A Different Kid

If you know me well or have ever been to my house you will know that we are a 'technology' family. We currently have 6 televisions, 3 iPads, one PC, 2 laptops, 4 iPhones & 3 PlayStations. Writing it all down kind of makes me a little embarrassed. The kids have both had iPads from a young age (shock horror) and Ben's down time is often spent playing the PlayStation. We have two TVs in the lounge room which allows him to play his games with wireless headphones & I can watch tv. It suits both of us and while some men prefer to spend their down time at the pub, I like the fact that Ben is at home with us and there to help out if I need him.

Despite having all of this technology in the house we have always had strict limitations as far as the boys were concerned. They have only ever been allowed to play their iPads/PlayStation on weekends and for limited amounts of time. However with schools holidays the rules have been a little more relaxed....

 

Our youngest boy Angus can only be described as our 'difficult' child. You know there's one in every family. He's the one that rarely does as his told, pushes ALL of my buttons ALL of the time, fights, argues & is just  plain stubborn & unwilling! He can be utterly delightful one minute & have me wanting to wring his neck the next.

 

He has a passion for YouTube (kids version) and if not monitored, will happily spend all day watching Minecraft clips. This addiction soon led to more awful behaviour until we reached a breaking point last week where enough was enough! We decided that iPads and PlayStations would no longer be readily available for them to play with. The iPads were put away out of sight and they were given the use of one PlayStation for which they are allowed to watch Netflix at certain times of the day. We talked our decision over with both the boys so they knew what was happening and why. We also told them that we would be committed to spending more time doing things together as a family.

Now, it's probably not going to be a surprise to you that Angus' behaviour started to change. We knew it was bound to make a difference but I have been surprised at the amount of change and how quickly it has happened. We are nearly a week into the new routine and there have been NO major meltdowns. These were often a daily occurrence so to have these gone has been a huge relief for all of us. He hasn't asked for his iPad at all, is playing better with his brother and is even eating better. 

 

To say that he is a different kid is almost an understatement. While he's certainly not perfect, he no longer fights us the way he used to. Getting him to bathe every night is no longer a fight, nor is asking him to get dressed of a morning. We have a happy boy again!

I know that technology is a big part of our kid's lives and always will be but being able to just let them be KIDS is so important. Learning to make their own fun is an essential life skill.

 


I'm proud of Ben & I for making a change. It can be so easy just to give in. It's easy for him to bury his head in Clash Royale & me in social media but we are now on a path to a positive technology/life balance.

How do you manage technology in your house? 

Til next time,

Mel xx