We've been back from LFC camp for a couple of days now but Ellie and Maia still think they are outside. They are still shouting. Still running about (inside and between rain storms). Still playing. Still laughing. Still fighting. Still being wild care free independent children. I love it!! The shouting is getting a bit much for us but it's still brilliant. They still think the tv isn't working (although Ellie woke up and came in whilst we were watching a fim, maybe she'll have been too sleepy to remember!!) but they finally have their tablets connected to the internet.
It's slowly creeping back in to their time but not even half as much as it was before (practically 24/7). I do think I will have to keep a watchful eye on their screen time but I would SO love for them to be able to carry on self regulating but I worry that with school starting soon and there being less hours in the day to use the tablets, they will increase their tablet time rather than their 'play' time.
Before camp I suggested to the girls that they only go on them twice a day for an hour or so and they seemed amenable to it but I couldn't really work out how to 'police' such a thing without 'dictating' and I didn't want it to become something I would have to enforce. All of which..police, dictate, enforce really doesn't sound so wonderful to me. I envisioned me giving them their tablets (which would mean having to hide them) then forgetting they were on them whilst I was busy doing mum things and before I know it, it's lunchtime!! Either that or I would say, "ok times up" and they would say no and I would make an attempt to take it off them, feel like I would have to somehow physically remove the tablets and be mean nasty mum and then change my mind, wanting to avoid the conflict!!!
At the end of camp, Ellie asked me to do something her friend gets called "tablet time". She seemed quite enthusiastic about it, having completely forgotten we had discussed this very idea not ten days prior.
Perhaps they *will* be able to turn them off if I suggest it. So far I haven't needed to. I haven't felt they've been on them way too much, to the detriment of other play possibilities. Mind you it has only been two days!!! To aid in our downsizing media time, I have decided to deactivate from Facebook for a while longer. It's been almost a month and with the busyness of moving and the craziness of camping, it's actually not been *that* hard. I know though, for an addict and socialbee like me, it will be harder and harder to avoid FB time as the nights draw in and the girls are back to school!!!
Here's hoping the lure of the countryside and the new house exploration and the 'not yet connected tv' will be enough to keep them busy otherwise it's going to be a whole load of stressy tablet time hassle I don't need (and I'm sure they don't want either)!!!!
Meltdowns - Millie is joining the ranks
Losing the Plot - usually starts about 4.36pm
Breastfeeding - in all honesty I'd be keen for it to stop, well maybe not completely.
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