in front of their face. My heart would ache a little and I could easily fall into a state of WORRY. And then I felt the pressure to make an immediate decision to course correct.
Instead, I stopped myself. I observed, I talked, I listened, I prayed, I meditated, I walked, I sought wise council… and through the process of quiet observation and careful consideration, I made my way to a FLOW decision. I am their parent and it may be hard but the love was stronger than the fear. We are now, officially a no screen during the week household and that includes me when they are around me… except for the must capture, cuter than words moments… I won’t pretend it’s perfect or we have it all figured out, but here’s what I can tell you:
- I forgive myself for letting it get to this place.
- Choosing LOVE over WORRY, making a definitive choice and moving in the right direction feels AMAZING, even if it’s still a work in progress.
- I choose to learn from what I see, hear and feel around me… I mean… It is almost 2020 people and just a heads up… smoking does not help with stress!! LOL
If you’re looking for a good resource on how to talk to your kids about difficult decisions like this one, check out my friend and Teen Whisperer Kirsten Cobabe at Raising Unicorns.
