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jenevang

jenevang

Rocking a two-piece under my scrubs
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Apr 20, 2011
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OK... did anyone miss me? :giggle

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Well, I was without internet access for FOUR DAYS. Yes, I said it. FOUR DAYS.

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Of course, I did have my phone so my withdrawal was tempered a bit... AND I caught the stomach virus (thank you, @scarletsierra ) during that time. So that helped. LOL.

Everyone in the house was twitchy, though, which made me realize we are a teeny bit too dependent on this internet thing.

200_d.webp


We have plenty of device-less time around here, but it's not really intentional. Do you have "no-tech" time at your house? For YOU, too? How often? Do you tend to break the rule and feel ok about it as long as kids are complying (who me?) ?

Spill!
 
I don't have tech free time per say but I put my phone on airplane mode for the three hour return commute that I do twice a week - it allows me to just listen to music and relax

Because of school I have to use technology but if I could reduce it a bit I would.
 
4 days?! Eek! It isn't a rule, but I've asked DH to stay off the iPad/phone when the kids are awake (during the week). If he only sees them for a few hours a day, then he can afford not to be surfing the web while playing Candy Land with them! Of course as I say this we're both on our laptops, but that's cuz the kids are watching The Muppets and chowing popcorn. :) So they get their screen time so we're getting ours.
On a semi-related note, thanks for the gif of Ten!
 
I would be in withdrawal! My kids are good... more of a routine, though we are way less regimented on weekends! I usually don't go on the computer until later, 8 or so... and then kids usually have 1/2 hour or so on their devices in the evening, after any sports, errands, homework and dinner. We all might catch a TV show together. Weekends revolve around sports, friends, and random things, so in between that, they might catch a video or play a game. I usually don't have to bother them too much.

It's hard to stay disconnected also in our house for my kids. Half of their homework is on the computers (or iPods). Math, Vocabulary, and spelling all have a tendency to use different computer functions too.
 
My philosophy is that the computer is a tool and I don't feel a need to restrict it any more than I'd restrict the use of pens, spoons, or dictionaries.

Of course the computer does a lot more than a spoon or dictionary! So we're using them a lot.
 
Kids don't have electronics during the week, only Fri-Sunday. I don't look at my phone/iPad first thing when I wake or last thing before bed, two habits I am breaking for 2016 and so far, so good!
 
For us, we restrict gaming devices on school days. So Mon-Thursday all day, and then not until after school on Friday. We do not restrict access to devices for learning purposes or for pleasure reading, but there's just no need to be gaming during the week. Before this rule was put in place, our kids would rush through homework, or sometimes even fib and say they had no homework, just so they could get to gaming time. They would fight or not want to eat dinner, and certainly not value our family time. It was time wasted and an obsession fed. So, we put a stop to it. Now, they are perfectly content to save game time for weekends only. They totally respect the rule, and our time together as a family has improved for it! We do a lot together during the week - even just dinner conversations - and my kids are focused on doing their homework and doing it well. This has been one of the best parenting decisions we've ever made.
 
Ummm... a bit of a techie addict here. I can't imagine going without for 4 days!! I think I would start twitching with withdrawal symptoms. LOL!

I always have my phone with me... always. I receive work emails on it and need to be available. My husband is a network engineer and is on call 24/7, so he also has phone and computer on at all times.

Our son is 13 and loves his phone and computer. He is autistic and has a disability with his hand that causes cramping if he writes for any length of time, so the computer has become an amazing tool for him to help with homework. We don't restrict it for him. He gravitates to history programs on YouTube, and has learned so much from them.
 
I don't usually get on my computer until after the kids are in bed (unless it's unwork related - I have been doing on-line ASL courses where I spend 30 minutes in the afternoon studying and watching videos). I do spend more time on it during the weekends when my hubby is off work. My kids don't really care about video games or electronic devices. I've never had to set restrictions. Most days they don't even get on. We usually watch one TV show together at night or watch some youtube videos. On Friday afternoons I FORCE my children to play wii with my 5 year old (she's the only one who really likes to play the wii, but she is totally incapable of playing it by herself (believe me - it's not a good idea) so I have to make her siblings play with her once a week).

As for me and my phone....we are pretty much inseparable. I know I need to set personal restrictions, but it's hard when it's my go-to for everything...calendar, to-do list, grocery list, keeping up with family, e-mail, feedly, social media (yah, yah, I know some of those things aren't that important).
 
michelepixels said:
My philosophy is that the computer is a tool and I don't feel a need to restrict it any more than I'd restrict the use of pens, spoons, or dictionaries.

Of course the computer does a lot more than a spoon or dictionary! So we're using them a lot.
Click to expand...

