On Saturday, I told the kids all screens were off. They whined for a bit. They complained for a little longer. One of them may have cried tragically over the horror of it all and the meanness I was displaying. I stood strong.
They went into their room and started playing. And playing well together. Since neither of them was ignoring the other in favor of a video game or a game app, they were actually interacting. Joseph played dolls with Elizabeth, helping her set up her various wooden girls in ghost hunting fashion. And she turned around and played Legos with Joseph.
They sat on the floor and drew together, trading notebooks back and forth because, as Joseph said, Elizabeth draws the best smiles. They talked and chattered and used their imagination.
I felt like the greatest mom in history.
I put lunch out and called them to eat. They sat at the table and chatted with each other and me. Then Joseph said the magic words.
“I’m glad you took away the screens today. I actually had a lot of fun.”
“Me too!” Elizabeth added.
I smiled smugly and replied, “Maybe we should do it more often.”
“Let’s not get carried away,” Joseph cautioned.
Still, I do think I’ll do it more often. Who knows? Maybe they’ll start picking dolls and Legos over Minecraft and I will have won one tiny battle for motherhood.
What are the screen time rules in your house?
