This family used to have a lot of media. Television, movies, computer, handhelds, you name it. First thing in the morning, afternoons, meal times, before bed, late nights.
I introduced him to Nicklelodeon online games when he was almost four. Over the years he has owned a Gameboy, Nintendo DS, two laptops, a Wii, an X-box, and now an Iphone. Most of these were purchased for him by his father (my ex-husband). In the beginning I didn't see a problem. But eventually I noticed the behavior changes. When he was "plugged in" he was content, but the moment he became "unplugged", he became bored, restless, and almost frantic. Very much like an addict. He wouldn't know what to do with himself.
And Sita, although not nearly as plugged in as her brother, loved to watch movies and television. When the television was off, she was always asking for more. She would be bored, sitting listlessly with "nothing to do". My attempts to get them to play were fruitless.
When I stumbled upon Simplicity Parenting, and then Waldorf Education and Rudolph Steiner, I decided to make some drastic changes. I eliminated the media, cold turkey.
It was really tough in the beginning, no one seemed to know what to do with themselves. There was a lot of complaining and asking for more - more TV, more games. But over time, they learned to be creative again. They pulled out the boxes of family games, the puzzles, the blocks, the card games, and the art and craft supplies that were already in our home.
We started sitting at the table for meals. They would fight over who got to set the table and work to make it attractive. They helped more with the cooking, and chores became a regular thing. We talked about our days over dinner. They built elaborate blanket forts in the living room.
Sean complains now that his friends don't want to do anything but sit inside and play on their Xboxes. He is learning to limit his own screen time, and is proud that he is so different from the neighborhood kids. We still have a lot more media in our home than most of the Waldorf families I know, but I am pleased we have made significant changes.
Occassionally the media starts to creep back in, and I have to decide how much is too much. If I had my way, we would not have a television at all, as I find it addictive myself. It is too easy to sit and watch mindlessly, even when there is nothing on really worth watching.
I could go on about the detriments of too much media in children's lives, there is certainly plenty of research available - media's impact on children, http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html, http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/The-Effects-of-Electronic-Media-on-Children-Ages-Zero-to-Six-A-History-of-Research-Issue-Brief.pdf .
But mostly I wanted to share how much reducing the "screen time" in our home has brought positive changes to our lives. Now, instead of constant pleas for "more! more! more!" we are better able to enjoy each other, spend more time reading together, and have become a more creative family.
Sita started her day playing "Princess" with her sister, but ended up with a pirate theme while I was upstairs laying down with Alina...
We still enjoy family movie night on ocassion, and a sick day is a good time for being "plugged in". But I am so happy we changed our screen time habits!
I introduced my oldest, Sean, to "Sesame Street" when he was almost one. I was so excited, since I had grown up watching the show every morning, and now here I was sharing it with my child. It was a nostalgic moment. From that we progressed to other PBS shows. Then kid movies, then adult movies as he was permitted to watch what we were watching. How else would we get the chance to see what we wanted to watch?
I encouraged him to watch television when he was little, especially after his sister was born. I needed that time to rest. I felt it was wrong to encourage so much television viewing, but I didn't know how to give it up either.
I introduced him to Nicklelodeon online games when he was almost four. Over the years he has owned a Gameboy, Nintendo DS, two laptops, a Wii, an X-box, and now an Iphone. Most of these were purchased for him by his father (my ex-husband). In the beginning I didn't see a problem. But eventually I noticed the behavior changes. When he was "plugged in" he was content, but the moment he became "unplugged", he became bored, restless, and almost frantic. Very much like an addict. He wouldn't know what to do with himself.
And Sita, although not nearly as plugged in as her brother, loved to watch movies and television. When the television was off, she was always asking for more. She would be bored, sitting listlessly with "nothing to do". My attempts to get them to play were fruitless.
When I stumbled upon Simplicity Parenting, and then Waldorf Education and Rudolph Steiner, I decided to make some drastic changes. I eliminated the media, cold turkey.
It was really tough in the beginning, no one seemed to know what to do with themselves. There was a lot of complaining and asking for more - more TV, more games. But over time, they learned to be creative again. They pulled out the boxes of family games, the puzzles, the blocks, the card games, and the art and craft supplies that were already in our home.
We started sitting at the table for meals. They would fight over who got to set the table and work to make it attractive. They helped more with the cooking, and chores became a regular thing. We talked about our days over dinner. They built elaborate blanket forts in the living room.
Sean complains now that his friends don't want to do anything but sit inside and play on their Xboxes. He is learning to limit his own screen time, and is proud that he is so different from the neighborhood kids. We still have a lot more media in our home than most of the Waldorf families I know, but I am pleased we have made significant changes.
Occassionally the media starts to creep back in, and I have to decide how much is too much. If I had my way, we would not have a television at all, as I find it addictive myself. It is too easy to sit and watch mindlessly, even when there is nothing on really worth watching.
I could go on about the detriments of too much media in children's lives, there is certainly plenty of research available - media's impact on children, http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html, http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/The-Effects-of-Electronic-Media-on-Children-Ages-Zero-to-Six-A-History-of-Research-Issue-Brief.pdf .
But mostly I wanted to share how much reducing the "screen time" in our home has brought positive changes to our lives. Now, instead of constant pleas for "more! more! more!" we are better able to enjoy each other, spend more time reading together, and have become a more creative family.
Sean's elaborate domino set-up. Not an easy thing to do with a very busy toddler on the loose! Notice the attention to detail - the candles, small buddha figure, and the hot peppers (he grew those himself!)
Sita started her day playing "Princess" with her sister, but ended up with a pirate theme while I was upstairs laying down with Alina...
On this particular morning, I was offered a "breakfast buffet" the girls created...
Nothing like a big cardboard box to get your imagination going...
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