Have you noticed your kids seem spaced? Clued out? You know their not drunk, you know their not stoned, you know their friends are a decent bunch of well raised kids. So, whats the problem?
In our house the problem was the overwhelming use of devices. Cell phones, ipods, ipads, DS's, PS3, XBOX, etc, etc, etc, etc.
We would be talking to our kids and notice they are only half paying attention to our words. Instructions given to do chores but it takes forever to get it done. Homework is getting forgotten. Friends seem to know our kids more than we do.
The answer in my eyes was obvious. After we tried dealing with behaviour, attitudes, sluggishness, we came to realize that there was a common denominator. That was the internet and it's proliferation in our home.
I know if you found your kid sniffing glue, or smoking pot, or hiding contraband around your house you would probably turn the place upside down to clear the whole house of the threat. But what about the internet? You use too. Right? So what's a parent supposed to do?
We decided that cold turkey for our kids was the only route available. Cold Turkey? You'd think we had a major drug issue in the house, but we didn't. We had a major internet issue in our house and the only available remedy was cold turkey. Taking all the devices away from our kids, changing all the passwords including our personal computers and only allowing their use at specified times and then only if homework and chores were up to date.
I realize that we are probably the last parents on earth to get with the program on this but the results in our kids have woken up. Happier. Brighter. More cheerful. Still argumentative but hey, that's life with teenagers. I can handle that to an extent.
The most shocking thing about the results is that despite the kicking and screaming over the loss of their devices, they seem to be happy about it now. They read books like they used to when they were small. They stay at the supper table and engage in conversation for long periods of time. They voluntarily practice their instruments.
A radical change? You bet.
The medicine?
Just take it away!
RM
In our house the problem was the overwhelming use of devices. Cell phones, ipods, ipads, DS's, PS3, XBOX, etc, etc, etc, etc.
We would be talking to our kids and notice they are only half paying attention to our words. Instructions given to do chores but it takes forever to get it done. Homework is getting forgotten. Friends seem to know our kids more than we do.
The answer in my eyes was obvious. After we tried dealing with behaviour, attitudes, sluggishness, we came to realize that there was a common denominator. That was the internet and it's proliferation in our home.
I know if you found your kid sniffing glue, or smoking pot, or hiding contraband around your house you would probably turn the place upside down to clear the whole house of the threat. But what about the internet? You use too. Right? So what's a parent supposed to do?
We decided that cold turkey for our kids was the only route available. Cold Turkey? You'd think we had a major drug issue in the house, but we didn't. We had a major internet issue in our house and the only available remedy was cold turkey. Taking all the devices away from our kids, changing all the passwords including our personal computers and only allowing their use at specified times and then only if homework and chores were up to date.
I realize that we are probably the last parents on earth to get with the program on this but the results in our kids have woken up. Happier. Brighter. More cheerful. Still argumentative but hey, that's life with teenagers. I can handle that to an extent.
The most shocking thing about the results is that despite the kicking and screaming over the loss of their devices, they seem to be happy about it now. They read books like they used to when they were small. They stay at the supper table and engage in conversation for long periods of time. They voluntarily practice their instruments.
A radical change? You bet.
The medicine?
Just take it away!
RM
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