The Summer Rules
This Summer, I've decided to do something a little bit different. You see, every Summer I pretend that the children aren't going to spend all day on their electronics and every Summer, the children spend all day on their electronics. Yup, I know I haven't ever told *you* that but I guess that is because I wanted to seem a little bit like I was in control of my children!
However, I've decided that I don't care. I mean obviously, I care about my children but if they want to spend all day on the consoles then they can because guess what, this is their Summer holiday too and that's what they like to do, that's how they like to relax and actually, for the most part, the games that they are playing are partly educational too!
Anyway.
This Summer, I decided to make a few rules that the children had to follow before they played on the consoles.
1.) Make your bed and open your curtains.
2.) Eat breakfast.
3.) Get washed and brush your teeth and hair.
4.) Get dressed.
5.) Do some writing, colouring, drawing or coding.
6.) Make something.
7.) Read for twenty minutes.
8.) Spend twenty minutes outside.
I introduced it to the children on the Saturday in a family meeting that we held in the garden and also asked them for their Summer Bucket list suggestions. There were questions and suggestions and they happily agreed to give up two hours of their early morning to then spend the rest of the day on their favourite consoles guilt free.
And then I suggested a few summer projects for us to work on together, which we agreed on a couple of, but as normal we'll keep quiet about as we like to do the projects not to tell others about for glory, but just because we can do them!
So far it's been almost a week and every day the children have got up and automatically carried out a few chores that I hadn't asked them to do, have completed the tasks I ask them that I listed above and then have spent a few hours playing on their electronics... but I've noticed something a bit odd.
The children haven't spent all day on the consoles.
In fact, sometimes they don't even go on the consoles until well after lunch because they've got involved in a book, or they've enjoyed crafting something and have wanted to do that for a longer period of time, or they have enjoyed hanging about outside...
Or they go on the consoles and after a couple of hours, I'll find them reading again or working on one of their personal summer projects, or even (shock horror) watching TV and talking to each other.
I kinda like it.
However, I've decided that I don't care. I mean obviously, I care about my children but if they want to spend all day on the consoles then they can because guess what, this is their Summer holiday too and that's what they like to do, that's how they like to relax and actually, for the most part, the games that they are playing are partly educational too!
Anyway.
This Summer, I decided to make a few rules that the children had to follow before they played on the consoles.
1.) Make your bed and open your curtains.
2.) Eat breakfast.
3.) Get washed and brush your teeth and hair.
4.) Get dressed.
5.) Do some writing, colouring, drawing or coding.
6.) Make something.
7.) Read for twenty minutes.
8.) Spend twenty minutes outside.
I introduced it to the children on the Saturday in a family meeting that we held in the garden and also asked them for their Summer Bucket list suggestions. There were questions and suggestions and they happily agreed to give up two hours of their early morning to then spend the rest of the day on their favourite consoles guilt free.
And then I suggested a few summer projects for us to work on together, which we agreed on a couple of, but as normal we'll keep quiet about as we like to do the projects not to tell others about for glory, but just because we can do them!
So far it's been almost a week and every day the children have got up and automatically carried out a few chores that I hadn't asked them to do, have completed the tasks I ask them that I listed above and then have spent a few hours playing on their electronics... but I've noticed something a bit odd.
The children haven't spent all day on the consoles.
In fact, sometimes they don't even go on the consoles until well after lunch because they've got involved in a book, or they've enjoyed crafting something and have wanted to do that for a longer period of time, or they have enjoyed hanging about outside...
Or they go on the consoles and after a couple of hours, I'll find them reading again or working on one of their personal summer projects, or even (shock horror) watching TV and talking to each other.
I kinda like it.