J.J. Johnson, Author
  • My Books
    • Believarexic
    • The Theory of Everything >
      • A Teoria de Tudo
      • Mi Teoría de Todo
      • La theorie du grand tout
    • This Girl is Different >
      • Esta Chica es Diferente
      • Cette fille est différente
      • 이 소녀는 다른 것입니다
      • Eve sieht es anders
      • Ova djevojka je drukčija
  • Writerly Things I Do
    • Writing (My Creative Space)
    • And I Read a Lot
    • Speeches & School Visits
    • Book Harvest
    • The Brown Bookshelf's Declaration in Support of Children
    • Adverb Fight Club
    • Little Free Library
    • Indies First
    • Authors for Library E-Books
  • Blog
  • About Me
    • Bio
    • Short Bio
    • Believarexic Radio Interview
    • Frequently Asked Questions >
      • How to be an Author
      • 'This Girl' Discussion Questions
    • Favorites by Decade
    • Post-Concussion Syndrome
    • 50 Random Facts About Me
    • Favorite Quotes
    • Paintings
    • Happy Dances
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Take a Survey

GLOW KID REMEDIATION STRATEGY (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Deal with Screen Time)

9/5/2016

 
"I don't know any family that doesn't struggle over screen time."
-my mother-in-law (not throwing shade)

from
I lost my mind on a trip to my in-laws this summer.

Not because of my in-laws. Because of my 11 year old. More specifically: because of the iPad that had somehow grafted itself onto his body.

Okay, yeah, swimming or bike-riding, he'd willingly set down the device and come along. And thank God for that, because, well, at least there was that.

But when we were home and the grown-ups were talking? When nothing "good" was happening? Out came the screen. Curved went the spine, hunched went the shoulders. Vacant went the eyes.

Attempts to peel the iPad off of his face grew more difficult in direct proportion to the screen hours he racked up. The more he used it, the worse it got.
Tell me if this sounds familiar:

Me: We are visiting your grandparents, for crap's sake. Get off the screen.
Son: NO WAY!!! Nooooo!
Me: YES way. Yeeeesssss.
Son: (gripping the iPad like Gollum holding the One Ring) THE iPAD IS LIFE! (direct quote, guys.)
Me: (Panicked. Embarrassed. Don't want to get into a full-blown power struggle at my in-laws. Whisper-hissing--) When we get home, we are doing full-on enforcement of some new Screen Time Rules.*
Son: (rolls eyes, already tapping the screen) Sure sure yeah now leave me alone.

Great googly wooglies. How did we get to this?

I'll tell you how we got to this.
And then I'll tell you what we did about it.
And I'm here to tell you: IT WORKED.

Here's what I'ma share with you:
- A Brief History of Our Family's Screen-Time Rules (Or: How We Got to This)
- Back to the in-laws' house, and The Three Things that Happened.
- Things that I, You, We All Need to Know about Screen Time.
- The Hard Reset of Screen-Time Rules -- The Rules, enumerated.



Read More
    J.j. Johnson

    Create your badge

    By

    j.j. johnson, author
    (and opinionated lady girl)

    Categories

    All
    Adverb Fight Club
    Blogs
    Book Launch
    Contests
    Cover
    Favorites
    Holidays
    Honors
    Interview
    Life
    Photos
    Politics
    Press
    Random
    Rant
    Reader Mail
    The Theory Of Everything
    This Girl Is Different
    Visits

    Archives

    December 2018
    October 2018
    December 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    April 2015
    May 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    September 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

You are currently feasting your eyes on J.J. Johnson's website.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Doun Dounell, Andrew-Hyde, melenita2012, f_lavins
  • My Books
    • Believarexic
    • The Theory of Everything >
      • A Teoria de Tudo
      • Mi Teoría de Todo
      • La theorie du grand tout
    • This Girl is Different >
      • Esta Chica es Diferente
      • Cette fille est différente
      • 이 소녀는 다른 것입니다
      • Eve sieht es anders
      • Ova djevojka je drukčija
  • Writerly Things I Do
    • Writing (My Creative Space)
    • And I Read a Lot
    • Speeches & School Visits
    • Book Harvest
    • The Brown Bookshelf's Declaration in Support of Children
    • Adverb Fight Club
    • Little Free Library
    • Indies First
    • Authors for Library E-Books
  • Blog
  • About Me
    • Bio
    • Short Bio
    • Believarexic Radio Interview
    • Frequently Asked Questions >
      • How to be an Author
      • 'This Girl' Discussion Questions
    • Favorites by Decade
    • Post-Concussion Syndrome
    • 50 Random Facts About Me
    • Favorite Quotes
    • Paintings
    • Happy Dances
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Take a Survey