It's About Time China!
As I write this, China has just come out with a ban on all online gaming by minors during the school week and limits them to only 3 hours a day on weekends. The horror! Our girls have never known a life where they are allowed to play video games of any kind during the week and they are only limited to 2 hours of electronics on weekend days. Instead, we encourage them to read and as a result, they both have turned into book worms which pleases my soul to no end. I guess because they have never known any different, there has been no protest of these rules or even discussions to abandon them.
At one point, we didn't have those rules in place but our oldest was too young to remember those heady days. We started noticing a direct correlation between the time spent watching the television/ipad and behavior. When long hours were spent in front of electronics, it almost guaranteed grouchiness and temper issues later on. If we restricted usage and forced them to read, do some craft, or play with their physical toys, she was always in much better moods at the end of the day. So we just adopted it and it has stuck with us. I have never regretted that decision and I think our children are better for it.
While I don't necessarily agree that it is the government's place to parent our children, I do think China's children will be better as a result of this new ban. It will be interesting to watch what happens next over there.
I can't IMAGINE having all the gizmos & other goodies kids have today, when we were their age. I don't think it's so much good what you're doing Ed, I think it's necessary. I saw that China news story too and to be honest, even wondered if the government needed to do that--I'm betting most parents in China are already like yourself.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, our parents yelled at us to quit "farming" the dirt under the silver maple tree with our toy tractors and such. I think I was probably a teen when the first electronic, an Apple IIe entered the house and it didn't have any games until I was nearly out of high school.
DeleteI guess you can do that in a totalitarian state. Here, wearing a little piece of cloth gets people in high dudgeon.
ReplyDeleteI think all countries are heading towards totalitarianism unfortunately. It is that proverbial slippery slope that we are all sliding down. But with our population growing, I don't know if we have a choice.
DeleteWhen our kids were growing up, we limited computer game time to 30 minutes per day. I can only say that I think they are the better for it as adults.
ReplyDeleteI should add that homework and chores had to be done first.
DeleteYes, all homework and chores is done first too. All this makes me wonder what my future grandkids will have for temptations that my children will have to deal with. Mind implants? Virtual worlds?
DeleteYou are a wise parent, Ed. I hope my grandchildren's parents will act in a similar fashion.
ReplyDeleteI guess time will tell if it was wise. Perhaps I'm shooting them in the foot and making them ineligible for some lucrative contract that requires gaming skills in the future. I mean they love to read books and that is nearly unheard of these days among my peers much less their peers.
DeleteI didn't have that issue (except with TV) with my kids and they found lots to do, after whining they were bored. One daughter is an excellent artist and dancer, the other a gifted musician and athlete. So, they find other more worthwhile pursuits. My older daughter and husband haven't let Grandson have any screen time, although since he's been sick they've allowed a little kid TV.
ReplyDeleteMy kids did watch their share of TV, but they also spent lots of time playing, "both inside and out" and had incredible imaginations. Our goal when they were young was to limit their after-school activities. Life shouldn't be so busy there's no time to just be a kid.
ReplyDeleteMy kids weren't allowed to watch TV during the week once they started school. When they were little, they watched Sesame Street and not much else. As a mother of 4, I needed that break and loved the lessons from Big Bird and friends.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, however, the millennials are having babies and their parents are glued to their electronics. I think China's regulation is a fantastic one. Will our young electronic zombie parents of today be able to limit their children's digital time?
You are doing a great job of doing limits. If other parents don't do the same, China's youth will surpass Americans who will be nose deep in games and other time wasters.
I agree that limiting screen time is the way to go. When kids are attached to the screen they miss out on life to learn how to live with other. I see too many adults now on games.
ReplyDeleteI saw that as well, Ed. The reality is, China - due to the nature of their government - has the ability to "make it stick" the way most other states do not. Left to the individual.
ReplyDeleteOne wonders what differences we will see in the coming years between China in this regard and the rest of the world.
Can you imagine the screaming if the government tried to limit screen time here?
ReplyDeleteHow would the Chinese government regulate such a thing. We never bought video games for our kids when they lived at home. I know they went to their friends' homes and played, but not at our house. I remember my son arguing that we were limiting his growth and dexterity. Nope. Didn't work.
ReplyDeleteRegarding screentime, it can be tempting to blame the children or their parents but in fact what we should be looking at is the cunning of the providers and the carelessness of government. I applaud you and your wife for setting sensible boundaries for your daughters and encouraging reading and craft work.
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