This, totally. I do try not to spend a ton of time playing games or idly surfing Facebook or the web- those things I do limit- but I also use the computer, phone, and tablet to run my business, to edit photos, for my day job, to keep in touch with family, etc. I don't tend to get twitchy when I don't have a connection unless it's interfering with a job or being able to go online to pay bills or something like that.
 
michelepixels said:
My philosophy is that the computer is a tool and I don't feel a need to restrict it any more than I'd restrict the use of pens, spoons, or dictionaries.

Of course the computer does a lot more than a spoon or dictionary! So we're using them a lot.
Click to expand...
I'm totally in this camp. No gamers here but since my job is in IT, four days would not be good.
 
michelepixels said:
My philosophy is that the computer is a tool and I don't feel a need to restrict it any more than I'd restrict the use of pens, spoons, or dictionaries.
Click to expand...

I agree with this for myself as well, but it might not work for everyone. I mean, you're right: a spoon is a tool, just as a computer is a tool if you're capable of setting limits (whether consciously or not). With food it's always good to be mindful of your intake, and I try to be mindful of my computer "intake" too. It's not the tool but the operator who must be careful. Some people just have difficulty saying No like that. Some people aren't even aware they need to be aware! I have an aunt who sat down in front of a bowl of peanuts and started chatting with the family around her. Five minutes later her hand hit the bottom of the glass bowl. "Hey, where'd the peanuts go?!" she griped. She was shocked they were gone and we were all shocked she didn't even realized she'd eaten every. single. one.

Wow, I can't decide if I'm a Debbie Downer or just a realist. :confused:
 
I would be so twitchy without internet for 4 days! yikes! We all like our devices here... and for me, especially my phone. I even use it for cooking (recipes and timer). In the winter months (Jan-Mar) the kids play more on their computers for sure. When they have sports, we only allow computers on the weekends because otherwise they speed through homework/dinner to get to the computer. They also play more in the summer months too, but we also get a good balance because they play tennis every day and we also pretty much leave the house as soon as we get home from work to go to the beach or ride bikes or walk. :) Balance is definitely something we have to think about though! Let on their own my kids would play all day every day. Lol.
 
I swear it's not my fault @jenevang :luvya

I'm with you though. My computer and connection are so a part of my every day from my work life and creative life to interacting with loved ones that I begin to feel a sense of disconnectedness after about one day of unintended unplugged-ness.

We don't really have designated no-tech time (except shared family time and meal times) but I think that's mostly because we just have time that is tech-less, organically. But we have had to set boundaries for our daughter recently because she has fallen in love with Minecraft and could easily lose hours of her day if we allow her to interact with her device without guidance and limitation. She just needs a little help learning balance.
 
No children or grandchildren in our house, so both dh and I are in our offices/studios and on the computer as soon as we're dressed. Well, he's dressed. i often sit down with jammies. I have gone 4 days without net connection abroad but as our phones are the primary way of reaching us, we rely on 4G should the net go down, which it never has in my experience. In this part of the country there would be riots!

I do make sure to get up and down those stairs about every hour - more tea or water and at 11 a cuppa coffee. My own elevenses. I often get off the computer after 3pm to read or sometimes watch an on demand show. After dinner it's a choice of those two also.

Himself? he's tied to the iPad for reading when he's not on the computer. Some work, some volunteer work some solitaire. Me...I love love love my iMac. The iPhone sis a necessary tool...just Google it!... is a stock phrase of mine.
 
We try to limit device time during the week, but lately that has been slipping. No XBox until the weekend though and that has a time limit too, so we really try to restrict gaming. Lately dh and my oldest are playing Halo together, so that time limit is slipping too (their "together" time doesn't count towards the time limit for some reason).

Homework for my oldest is almost all on the computer, so we can't limit his online time because of that.
 
I am in the "the computer is a tool" camp. I think the food comparison @Tree City makes is valid, but it seems like a lot of people jump to "no screen time" where they wouldn't jump to "no food time". Screen time can be good or bad, just like not all food is equal either. I don't tell my kids they can't be on the computer/iPad/whatever but I do make sure the time they spend on there isn't all the equivalent of cupcakes. They need more good stuff than fluff.
 
I like your "cupcake" analogy @lorryfach. I'm going to use it the next time DD complains about how much (or rather, little) time I give her on her Kindle. She has FreeTime, so she can only watch/play for a set time. Then the screen goes black and says "You're all done for the day! Why don't you read?"

Now I'm sneaking time to write this on my phone while DS is playing nicely by himself. (Love the portability of a smart phone!) Who knows how long he'll play like this so I'm gonna start a load of laundry before he needs me. :)
 
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